The procurement of a single supplier framework for the provision of scientific, manufacturing and research equipment, and consumables

AWE is looking to appoint a single supplier under a framework to provide the broad range of scientific goods outlined in this contract notice, as required by AWE.

The contract duration will be for 4 (four) years, with 3 (three) additional 1x (single year) extension terms. The maximum contract value is £300,000,000.

The role of the supplier will be to supply AWE with scientific, manufacturing, and research equipment, spares, and consumable goods.

Such goods include, but are not limited to: lasers, electronic components, laboratory consumables, chemicals, lenses, optics, high vacuum equipment, x-ray generating equipment, radioactive sources, analytical standards, packaging, and photographic & AV equipment.

The supplier will be required to provide services of operating a web-based digital solution to facilitate a simple and effective ordering process for repeat spend goods in an 'eCatalogue' type solution, and a digital solution to facilitate the ordering of non-repeat, 'one-off', or non-catalogue goods for AWE and a help desk function to support the digital solutions and their efficient running for all users.

The types of goods expected to be purchased on a non-repeat basis are expected to range from Common- or Modified-Off-The-Shelf laboratory equipment such as electron scanning microscopes, nuclear magnetic resonance instruments, or vacuum furnaces, and one-off purchases of chemicals, laboratory consumables, electronic components as required by AWE.

All equipment, spares and consumables procured under this contract are essential to the Safe and Effective operation of AWE's world class laboratories and production facilities.

The supplier is expected to be able to establish and manage a dynamic and agile supply chain. The supplier is also expected to have the ability to augment and / or adapt their existing operations and supply chains to meet AWE's requirements today and in the future.

If you are interested in participating in this tender, you must express your interest by submitting the following details via email to [email protected], including "1276 - Lab Equipment Procurement" in the subject of your email:

• Company Name
• Contact Name
• Contact Email

AWE is required to conduct an initial Security Screening prior to releasing the PQQ. For this purpose, and recognising that the Security Screening may take a number of days, AWE has built in a 40 day period for registering interest/responding to the PQQ. AWE will make the PQQ available 1 week after the date of this notice, subject to the supplier having passed the initial Security Screening. Therefore, we urge interested suppliers to register their interest at the earliest possible opportunity noting the stated PQQ deadline. Upon receipt of these details an initial Security Screening will be undertaken, following which the PQQ will be issued one week from the publication of this contract notice on AWE's procurement platform Oracle Fusion

The last date for the return of a completed PQQ and as such form requests to be selected to tender shall be 08/April/2024 - 11:00hr (DD/MMMM/YYYY - 24:00hr GMT) (40 days from the date of publication of this contract notice).

The procurement event will be run under DPSCR 2011; however, the nature of this Contract Notice is such that AWE intends to operate restrictions within the relevant procurement regulations in order to protect essential national security interests. If an economic operator has connections with any hostile entity or foreign states which are deemed by AWE to pose a risk to the UK's national security interests or is otherwise considered not to possess the reliability necessary to exclude risks to the security of the United Kingdom, AWE reserves its right to exclude them from this exercise.

The procurement process will operate in successive stages.

AWE will invite the top ten scoring bidders in the PQQ to participate in the first stage of the ITN process.

AWE will invite the top four scoring bidders from the first stage of the ITN process to negotiate with, and subsequently participate in, the second and final stage of the ITN process.

The nature of this contract is such that the award will be subject to supplier's passing AWE's security requirements as dictated by its site licenses.