Award

Supply and Commissioning of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Etcher

UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

08 Jan 2026 at 09:59

Tender

11 Jun 2025 at 15:49

Planning

11 Mar 2025 at 12:09

Summary of the contracting process

The public procurement process initiated by the University of Strathclyde involves the supply and commissioning of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Etcher, intended for their Institute of Photonics. Classified under laboratory, optical, and precision equipment, this contract is aimed at enhancing their cleanroom micro-fabrication facility. The procurement covers goods above the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) threshold and follows an open procedure. The facility is located in Glasgow, United Kingdom (UKM82), specifically within the Technology and Innovation Centre's cleanroom. After progressing through the planning and tender stages, the contract was awarded on 8th January 2026 to SENTECH Instruments GmbH, indicating a successful procurement cycle with the active involvement of international and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

This procurement opportunity is significant for businesses operating within the microelectronic machinery and apparatus sector, particularly those specialising in precision equipment for semiconductor processing. Participation in such tenders not only offers direct business growth through contract fulfilment but also establishes credentials for future opportunities within the higher education sector. Companies with the capability to provide high-quality, low-maintenance equipment capable of complex etching operations can benefit vastly. The inclusion of community benefits within the procurement framework enhances the social value generated, aligning business objectives with social impact goals, an attractive proposition for enterprises aiming for sustained growth and broader market influence.

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Notice Title

Supply and Commissioning of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Etcher

Notice Description

This Notice relates to an open tender above the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) threshold for goods related to research and development equipment required by the University of Strathclyde's (Contracting Authority) Institute of Photonics department. The Contracting Authority envisions a single supplier shall undertake the contract for the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Etcher system at a University of Strathclyde Lab facility, located in the Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) specified cleanroom. The equipment is grant funded by the Wolfson Foundation to advance scientific investigation in neuro-technology.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The Institute of Photonics is seeking to complement their cleanroom micro-fabrication facility equipment with an Inductively Coupled Plasma Etcher system The Technical Team envision that the equipment will process semiconductor materials that will include but not be limited to: 1 Gallium Nitride (GaN) light-emitting diodes 2 Silicon (Si) passive and active devices The equipment will be used to advance scientific investigation in neuro-technology and operated by PhD students, Postdoctoral Research Associates and Technicians within the Institute of Photonics. The Contracting Authority anticipates that the contract will be for a duration of twenty (24) months. The Contracting Authority requires a supplier that can fulfil the below non-exhaustive list of requirements: 1 Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching (ICP-RIE) mode of operation to plasma etch hard materials such as GaN at etch rate of >500nm/min 2 Deep Silicon Etching (DSE) mode of operation to plasma etch high aspect ratio and high-density structures in Silicon at etch rate of >1000nm/min 3 These two modes of operation co-existing within the same equipment within a minimal footprint 4 Low-maintenance, especially with the provision of servicing-free high vacuum pumping systems (magnetic-levitated turbo molecular pump) Please refer to the full technical and tender information available in the Public Contracts Scotland-Tender.

Options: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to request additional deliveries by the successful Tenderer, either intended as partial replacement of supplies or installations or as extensions of existing supplies and installations. The Contracting Authority may at it's sole discretion exercise this option.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04eb72
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001297-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

31 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting

38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)


CPV Codes

31712100 - Microelectronic machinery and apparatus

38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£425,827 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£425,827 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£375,883 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Jan 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
14 Jul 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
12 Mar 2025Expired
Award Date
16 Dec 20252 months ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE
Contact Name
Natasha Murray
Contact Email
natasha.murray@strath.ac.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
GLASGOW
Postcode
G1 1XU
Post Town
Glasgow
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM3 West Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM32 Glasgow City
Delivery Location
TLM82 Glasgow City

Local Authority
Glasgow City
Electoral Ward
Anderston/City/Yorkhill
Westminster Constituency
Glasgow North East

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

SENTECH INSTRUMENTS

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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