Find a TenderOpen for tender Tender notice
Published 15 May 2026, 14:59 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Multi Lot - Supply and Installation of Materials Testing Machines (Tensile and Flexural)

Authority: University of South Wales (Education)

2 lotsGoodsOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Published estimate£400,000total for 2 lots · £480,000 inc. VAT · 1 value update
Submission deadline 13 Nov 202621d 13h left
Clarification cut-off 6 Nov 202612:00 GMT · questions to the authority
Contract term 3 yrs 4 moends 31 Mar 2030 · starts 8 Dec 2026

What is being bought2 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

The Contracting Authority wishes to appoint one supplier for each Lot to supply, deliver, install, commission and support: Lot 1 – a Universal Testing Machine; and Lot 2 – a Flexural Testing Machine, for the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science. Tenderers may tender for one or both Lots.

CPV: Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure

2 lots · all with a published value (£400,000 together) · same evaluation weights on every lot
Lot #1Universal Testing Machine 3 yrs 4 moSMEVCSEPublished value£200,000

supply, deliver, install, commission and support: Lot 1 – a Universal Testing Machine, for the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science

Contract period: 8 Dec 2026 – 31 Mar 2030 (3 yrs 4 mo)Value: £200,000 exc. VAT · £240,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: WalesEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligibleTurnover guideline: ~£120,665/yr≈ 2× annual value

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #2Flexural Testing Machine 3 yrs 4 moPublished value£200,000

supply, deliver, install, commission and support Lot 2 a Flexural Testing Machine, for the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science.

Contract period: 8 Dec 2026 – 31 Mar 2030 (3 yrs 4 mo)Value: £200,000 exc. VAT · £240,000 inc. VAT
Turnover guideline: ~£120,665/yr≈ 2× annual value

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

What it takes to win
i

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 more
How bids are scored · same split on all 2 lots
Quality: 20%Price: 80%
Published sub-criteria (2)
  • Quality Review: 20%
  • Price: 80%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Price
  • Quality Review
Lot distribution rule: Please see Invitation to Tender Document available on the etenderwales portal

No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.

What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 80 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 8 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
  • Turnover usually expected: about £120,665 per lot (twice each lot's annual value).

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula. Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.

Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid

How University of South Wales buys Laboratory, optical and precision (CPV 38), and who usually turns up

University of South Wales’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Laboratory, optical and precision (CPV 38) →

1

How the contest usually goes

Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.

Question for the bid
This buyerUniversity of South Wales · all categories
What to do with it
How often do SMEs win?
i

How often small and medium firms win.

Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.

The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 15 of 46 known-size awards · market: division 38 · Wales (Cymru), n=26
33%46%

Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.

How often do local suppliers win?
i

How often local firms win similar work.

Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.

Here, local means registered in Wales (Cymru).

A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 16 of 69 known-location awards · market: division 38 · Wales (Cymru), n=40
23%8%

Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered outside Wales (Cymru).

How long to a decision?
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 6 decided notices · market: division 38 · UK-wide, n=101
54 days36 days

Half of these awards were announced within 54 days of the bid deadline.

How often single-bid or direct?
i

How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.

Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.

Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.

Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: at least 36 of 78 procurements with awards had no recorded rival · market: division 38 · Wales (Cymru), n=47
46%57%

Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.

How many bids did past lots attract?

i

How many bids past lots received.

Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.

Past bids do not predict this tender.

Last 36 months.

This buyer10 lots with bid counts · all categories
20% had one bid
The market23 lots with bid counts · division 38 · Wales (Cymru)
13% had one bid
Buyer / market · select a colour for counts
1 bid20% / 13%
Buyer: 2 of 10 lots with published bid counts. Market: 3 of 23 lots with published bid counts.
2–340% / 35%
Buyer: 4 of 10 lots with published bid counts. Market: 8 of 23 lots with published bid counts.
4–640% / 26%
Buyer: 4 of 10 lots with published bid counts. Market: 6 of 23 lots with published bid counts.
7+0% / 26%
Buyer: 0 of 10 lots with published bid counts. Market: 6 of 23 lots with published bid counts.

How did awards compare with estimates?

i

Where winning prices landed against estimates.

Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.

Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.

Last 36 months.

This buyer25 lots with estimate and award · all categories
60% below estimate
The market9 lots with estimate and award · division 38 · Wales (Cymru)
44% below estimate
Buyer / market · select a colour for counts
Below estimate60% / 44%
Buyer: 15 of 25 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 4 of 9 lots with an estimate and award.
Within ±2%16% / 22%
Buyer: 4 of 25 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 2 of 9 lots with an estimate and award.
Above estimate24% / 33%
Buyer: 6 of 25 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 3 of 9 lots with an estimate and award.
2

Assess each lot
i

What past awards tell you about each lot.

See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.

No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.

Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list

Lot #1Universal Testing MachineCPV 3800000040 monthsSME suitablePublished estimate£200k
Expected competition
i

How many bids this lot may attract.

The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.

Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A forecast, not a list of bidders.

3expected bids14% chance of a single bid
forecast from 46 past contests
Forecast chances for this lot
1 bid14%
Chance this lot gets 1 bid: 14%. This is a forecast.
2–368%
Chance this lot gets 2–3: 68%. This is a forecast.
4–614%
Chance this lot gets 4–6: 14%. This is a forecast.
7+4%
Chance this lot gets 7+: 4%. This is a forecast.
Commercial price forecast
i

Where the award price may land.

The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.

Based on 16 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.

