Find a TenderAwarded without competitionTransparency notice
Published 24 Jun 2025, 09:08 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Supply of 90 × Qube-Servo 3 to the University of Birmingham

Official notice

Authority: THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Education)

Direct awardSME suitable
Sectors: Software Packages & ERP (48) Delivery: UK
Awarded value£277,917published award · exc. VAT
Award in standstill Not publishedno call for competition
Award (standstill) to Quanser UK

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Quanser Qube Servo 3 system is an innovative and unique solution for laboratory teaching in the subjects of Control Systems and Mechatronics. The School of Engineering and CTL aim to replace our outdated kit (which is now obsolete) with the Servo3 as a vital part of our undergraduate teaching provision. The system provides a unique solution, fully integrated with MATLAB®/Simulink® (which is used throughout the School in teaching and research). The hardware, will be used in labs within our curriculum to enable students to experience the practical side of motor physics, simulation and modelling, and will allow the design implementation and test of a range of control engineering solutions. This is a vital part of our world-leading engineering education.

A crucial element is that the hardware is complemented by state-of-the-art digital twins which allow students to experiment on the twin using MATLAB®/Simulink® (e.g. for revision or lab-prep), from home. The Faculty License will allow access to the full set of Quanser's digital twins and includes the real-time control software for all students and staff. These teaching platforms distinguish themselves significantly from anything else available on the market (in fact there is nothing remotely similar in terms of functionality). Our purchase will ensure continuity of our excellent research-led teaching related to mechatronics, electric machines and control engineering.

The Qube servo 3 will enable us at the University to continue study of Control Engineering, Control Fundamentals Modelling of mechanical and electric systems Analysis of systems Steady state error analysis, Stability (Simplified Nyquist), Stability margins. Control Design Design based-upon Nichols and/or Bode plots Compensator design via classical loop-shaping Case studies

Where student can Implement the skills and knowledge acquired during the module in the design and construction of a complete system.

We are faced with the current Engineering module equipment becoming obsolete as no longer manufactured. The effects this would have on the teaching would see a drop in overall dynamics so is crucial to maintain the level that we have achieved in previous years. Securing the purchase from Quanser will provide a seamless transition that cannot be replaced and evident whilst researching products from existing suppliers. We can continue to work in tandem using current software with the Qube servo 3 and integrate the additional software widely utilized across the university campus such as Matlab and Simulink.

The Quanser Qube-Servo 3 is an integrated DC-servo motor experiment. It is designed to help teach fundamental control concepts and theories on an easy-to-use and intuitive platform

This will enhance student experience as the package gives us more capabilities from its technical specifications and scope to provide and support Engineering taught labs using emerging technology in comparison to current equipment which will no longer be viable

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1AwardedSME
Delivery: UKEligibility: SME eligible

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
24 Jun 2025, 09:08 BST
Last source update
24 Jun 2025, 09:08 BST
Authority reference
SC13955/25
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-034564
Latest notice
Transparency notice (UK5)
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05522b Find a Tender
Why no open competition
Urgency
Published justification

Quanser is the Sole manufacturer of the products included in the quotation.

Outline the features and benefits in the proposed Qube Servo 3 that are unique to Quanser and cannot be found in similar solutions in the market available to academia.

The Qube Servo 3...

  • is a fully-integrated rotary servo motor plant with instrumentation, amplifier and DAQ. This is the only fully integrated solution for rotary control systems labs available to academia.
  • has an open architecture design, which means that no element of the Qube Servo 3 is black boxed to the user, and users gain direct access to all the sensing and actuating elements of the experiment. This allows users and researchers to develop and deploy their own control algorithms and custom code on the experiment.
  • Includes a fully developed courseware to address most topics covered in university-level courses. The courseware includes editable instructor and student workbooks to enable integrating into the current and future courses efficiently and flexibly by the instructor.
  • Is complemented by QLabs Virtual Qube Servo 3 Digital Twin, a fully instrumented, dynamically accurate virtual twin of the physical Qube-Servo 3 system. It behaves in the same way as the physical hardware and can be measured and controlled using MATLAB®/Simulink® and other development environments. This allows students to explore and validate sophisticated control systems models from the comfort of their home, and they can find continuity by deploying the very same ones onto real hardware.
  • Furthermore, the Quanser Faculty License offers access to all 11 of our digital twins for student and staff installation. This includes our high-end research platforms, QCar 2, QDrone 2, QBot Platform and QArm. This software, Quanser Interactive Labs is unique to Quanser and not available anywhere else.

Notice history

2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 24 Jun 2025
  1. Transparency notice published
    24 Jun 2025, 09:08 BST
    UK5
  2. Contract signature expected
    24 Jun 2025, 23:59 BST
    scheduled

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1some still in standstill
Awarded value £277,9171 award exc. VAT
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Quanser UK2 Jul 2025 – 28 May 2026£277,917—Standstill

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-COH: RC000645 · GB-PPON: PHCQ-3464-LVTM Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands, B15 2TTContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • Quanser UK LtdAwarded supplierGB-COH: 15041305 1 Bow Churchyard, London, London, EC4M 9DQContact email

Official documents & specifications (1)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender