Official UK procurement notice
Multi collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometer MC-ICP MS
Authority: University of Portsmouth Higher Education Corporation (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe University of Portsmouth confirms it has contracted for the supply of a pre-owned dual-beam path MC-ICPMS (Multi Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer). This includes Supply, Delivery, Installation and warranty.
The Total value of this contract is £490,000 ex vat.
CPV: Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedProcedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 1 Dec 2025, 11:55 GMT
- Last source update
- 30 Jan 2026, 12:54 GMT
- Authority reference
24-SJM-343- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-008452- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05ebd3Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Switching Direct Award
- Published justification
The procurement needed a high specification ICP-MS but the University had a very limited budget.
In accordance with UK procurement regulations, the University issued a UK2 on 1st December 2025. This Preliminary Market Engagement notice was used to assess market availability and determine whether any suitable/used instruments meeting the required technical specifications were available within the allocated budget. Following this engagement, the University received a single expression of interest from Nu Instruments, who confirmed their ability to meet the specification within the available budget.
The instrument meet the Universities requirements and will be utilised for high-precision isotopic analysis of Hf, U-Pb, U-series, Sr, Pb, and Nd in geological samples. It must support both dry plasma and laser ablation sample introduction methods and will primarily be applied to geological and materials science research. The system will be integrated with the University's existing 193 nm and femtosecond laser systems.
Minimum Technical Requirements:
Dual beam path enabling bypass of the collision cell when not required.
Daly detectors providing wide dynamic range for mixed isotope systems.
Upgrade pathway for fast ion counters to enable single-shot analysis when available.
Includes a manufacturer warranty of 36 months
PA23 UK5 Notice and UK 6 Notices published on 19th December 2025
Associated people/organisations:
Ametek GB (Ltd) is the Parent company of Nu Instruments Ltd.
The contract is placed with Nu Instruments Ltd
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
1 Dec 2025 → 30 Jan 2026 · 6 dates- Planning notice published320 days ago1 Dec 2025, 11:55 GMT
- Market engagement306 days ago14 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
Please send information outlining how you meet the requirements to [email protected]. This should include technical specifications, delivery arrangements and lead times, service and warranty information. Any queries can also be directed to the same contact.
- Standstill ends284 days ago5 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Next notice expected284 days ago5 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts284 days ago6 Jan 2026
- Latest notice published260 days ago30 Jan 2026, 12:54 GMT
Notice history
8 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 1 Dec 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published1 Dec 2025, 11:55 GMTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published1 Dec 2025, 12:06 GMTUK2
- Transparency notice published19 Dec 2025, 12:28 GMTUK5
- Status changed to complete19 Dec 2025, 12:28 GMT
- Procurement method changed19 Dec 2025, 12:28 GMT
- Contract award notice published19 Dec 2025, 12:57 GMTUK6
- Contract signature expected6 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published30 Jan 2026, 12:54 GMTUK7
Published amendments (1)
edited to include detailed specification
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2025-12: 2 releases · 1 Dec 2025, 1 Dec 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ametek (GB) LtdMC-ICPMS (Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer6 Jan 2026 – 6 Jan 2029 | £490,000 | 19 Dec 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
MC-ICPMS (Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer · Ametek (GB) Ltd
- Signed
- 13 Jan 2026
- Value
- £490,000
- Period
- 13 Jan 2026 – 13 Jan 2029
- Status
- active
No agreed KPIs: N/A Acceptance Testing required. Agreed Service plan and Warranty cover in place.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- AMETEK (GB) LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (5)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender