Official UK procurement notice
Dual-growth chamber Molecular Beam Epitaxy System (2 Lots)
Authority: University of Sheffield (Education)
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionThe EPSRC National Epitaxy Facility (NEF) based at the University of Sheffield has been providing bespoke semiconductor wafers to academia and industry for 45 years. It is a unique world-class centre combining technical excellence and expertise with state-of-the-art epitaxy and material characterization equipment.
We are looking to further enhance our capability provision to the UK semiconductor community, by investing in a new linked dual-chamber Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) System for arsenides/phosphides and arsenides/antimonides growth that is fully automated, capable of 24/7 operation, reliable, and resource-efficient allowing further expansion in the
future.
CPV: Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses) · Microelectronic machinery and apparatus and microsystems
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · all with a published value (£5,000,000 together) · evaluation weights differ by lotLot #1MBE SystemAwardedPublished value£4,750,000
The system is replacing two existing VG reactors capable of 4" wafer growth of high-quality arsenides/phosphides and arsenides/antimonides, and should offer higher throughput
thanks to automation of growth recipes for 24/7 operation, and integrated solutions allowing maintenance of critical components (such as ion gauges, cells) without breaking chamber vacuum.
Lot #2In-situ monitoring equipmentCancelledPublished value£250,000
As described within the tender documents
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Lots publish different evaluation splits; there is no single procedure weighting.
| Lot | Quality | Price | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · MBE System | 80% | 20% | |
| 2 · In-situ monitoring equipment | 80% | 20% |
- Price carries 20 points on every lot: a 10% discount moves about 2 points.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- No (one-off requirement)
- First published
- 7 Feb 2025, 18:51 GMT
- Last source update
- 3 Oct 2025, 14:29 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 14 Mar 2025 – …
- Authority reference
4420/DM/25- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-062197- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04dd08Find a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
Publisher note: A PIN was published on the 13th November 2024 relating to this procurement. FTS reference: 2024/S 000-036718 University reference: 4354/PIN/DM/24 The financial values displayed within this notice for each Lot, are indicate and subject to change, depending on the technical responses received
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 13 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission","written"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bids opened
- 14 Mar 2025, 13:00 GMT
Timeline
13 Mar 2025 → 3 Oct 2025 · 3 dates- Submission deadline13 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Bids opened14 Mar 2025, 13:00 GMT
- Notice published388 days ago3 Oct 2025, 14:29 BST
Notice history
1 event · 2 releases on Find a Tender- Status changed to complete3 Oct 2025, 14:29 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 1 · MBE System1 award | |||
| DCA Instruments OySME | £4,878,210 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
MBE System · DCA Instruments OySME
- Signed
- 4 Sept 2025
- Value
- £4,878,210
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · MBE System | 4bids · 4 electronic | — | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- The University of SheffieldReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- DCA Instruments OyAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.