£191k5% below estimate
16 comparable awards
Forecast compared with the buyer’s estimate
Middle 50%£159k–£203k
Half of likely prices fall between £158,788 and £202,812.
Estimate£200k
The buyer published an estimate of £200,000 for this lot.
A 0% chance the award lands exactly on the estimate.

Who has supplied this buyer on similar work?
i

Who has done similar work for this buyer.

Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.

A past supplier may not bid again.

No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.

Who could compete for this lot?
i

Who could compete for this lot?

Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.

None is confirmed as a bidder.

SupplierWon in this categoryLive contractsAward vs estimate
2 wins in Wales (Cymru)4 panel places
£7.7m50 awards in 36m · last this month12 live · £2.5m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=12
1 win in Wales (Cymru)7 panel places
£2.5m27 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago7 live · £2.2m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

7% below n=3
4 panel places
£37m51 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago19 live · £28m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=11
1 panel places
£13m22 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago5 live · £893k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=6
£8.3m15 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago6 live · £922k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

22% below n=3
Lot #2Flexural Testing MachineCPV 3800000040 monthsPublished estimate£200k
Expected competition
i

How many bids this lot may attract.

The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.

Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A forecast, not a list of bidders.

3expected bids14% chance of a single bid
forecast from 46 past contests
Forecast chances for this lot
1 bid14%
Chance this lot gets 1 bid: 14%. This is a forecast.
2–369%
Chance this lot gets 2–3: 69%. This is a forecast.
4–614%
Chance this lot gets 4–6: 14%. This is a forecast.
7+3%
Chance this lot gets 7+: 3%. This is a forecast.
Commercial price forecast
i

Where the award price may land.

The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.

Based on 16 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.

£191k5% below estimate
16 comparable awards
Forecast compared with the buyer’s estimate
Middle 50%£159k–£203k
Half of likely prices fall between £158,788 and £202,812.
Estimate£200k
The buyer published an estimate of £200,000 for this lot.
A 0% chance the award lands exactly on the estimate.

Who has supplied this buyer on similar work?
i

Who has done similar work for this buyer.

Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.

A past supplier may not bid again.

No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.

Who could compete for this lot?
i

Who could compete for this lot?

Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.

None is confirmed as a bidder.

SupplierWon in this categoryLive contractsAward vs estimate
2 wins in Wales (Cymru)4 panel places
£7.7m50 awards in 36m · last this month12 live · £2.5m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=12
1 win in Wales (Cymru)7 panel places
£2.5m27 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago7 live · £2.2m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

7% below n=3
4 panel places
£37m51 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago19 live · £28m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=11
£8.3m15 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago6 live · £922k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

22% below n=3
1 win in Wales (Cymru)
£1.9m13 awards in 36m · last 7 months ago1 live · £35k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

15% below n=7
About this data
  • Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
  • Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
  • Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
  • Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Goods
Notice status
Open for tender
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
15 May 2026, 14:59 BST
Last source update
9 Oct 2026, 12:24 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 7 Dec 2026
Authority reference
2082
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-095624
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
Delivery area
Wales (UKL15)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-069a2c Find a Tender
Contract terms summary

Please see Invitation to Tender Document and Specification Document available on the etenderwales portal

Review and risk notes
Risks

Please see Invitation to Tender Document and Specification Document available on the etenderwales portal

How to participate & submission route

Official notice Submit via Sell2Wales
Submission portal named on this notice: Sell2Wales · Who buys & how to bid on Sell2Wales
Electronic submission allowedLanguage: EN, CY
Requests to participate (first stage)
—
Tender submission deadline
13 Nov 2026
Clarification deadline
6 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en, cy
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenderWales portal (etenderwales.bravosolution.co.uk ↗), Project reference project_64300 – Supply and Installation of Materials Testing Machines (Tensile and Flexural). The procurement is divided into two Lots with a separate ITT for each: itt_127520 – Lot 1 Universal Testing Machine; itt_127521 – Lot 2 Flexural Testing Machine. Tenderers may bid for one or both Lots and must submit a complete response in the ITT for each Lot bid for.

Timeline

15 May 2026 → 8 Dec 2026 · 8 dates
  1. Planning notice published160 days ago
    15 May 2026, 14:59 BST
  2. Market engagement152 days ago
    22 May 2026, 23:59 BST

    We are asking suppliers to answer some questions based on a potential requirement - to do this suppliers must access the market engagement via eTenderWales at the following link: etenderwales.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/go/97663575019E2BEFD34A ↗

  3. Next notice expected142 days ago
    1 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
  4. Tender notice published13 days ago
    9 Oct 2026, 12:24 BST
  5. Today
    22 Oct 2026
  6. Clarification questions byin 15 days
    6 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
  7. Submission deadlinein 22 days
    13 Nov 2026
  8. Award decision expected byin 47 days
    7 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
  9. Contract startsin 47 days
    8 Dec 2026

Notice history

7 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 15 May 2026
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    15 May 2026, 14:59 BST
    UK2
  2. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    15 May 2026, 15:17 BST
    UK2
  3. Tender notice published
    9 Oct 2026, 12:24 BST
    UK4
  4. Published value updated to £400,000
    9 Oct 2026, 12:24 BST
    was £200,000
  5. Status changed to active
    9 Oct 2026, 12:24 BST
  6. Procurement method changed
    9 Oct 2026, 12:24 BST
  7. Deadline published: 13 Nov 2026
    9 Oct 2026, 12:24 BST

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Nothing awarded yet
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

University of South Wales

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central governmentWelsh devolved regulations apply GB-CHC: 1140312 University of South Wales,, Pontypridd, Wales, CF37 1DLContact name, email

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure