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Official procurement procedure
LUV01495 Procurement of Quad Systems C4 NMR Spectrometer and associated peripherals
No classification published
Location not published
Published value
Not published
Submission deadline Not published
Lots published1
Procurement Executive Summary
AI & Search Synopsis
Generated from official OCDS record
Tenderline Synopsis: University of Leicester: "LUV01495 Procurement of Quad Systems C4 NMR Spectrometer and associated peripherals". Published status: complete. Published value: Value not published. 1 published lot. Submission deadline not published. See the official notice for participation instructions.
| Contracting Authority | University of Leicester | Scope & Categories | Not published | Submission Window | complete No deadline published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submission Gateway | Direct notice route | Legal Basis & Regime | Standard procurement | Estimated Value (exc. VAT) | Not published |
Bidder Intelligence · Authority Profile: University of Leicester
Market Analytics
Derived from OCDS awards & bid statistics
Published history for University of Leicester. These figures describe retained records, not a forecast of bids or a measure of buyer bias.
Average Price Reduction
Not availableInsufficient comparable data
Competition Density
6.4Bids / Report
Supplier ConcentrationHigh Concentration
Ede & RavenscroftTop vendor: 100% of attributable valuePayment Terms
Check noticePublished terms
Coverage: 9 active published awards; 7 bid reports (which may be per lot). Supplier values exclude multi-supplier awards, frameworks and DPS, and use GBP only. They are published award values, not payments. Price reduction compares single-lot, single-award, single-supplier GBP procedures with explicitly non-framework/non-DPS status; increases remain in the average. Unpublished data stays unknown. Awarded suppliers are winners, not all bidders.
Historical Awarded Suppliers With This Authority:
| Supplier Name | Historic Awards | Attributable GBP Value |
|---|---|---|
| Ede & Ravenscroft | 1 win | £1,375,000 |
Procedure terms
Contracting AuthorityUniversity of Leicester | Procedure methodNot published | Procurement categoryNot published |
Statuscomplete | Framework / DPSNot published | CompetitionNot published |
Above thresholdNot published | Legal basisNot published | Tender period startsNot published |
Clarification deadlineNot published | Electronic submissionNot published | Submission languagesNot published |
Published28 Aug 2026, 14:16 BST | Last source update28 Aug 2026, 14:16 BST | Recurring procurementNot published |
ClassificationNot published | ||
Delivery areaLocation not published | ||
OCIDocds-h6vhtk-06ee9f | ||
What is being bought
The University of Leicester, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, is expanding its capabilities to study the dynamics and structure of molecules using NMR spectroscopy. To support this, funding has been secured from the BBSRC to procure a highly specialised instrument: the Quad Systems C4 NMR spectrometer and associated peripherals. This instrument integrates cutting-edge technology into a single coherent system.
The Quad Systems C4 NMR spectrometer will be installed at the University to support its research activities, particularly in areas involving nucleic acid-protein, protein-protein, and small-molecule-protein interactions. It includes a range of probeheads optimised for maximum sensitivity in biologically relevant solvent systems and integrated LED systems with a range of wavelengths (280, 390, 460, 490, 530 and 600nm) for photo-CIDNP applications. This comprises a fully integrated system which is required to maintain the scientific edge of our ongoing biophysical and molecular research.
What changed
From the official release history
- Status changed to complete
28 Aug 2026, 14:16 BST - Official notice release published
28 Aug 2026, 14:16 BST - Buyer information updated
28 Aug 2026, 14:16 BST
Lots and requirements (1)
Published by the contracting authority
- Lot 1 · #1Individual lot title not publishedcompletePublished valueNot publishedThe source published no individual title or description for this lot.Contract periodNot publishedEligibilityNot publishedOptions / renewalNot published
Timeline
- Procedure published
28 Aug 2026, 14:16 BST - Award pending
Not published · £990,000
Commercial outcome and competition
Awards Quad Systems AG £990,000 · Not published · pending |
ContractsNo contract published |
Bid statisticsNo aggregate bid statistics published |
Buyer and organisations in this procedure
University of Leicester
Contracting authority GB-PPON-PPNM-4297-VLCHAward and contract changes
Documents (1)
Official links; attachments are not copied
Related procedures (0)
No related procedures published
Planning and rationale
Planning budgetNot published |
No-engagement rationaleNot published |
Procedure rationaleThis procurement is being undertaken via a single-source route due to the unique technical capabilities of the Quad Systems C4 NMR spectrometer and associated peripherals (e.g., NMR probes), and the exclusive rights held by its manufacturer, Quad Systems AG.
The unique elements are:
•Bioprobes: non-cryogenic NMR probeheads with sensitivity greater than or equal to 400:1 S/N (standard sucrose sample at 150 mM ionic strength). The funded research programme requires high-sensitivity measurements of protein-nucleic acid interactions under physiological ionic-strength conditions. Equivalent sensitivity cannot be achieved using alternative commercially available non-cryogenic probe technologies.
•Probes with integrated LEDs at a range of frequencies, which can be triggered by the pulse sequence generated by the NMR console, for photo-CIDNP applications.
•All indirect probes have dual-tune channels enabling 1H and 19F observation, and all direct probes allow 1H-{19F}, 19F-{1H}, and 19F-X observation.
These capabilities are protected by patents and are only available from Quad Systems AG (e.g., EP4341716A1, EP4291912A1 and EP3655790B1).
The University has conducted a review of the current NMR market and is not aware of any commercially available alternative system capable of delivering all required features within a single integrated platform. No other commercially available instrument can provide this sensitivity with non-cryogenically cooled probeheads or incorporate LEDs directly into the probehead for streamlined data acquisition. Whilst certain individual capabilities may be available separately, the University has not identified any alternative supplier capable of providing the required combination of:
•non-cryogenic probe sensitivity of at least 400:1 S/N;
•integrated photo-CIDNP LED functionality within probeheads compatible with pulse-sequence triggering;
•dual-tune 1H/19F indirect probe capability; and
•fully integrated hardware, software and application support,
within a single commercially available platform.
These capabilities are protected by patents and are available exclusively from Quad Systems AG. While alternative NMR platforms exist, they do not provide the required combination of performance, integration and functionality necessary to support the University's funded research programme. Consequently, competition is absent for technical reasons, and the contract may only be performed by Quad Systems AG. |