Find a TenderAwarded without competitionContract award notice
Published 12 Dec 2025, 14:41 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Purchase of Hamamatsu Streak Camera

Official notice

Authority: Cardiff University (Education)

Direct award
Awarded value£376,734published award · exc. VAT
Award in standstill 17 Dec 2025no call for competition
Award (standstill) to Hamamastsu Photonics UK Ltd

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Hamamatsu C16910 Universal Streak Camera system is essential to restore a unique capability for ultrafast time-resolved spectral measurements at Cardiff University. This system enables time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) experiments with sub-picosecond resolution, which are critical for investigating the dynamic behaviour of photo-excited carriers in semiconductor materials and ultra-fast optoelectronic devices, such as quantum dot lasers.The previously held system, also manufactured by Hamamatsu, is now non-functional, obsolete, and irreparable. It was approximately 25–30 years old and had been operating until recently. Replacement parts are incompatible with the legacy hardware, and thus repair is not possible. The replacement system must ensure continuity of prior capability, and for future uses must be able to satisfy the requirements of a number of research projects, with one requirement of this specification including a patented internal MCP technology, which drastically reduces dark noise by several orders of magnitude (e.g. 25,000 times) compared to external image intensifier configurations.

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Direct award
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Notice status
Awarded without competition
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
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
12 Dec 2025, 14:41 GMT
Last source update
17 Dec 2025, 14:56 GMT
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-083938
Latest notice
Contract award notice (UK6)
Delivery area
Wales (UKL22)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f4fc Find a Tender
Why no open competition
Single Suppliers Intellectual Property Exclusive Rights
Published justification

The university requires a Streak Camera with very specific capabilities. Amongst a long list of required features are two noteworthy requirements which validate the reasoning of directly sourcing this equipment. Those are the following -

Requirement for patented internal MCP technology

The replacement system must ensure continuity of prior capability

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
—

Timeline

17 Dec 2025 → 30 Dec 2025 · 2 dates
  1. Notice published314 days ago
    17 Dec 2025, 14:56 GMT
  2. Standstill ends301 days ago
    30 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT

Notice history

3 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 12 Dec 2025
  1. Transparency notice published
    12 Dec 2025, 14:41 GMT
    UK5
  2. Contract award notice published
    17 Dec 2025, 14:56 GMT
    UK6
  3. Contract signature expected
    5 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
    scheduled

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £376,7341 award exc. VAT
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Hamamastsu Photonics UK LtdHamamatsu C16910 Universal Streak Camera system12 Jan 2026 – 27 Feb 2026£376,73417 Dec 2025standstill to 30 Dec 2025Standstill

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Cardiff University

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central governmentWelsh devolved regulations apply GB-PPON: PHVT-4343-HWYR Procurement Services, Cardiff, Wales, CF24 4HQContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • Hamamatsu Photonics UK LimitedAwarded supplierGB-PPON: PYQN-3218-MQDR 2 Howard Court, 10 Tewin Road,, Welwyn Garden City, East of England, AL7 1BWContact email

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender