The Supply, Delivery and Maintenance of a Live Cell Imaging Instrument

CPV: Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

Procedure method

Negotiated without publication of a contract notice

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Goods

Notice status

Awarded

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Competitive procedure

GPA / WTO covered

Yes (GPA)

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

1 Dec 2021, 12:22 GMT

Last source update

1 Dec 2021, 12:22 GMT

Authority reference

DN584991

FTS notice number

2021/S 000-029793

Classification (CPV)

Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

Delivery area

North West (UKD62)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-02fbd7 Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to absence of competition for technical reasons

Published justification

Live cell imaging (and analysis) capability with the following specifications is required for the CAT 3 lab facility for the Medicines Discovery Catapult:

• Both phase and fluorescence image capture in both 2D (Eg. proliferation, cell viability assays) and 3D (Eg. organoid) cell models enables the wide range of assays required to be run.
• Capacity to image multiple plates (using different protocols) at the same time, this is due to the flexibility required as the MDC works on various / multiple projects and needs this level of flexibility to efficiently perform the required experiments. The ability to simultaneously run different assays measuring unrelated endpoints is required to increase lab capacity, reducing time by running concurrent experiments.
• Automation of imaging and remote access to live experiments is required to reduce scientist time in the CAT 3 laboratory which is required from a Health and Safety perspective and also a resource perceptive from the vetting of staff required to access the CAT 3 facilities. This is a safety aspect required for a containment level 3 laboratory and makes continuous 24 hour timepoints more manageable.
• In addition to microtiter plates the instrument must be compatible with a selection of tissue culture plastics and microscope slides.
• Space is limited in the TRFID /CAT 3 facility and means that the instrument must have a compact footprint, either a benchtop instrument or the size of a standard cell culture incubator.

The Incucyte SX5 live- cell analysis system is the only system on the market that fulfils all of these requirements thus competition is absent for technical reasons and this purchase is being processed under sole source.

MDC will undertake a 10 day standstill period. If no challenges are received during the standstill period the MDC will continue to award the contract to Sartorius. The standstill period will end at midnight on Monday 13th December 2021.

• Sartorius UK LimitedAwarded supplier Longmead Business Centre, Epsom, North West, KT199QQ

No document links were published on the notice.