Find a TenderAwarded without competitionContract details notice
Published 11 Jun 2026, 16:35 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Service and Maintenance Contract for Genomic Sequencing Platform

Official notice

Authority: University of Northumbria at Newcastle (Education)

Direct award
Awarded value£326,250published contract · inc. VAT
Awarded 10 Jun 2026no call for competition
Awarded to PACIFIC BIOSCIENCES OF CALIFORNIA

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Northumbria University has procured a 5-year service, support, and maintenance contract for an existing Revio high-throughput genomic sequencing platform to support advanced molecular, environmental, and bioscience research frameworks within the Faculty of Science and Environment. This specialized multi-year service agreement is critical for ensuring the continuous, high-availability, and high-precision operational performance of complex, long-read sequencing instrumentation running critical data workflows.

The contract ensures the systematic provisioning of vital maintenance parameters—including preventative maintenance visits, emergency engineering labor, certified replacement parts, proprietary consumables required for mechanical repairs, and real-time remote performance monitoring—allowing researchers to maximize instrument uptime and maintain strict data fidelity across high-throughput genomic pipelines.

The contract is awarded via a formal internal procurement exemption as the sequencing platform relies entirely on proprietary technology and closed-source software architectures. Consequently, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is the sole authorized provider capable of supplying certified replacement parts, executing specialized engineering calibrations, and providing remote diagnostic support. No alternative provider exists with the technical capacity or legal authorization to service the asset without compromising instrument validation, operational warranties, or downstream research data fidelity.

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
11 Jun 2026, 16:35 BST
Last source update
6 Jul 2026, 10:16 BST
Authority reference
E25/0008
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-063106
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Delivery area
North East (UKC)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b36e Find a Tender
Why no open competition
Single Suppliers Intellectual Property Exclusive Rights; Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
Published justification

The direct award is justified under Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 due to exclusive rights and technical reasons:

Intellectual Property and Exclusive Rights: The genomic sequencing platform relies entirely on proprietary, patented technology and closed-source software architectures owned exclusively by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). No third-party providers hold the legal licenses or authorizations required to access, update, or modify the system's core operating infrastructure.

Technical Reasons: The OEM is the sole authorized provider globally with the specialized technical capacity, certified engineering tooling, and remote diagnostic systems required to service this instrument. Utilizing an alternative provider would invalidate manufacturer operational warranties, breach mandatory instrument calibration protocols (such as laser alignment), and fatally compromise downstream research data fidelity and scientific validation.

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
—

Timeline

24 Jun 2026 → 6 Jul 2026 · 2 dates
  1. Standstill ends120 days ago
    24 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
  2. Notice published108 days ago
    6 Jul 2026, 10:16 BST

Notice history

4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 11 Jun 2026
  1. Transparency notice published
    11 Jun 2026, 16:35 BST
    UK5
  2. Contract award notice published
    12 Jun 2026, 10:36 BST
    UK6
  3. Contract signature expected
    25 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
    scheduled
  4. Contract details notice published
    6 Jul 2026, 10:16 BST
    UK7

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value (inc. VAT) £326,2501 contract inc. VAT; no net value published
Contracts signed 1latest 25 Jun 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
PACIFIC BIOSCIENCES OF CALIFORNIA26 Jun 2026 – 22 May 2031US$326,250 inc. VAT10 Jun 2026Awarded

Contracts

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Northumbria University

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PNBP-4638-XHJP Pandon Building, Camden Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, North East, NE1 8STContact name, email, phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • PACIFIC BIOSCIENCES OF CALIFORNIAAwarded supplierGB-PPON: PNMW-2551-DXRZ 1305 O'Brien Drive, Menlo Park, California, US, 94025, USContact name, email

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender