Tender

PROVISION OF AUTONOMOUS WASTE SORTING AND SEGREGATION Auto SAS

NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING AUTHORITY

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

01 Jul 2024 at 09:54

Tender

01 Jul 2024 at 09:46

Summary of the contracting process

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is inviting tenders for the provision of autonomous waste sorting and segregation services under an Innovation Partnership framework. The tender, titled "PROVISION OF AUTONOMOUS WASTE SORTING AND SEGREGATION Auto SAS," falls under the services category, with an estimated value of £9,500,000. The procurement method is selective, with a tender period ending on 30th July 2024. The contract period is set to run from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2029. The project will involve two sequential phases: off-site design, testing, and build followed by on-site deployment and operation. The NDA will oversee the project with specific emphasis on nuclear waste handling.

This tender presents opportunities for businesses specialising in specialty design services, industrial robots, research and development services, waste analysis services, and project-design services. Companies that excel in developing innovative solutions for nuclear waste handling and segregation are well-suited to compete. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are particularly encouraged to participate. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, based in Moor Row, Cumbria, is leading this initiative to advance the use of autonomous technologies in nuclear waste management.

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Notice Title

PROVISION OF AUTONOMOUS WASTE SORTING AND SEGREGATION Auto SAS

Notice Description

The NDA and its operating companies recognise that robotics and automation have a key role to play in reducing the time, cost and risk associated with our decommissioning mission. Auto-SAS aims to push the boundaries of robotic systems in the NDA group, acting as a steppingstone to the routine use of autonomous systems and continuous operations. An area where robotic technologies provide a significant opportunity is nuclear waste handling. The characterisation, sentencing and disposal of radioactive waste is complicated, time consuming and expensive. It also poses both conventional and radiological risks to workers. Ideally waste would be handled once, segregated at source to the most appropriate waste route, properly utilising the waste hierarchy. Safety measures, alongside resource, time and space constraints, make in-situ sentencing challenging, meaning that accurate segregation is not always possible. Auto-SAS will build upon the learning from the NDA funded Integrated Innovation for Nuclear Decommissioning - Sorting and Segregation (IIND-SAS) competition delivered through Innovate UK, which sought to demonstrate the feasibility of autonomous sort and segregation of mixed nuclear waste through the supply chain. Auto-SAS will go further by deploying an integrated system on a nuclear licenced site, for the sorting and segregation of specific radioactive waste material. The Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) Strategic Innovation Team will be responsible for the overall delivery of the project, supported by an integrated team from across the NDA group. Auto-SAS will be separated into two sequential phases. These phases are as follows: 1. Off-site Design, Testing and Build 2. On-Site Deployment and operation The Autonomous Waste Sorting and Segregation (Auto-SAS) Innovation Partnership will be structured into 2 phases: * Phase 1: Off-Site Development - Design, manufacture, commission and test an integrated sorting and segregation platform, in line with the requirements in section 7. Iterate and prototype as necessary, and thoroughly test the system to give confidence of suitable performance when brought to site. This will be verified by a successful and thorough Factory Acceptance Test and compliance with the NRS Safety and Design Justification Process (shared at ITT). Facilitate stakeholder demonstrations of the developed platform. * Phase 2: On-Site Deployment - Install and commission the SAS platform developed offsite, including Site Acceptance Testing (SATs). Operate it for a number of cycles within a defined time period to achieve the learning outcomes in the learning plan. Assist in the decisions around further development and future uses of the developed platform. Estimated value Phase Maximum Budget Phase 1 - Off-Site Development PS5,500,000 Phase 2 - On-Site Deployment PS4,000,000

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-9b2ffa59-964d-4646-bc46-bf1f3595c387
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/4ecf2383-1fc4-4264-8d35-a6f9d04fcf12
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Innovation partnership (above threshold)
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

42 - Industrial machinery

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security


CPV Codes

42997300 - Industrial robots

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

73300000 - Design and execution of research and development

79421200 - Project-design services other than for construction work

79723000 - Waste analysis services

79930000 - Specialty design services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£9,500,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Jul 20241 years ago
Submission Deadline
30 Jul 2024Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2025 - 31 Mar 2029 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING AUTHORITY
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
MOOR ROW, CUMBRIA
Postcode
CA24 3HU
Post Town
Carlisle
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD1 Cumbria
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD13 Cumberland
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Cumberland
Electoral Ward
Egremont North and St Bees
Westminster Constituency
Whitehaven and Workington

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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