Official UK procurement notice
The Supply and Installation of a HIGH RESOLUTION FOURIER TRANSFORM BENCH-TOP LIQUID CHROMATROGRAPHY-ORBITRAP MASS SPECTROMETER (THERMO ORBITRAP EXPLORIS 240) to the University of Birmingham University of Birmingham Project Reference: SC10850/25
Authority: THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionTotal cost excluding VAT: £356,548.16
The equipment (Thermo Orbitrap Exploris 240) that we are requesting will permit us to detect changes in multiple metabolic
pathways in a single analytical run as it combines the high mass resolution observed in 'multi-reflecting time of flight'
instruments with increased sensitivity giving the ability to detect and gain additional molecular information on high numbers of
metabolites present in low abundance as found in with 'triple quadrupole' instruments.
Importantly for us (Metabolic Tracer Analysis Core (MTAC)), the high mass resolution will also allow us to deconvolute
changes in mass due to incorporation of different stable isotopes (e.g.
15N, 13C, 2H), giving us the ability to examine nutrient use in more complex ways.
This model is the only such instrument - the 'Orbitrap' part of the mass spectrometer is what provides this capability highlighted
above, and Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited trading as Thermo Fisher Scientific hold the patent for this technology.
It includes nitrogen generator with high purity collision gas module, biocompatible liquid chromatography system, and full
system integration with proprietary Thermo software (including tracing analysis software), all required to maintain the scientific
edge of our metabolic research.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
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
- 10 Dec 2025, 16:38 GMT
- Last source update
- 15 Dec 2025, 15:59 GMT
- Authority reference
SC10850/25- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-083023- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f32fFind a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
- Published justification
This was previously Tendered and only one response was received which was from the supplier we are directly awarding to.
This procurement is being undertaken via a single-source route due to the unique technical capabilities of the Thermo Orbitrap Exploris 240 and the exclusive rights held by its manufacturer; Thermo Fisher Scientific is the only company globally that offers a fully integrated system combining:
- Sensitivity: tSIM: 200 fg Reserpine on column yields S/N 250:1 RMS or better
- Mass Resolution: 240,000 (FWHM) at m/z 200 for all scan modes and both polarities
- Mass Accuracy: < 1 ppm RMS - with EASY-IC internal calibration for at least 5 days
- Dynamic Range: >5,000:1 within one spectrum (single transient acquisition)
- Polarity Switching: one cycle consisting of acquiring one full scan in positive mode and one full scan in negative mode at a rate of 1.4 Hz
- Various Scan Functions: Full Scan, Data Independent Acquisition, All-Ion-Fragmentation, Multiplexed SIM (up to 20 simultaneously detected precursor ions)
- Advanced Functions: Automatic Gain Control (AGC) with predictive AGC
- Application Specific Software: Thermo Scientific TraceFinder (for quantitative tracing analysis), Thermo Scientific Compound Discoverer, and AcquireX Intelligent Data Acquisition Workflow
- General: High resolution Fourier transform bench-top liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system with an MS footprint of 71 x 77 x 54 cm (h x d x w).
No other commercially available instrument can provide the above whilst adhering to the small footprint (bench-top) size and the required high resolution, mass accuracy, and sensitivity.
Given the patented, proprietary nature of this technology and the absence of any technically equivalent alternative on the market, the procurement of the Thermo Orbitrap Exploris 240 from Thermo Scientific constitutes a justified sole-source purchase. The University confirms that no other supplier can meet the required functional specifications and integrated features necessary for our research objectives.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
15 Dec 2025 → 24 Dec 2025 · 2 dates- Notice published318 days ago15 Dec 2025, 15:59 GMT
- Standstill ends308 days ago24 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
Notice history
3 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 10 Dec 2025- Transparency notice published10 Dec 2025, 16:38 GMTUK5
- Contract award notice published15 Dec 2025, 15:59 GMTUK6
- Contract signature expected25 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermo Electron Manufacturing Ltd t/a Thermo Fisher ScientificSupply and Installation of a HIGH RESOLUTION FOURIER TRANSFORM BENCH-TOP LIQUID CHROMATROGRAPHY-ORBITRAP MASS SPECTROMETER (THERMO ORBITRAP EXPLORIS 240) to the University of Birmingham University of Birmingham Project Reference: SC10850/2525 Dec 2025 – 27 Mar 2026 | £356,548 | 15 Dec 2025standstill to 24 Dec 2025 | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Thermo Electron Manufacturing LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender