Official UK procurement notice
The supply and installation of a fixed-dome planetarium at North Wales Science (trading as Xplore! Science Discovery Centre)
Authority: Wrexham University (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionXplore! has recently been awarded Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF)-Transition Fund capital and revenue awards. Xplore! is therefore now looking to create an immersive fixed-dome planetarium with associated AV equipment and appropriate software licenses for high quality STEAM content delivery to a minimum capacity of 30 visitors in each viewing. The planetarium will be the only fixed-dome planetarium in north-east Wales, providing a unique attraction for Wrexham. It aligns with the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act by ensuring future prosperity of Xplore!, its employees, and a cohesive community by contributing positively to STEAM capital for the people of Wrexham. In this way it will provide a platform for Xplore! to develop the personal interest of participants and connect them to the local space industries and potential careers. We have the full support of John Whalley CEO of Space Wales and Rachael Blackburn of Aerospace Wales, with our engagement activities aligning with the needs of the local space sector and associated supply-chain. Our activities will also compliment the activities of Jeremy Howitt at Snowdonia Aerospace, providing a strong link between North West Wales and North East Wales schools, who in time will have access to space-related activities through both organisations. The planetarium will be situated on the first floor of Xplore’s city centre building, which is not currently accessible to all. The project will therefore also enable the installation of a platform lift, as well as refurbishing the stairwell, and re-locating the staff offices from the ground floor to the first-floor space. The planetarium is expected to be fully operational by March 2026. It is expected that the planetarium supplier will work with the construction contractor through 2025 and early 2026 to ensure successful completion of the overall project.
CPV: Miscellaneous equipment · Museum-exhibition services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1Published value£185,000
- Condition of participation
The Authority has set out the conditions of participation details in Appendix 1a WPSQ & Award Criteria Evaluation Methodology – WPSQ Tab and “Question Outcome” Column which refers to Pass / Fail participation criteria.
Economic and financial standing
The Authority will assess the Participant’s Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Risk of Failure score which needs to be 50 or more in order to have an initial Pass. Failure to obtain a 50 or more D&B Risk of Failure score will result in the Authority’s Accountants undertaking further analysis using solvency ratios and profitability ratios etc as defined in the WPSQ Supplier Guidance. Participants are asked to provide information on their two most recent accounts, and upon request, provide copies of the most recent audited accounts or up to date financial statements where full audited accounts cannot be provided. The minimum criteria are set out in the WPSQ and Appendix 1a. The Authority may require further information from a Participant in order to consider if the Participant presents an unacceptable level of financial risk.
Participants must achieve at least the minimum pass score for all questions. Any Participant that does not achieve the minimum pass score for any WPSQ question will be excluded at Stage 1 Phase 3 and its submission will not be further considered for the award of the Contract.
Further instructions on what Participants should consider in relation to their response on financial standing is set out in the WPSQ and Appendix 1.
The WPSQ acts as a self-declaration for Participants. The Preferred Bidder will be required to provide all requested certificates and documentation before being awarded the Contract. However, the Authority can ask any Participant to submit their evidence at any point in the procurement process, if this is necessary, to ensure that the process is carried out properly and in a timeous manner to meet with the procurement’s programme requirements.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published award criteria (2)
- Price: Please provide pricing cost details for the optional requirements as detailed within the Optional Items line in technical specification. The University is not obliged to purchase these items but are optional items that MAY be purchased depending on budget availability and competitive nature of the pricing. The prices should be as follows: For any United Kingdom based Economic Operators the Pricing for Appendix 1e should be in British pound sterling and shall be inclusive of VAT @20% and include all other Taxes and Tariffs, where applicable. For any Economic Operators based outside the United Kingdom the Pricing for Appendix 1e should be in British pounds sterling and shall include all applicable Taxes and Tariffs. In order to account for VAT we may have to pay import VAT on goods. For supplies of services from outside the UK we must account for VAT under the reverse charge procedure. The University will need to add Value Added Tax @ 20% to the Total Cost of the bid submitted, which must come within the total budget disclosed.
- Quality: Technical/Quality is divided into sub-quality weightings as per the ITT tender pack
- Condition of participation
The Authority has set out the conditions of participation details in Appendix 1a WPSQ & Award Criteria Evaluation Methodology – WPSQ Tab and “Question Outcome” Column which refers to Pass / Fail participation criteria.
Economic and financial standing
The Authority will assess the Participant’s Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Risk of Failure score which needs to be 50 or more in order to have an initial Pass. Failure to obtain a 50 or more D&B Risk of Failure score will result in the Authority’s Accountants undertaking further analysis using solvency ratios and profitability ratios etc as defined in the WPSQ Supplier Guidance. Participants are asked to provide information on their two most recent accounts, and upon request, provide copies of the most recent audited accounts or up to date financial statements where full audited accounts cannot be provided. The minimum criteria are set out in the WPSQ and Appendix 1a. The Authority may require further information from a Participant in order to consider if the Participant presents an unacceptable level of financial risk.
Participants must achieve at least the minimum pass score for all questions. Any Participant that does not achieve the minimum pass score for any WPSQ question will be excluded at Stage 1 Phase 3 and its submission will not be further considered for the award of the Contract.
Further instructions on what Participants should consider in relation to their response on financial standing is set out in the WPSQ and Appendix 1.…
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Below threshold - open competition
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Below threshold
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 8 Sept 2025, 14:54 BST
- Last source update
- 8 Sept 2025, 14:54 BST
- Authority reference
AS/JC/08/09/2025- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-054706- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0595efFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 3 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 26 Sept 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
Sell2Wales Portal: www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthPr… ↗
Detailed drawings available on request via email [email protected].
(Technical challenges in uploading to Sell2Wales.)
Timeline
8 Sept 2025 → 3 Nov 2025 · 4 dates- Tender notice published8 Sept 2025, 14:54 BST
- Clarification questions by391 days ago26 Sept 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission deadline384 days ago3 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
- Contract starts354 days ago3 Nov 2025
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Tender notice published8 Sept 2025, 14:54 BSTUK4
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (10)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications ITT Response Document Part C Other Declarations
- Bidding documents and specifications Appendix 1b Sell2Wales Supplier Post Box Guidance
- Bidding documents and specifications Appendix 1c_TechnicalSpecification
- Bidding documents and specifications Appendix 1d General contract Terms & Conditions WU standard goods contract
- Bidding documents and specifications Appendix 1a WPSQ Award Criteria Evaluation Methodology
- Bidding documents and specifications Invitation to Tender (ITT) Instructions
- Bidding documents and specifications ITT Response Document PART A (WPSQ) TEMPLATE
- Bidding documents and specifications ITT Response Document PART B
- Bidding documents and specifications Appendix 1e Planetarium pricing schedule
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender