Tender

White FEG SEM

AWE PLC

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

14 Aug 2025 at 15:01

Summary of the contracting process

AWE Plc, a central government public authority based in Reading, is inviting tenders for a Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope (FEG-SEM) to replace an existing instrument. This procurement is categorised under the microscopes industry (CPV code 38510000) and is conducted under a selective competitive flexible procedure. The procurement process is currently in the tender stage, with key deadlines including an expression of interest deadline on 15th September 2025 and an anticipated contract award by 13th January 2026. This opportunity is situated in the South East of England, within the UKJ region.

This tender provides significant growth opportunities for businesses specialising in high-precision scientific instruments, particularly those with expertise in microscopes and field emission technology. The structured two-part tender process is ideal for established businesses with proven technical, commercial, and social value capabilities, offering a robust platform for networking and partnership with a central government entity. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the capability to meet high technical and quality standards are encouraged to apply, as the procurement includes suitability criteria favouring SMEs. The contract also includes options for extension contingent on maintenance agreements, providing additional long-term business potential.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Notice Title

White FEG SEM

Notice Description

AWE is seeking to procure a Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope (FEG-SEM) to replace an existing instrument. The capability provides analyses of a wide range of material types, including metals, glasses, ceramics and polymers.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: Option for maintenance from appointed supplier is required

Renewal: Option to extend if optional maintenance offer from appointed supplier is taken up

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-058832
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048867-2025
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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


CPV Codes

38510000 - Microscopes

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£800,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£800,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
14 Aug 20256 months ago
Submission Deadline
26 Aug 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Jan 2026 - 30 Jan 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
AWE PLC
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
rdme.procurement@awe.co.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
READING
Postcode
RG7 4PR
Post Town
Reading
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ16 Berkshire West
Delivery Location
TLJ South East (England)

Local Authority
West Berkshire
Electoral Ward
Aldermaston
Westminster Constituency
Reading West and Mid Berkshire

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-058832-2025-08-14T16:01:36+01:00",
    "date": "2025-08-14T16:01:36+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-058832",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PYCH-2579-LGTN",
            "name": "AWE Plc",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PYCH-2579-LGTN"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "AWE Aldermaston",
                "locality": "Reading",
                "postalCode": "RG7 4PR",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKJ11"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "RDME.Procurement@awe.co.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
                        "description": "Public authority - central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PYCH-2579-LGTN",
        "name": "AWE Plc"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "AWE01956",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "White FEG SEM",
        "description": "AWE is seeking to procure a Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope (FEG-SEM) to replace an existing instrument. The capability provides analyses of a wide range of material types, including metals, glasses, ceramics and polymers.",
        "status": "active",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "38510000",
                        "description": "Microscopes"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKJ",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 960000,
            "amount": 800000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "procurementMethod": "selective",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Competitive flexible procedure",
        "procedure": {
            "features": "This procurement will be run as a two-part (three staged) Competitive Flexible Procedure procurement, per Regulation 20 of the Procurement Act 2023. Part one is the Invitation to Participate (ITP) Stage. The ITP is to enable Suppliers to complete and submit the ITP Response Questionnaire (ITP Submission). ITP Submissions will be used to determine Suppliers' suitability for this requirement in terms of legal and financial capacity and technical ability. Following assessment of Suppliers' ITP Submissions, AWE will invite the top 5 scoring Suppliers to proceed to the next stage. Part two is the Invitation to Submit First and Only Tenders (ITSFOT), and is split into two stages. The ITSFOT is to enable Suppliers to submit a Tender and for AWE to evaluate and score the responses to identify its preferred supplier for this requirement. Part two stage 1 consists of the ITSFOT written submissions from Suppliers. Technical, quality, social value, and commercial elements are assessed at this stage 1. Part two stage 2 consists of the ITSFOT demonstration submissions from Suppliers. The purpose of the demonstrations is to provide Suppliers the opportunity to demonstrate their solution to a panel of technical evaluators, focusing on how the bidder proposes to deliver the service and specification of goods required by AWE. Following assessment of Suppliers' ITSFOT stage 2 submissions, AWE will seek to award the contract to the Supplier whose overall ITSFOT submission has been assessed as having scored the highest. It is anticipated the draft contract included in the ITSFOT document pack will be used unamended and in its entirety at contract award. However, within the rules of this procurement Suppliers are permitted to 'redline' certain stated areas of the contract that they state would require non-material amendments to enable a mutually beneficial contract award."
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "goods",
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "coveredBy": [
            "GPA"
        ],
        "submissionMethodDetails": "RDME.Procurement@awe.co.uk",
        "submissionTerms": {
            "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "notAllowed",
            "languages": [
                "en"
            ]
        },
        "expressionOfInterestDeadline": "2025-09-15T12:00:00+01:00",
        "enquiryPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2025-08-26T12:00:00+01:00"
        },
        "awardPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-01-13T23:59:59Z"
        },
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "active",
                "value": {
                    "amountGross": 960000,
                    "amount": 800000,
                    "currency": "GBP"
                },
                "awardCriteria": {
                    "criteria": [
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Quality",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 2,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "ESH",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 2,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Technical",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 40,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "price",
                            "name": "Price",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 30,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Social Value",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 10,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Product Demonstration",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 16,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        }
                    ]
                },
                "selectionCriteria": {
                    "criteria": [
                        {
                            "description": "As detailed in the Tender Pack",
                            "forReduction": true
                        }
                    ]
                },
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-01-30T00:00:00Z",
                    "endDate": "2027-01-30T23:59:59Z",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2031-01-25T23:59:59Z"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "renewal": {
                    "description": "Option to extend if optional maintenance offer from appointed supplier is taken up"
                },
                "hasOptions": true,
                "options": {
                    "description": "Option for maintenance from appointed supplier is required"
                }
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
                "description": "Not published"
            },
            {
                "id": "future",
                "documentType": "biddingDocuments",
                "accessDetails": "By email request to RDME.Procurement@awe.co.uk"
            },
            {
                "id": "048867-2025",
                "documentType": "tenderNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK4",
                "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048867-2025",
                "datePublished": "2025-08-14T16:01:36+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "language": "en"
}