Award

250206 - Contract for the Supply, Delivery (unloaded and positioned at the point of use), Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance of an Anaerobic Single Cell Microbial Isolation Platform

QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

Award

12 Jan 2026 at 10:27

Award

22 Dec 2025 at 19:06

Tender

07 Oct 2025 at 10:33

Planning

07 Oct 2025 at 08:29

Summary of the contracting process

Queen's University Belfast, a public authority operating under Northern Irish devolved regulations, has completed the procurement process for a significant contract involving the supply, delivery, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of an Anaerobic Single Cell Microbial Isolation Platform. This procurement, categorised under laboratory and precision equipment, is aimed at enhancing research capabilities in microbial ecology, synthetic biology, and clinical microbiology. The tender was executed as an open procedure and has now reached the award stage, with Scienion UK Ltd selected as the supplier. The contract, valued at £360,000, was signed on 12 January 2026 and will be active until 2031, with potential renewal options available. The project's success is contingent upon grant funding, expected to be confirmed by November 2025, with critical delivery and invoicing deadlines set for March 2026.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses specialising in laboratory and evaluation equipment production and supply, particularly those capable of contributing to advanced research environments. Companies engaged in developing precision instruments and testing platforms, with a strong emphasis on compatibilities such as the Coy anaerobic chamber requirements, would find this procurement process advantageous. Large enterprises and SMEs alike can explore partnerships or proposal submission opportunities, enabling expansion and innovation within their operation scopes, alongside potential collaborations in reducing methane emissions through novel microbial strain discovery. This contract serves as an exemplar for companies aiming to innovate and contribute significantly to scientific advancements through well-aligned public procurement opportunities.

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Notice Title

250206 - Contract for the Supply, Delivery (unloaded and positioned at the point of use), Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance of an Anaerobic Single Cell Microbial Isolation Platform

Notice Description

The goal of this procurement is to acquire a Single Cell Microbial Isolation Platform operable within a Coy anaerobic chamber, enabling the isolation of strict anaerobic bacteria without compromising viability. The supplier must demonstrate the successful operation of this Single Cell Microbial Isolation Platform model in an identical chamber, ensuring proven compatibility. Desired outcomes are to increase throughput, precision, and reproducibility in anaerobic bacterial sorting, supporting advanced research in microbial ecology, synthetic biology, and clinical microbiology. With this equipment, we will be able to anaerobically sort and study both known and previously uncultured rumen bacteria, saving time and costs in the long run of isolating novel strains, and opening new opportunities to discover effective microbial candidates for reducing methane emissions. The execution of this tender & contract will be solely dependent on grant funding being received, which is estimated to be confirmed in November 2025. No award will be made, or orders issued, until the grant funding has been confirmed. If grant funding is not secured, the market will be notified, and this procurement exercise will be stood down. Please note it may be a requirement of the funding body associated with this procurement that delivery and invoicing take place by 31st March 2026. Where this is the case, the successful Supplier will be asked to confirm their ability to meet the required deadline prior to the award of the Contract being confirmed. Where the 1st-ranked Supplier is unable to meet the deadline, their Tender Response will be rejected, and the 2nd-ranked Supplier will be asked to confirm their ability to meet the deadline and so on until a Supplier can confirm that the date can be met. Time is of the essence when it comes to the delivery and invoicing of equipment within stipulated deadlines.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Options are available to extend for a further 60 months or until the end of the equipment's usable life.

Planning Information

Queen's staff have undertaken pre-market engagement activity with a number of suppliers. The activity was undertaken in order to: 1- gain a better understanding of what the market can offer and if the market is capable of responding to a tender in relation to this requirement; 2- identify potential suppliers for the requirement; 3- understand potential lead times, and 4- gain an understanding of the commercial profile for the requirement Participation in preliminary market engagement is not a prerequisite for participation in any future tender exercise.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05a92b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002149-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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


CPV Codes

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

38900000 - Miscellaneous evaluation or testing instruments

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£250,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£250,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£360,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£360,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Jan 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
3 Nov 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
8 Oct 2025Expired
Award Date
22 Dec 20252 months ago
Contract Period
12 Jan 2026 - 12 Jan 2026 24 hours
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@qub.ac.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT7 1NN
Post Town
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
TLN06 Belfast

Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Belfast South and Mid Down

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

SCIENION

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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.

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