Notice Information
Notice Title
UKRI-5559 Maintenance contract for BIGFOOT 7 cell sorter
Notice Description
The Medical Research Council (MRC) have appointed a supplier to provide a fully comprehensive maintenance contract for a period of 4 years for a BIGFOOT 7 cell sorter including parts, labour and 3 business day on-site response for faults.
Procurement Information
As the manufacturer of the BIGFOOT 7 cell sorter Life Technologies Ltd are the only supplier able to provide the required OEM parts and software support for this system. No other parts are compatible with this equipment.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-0605a4
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008860-2026
- Current Stage
- Award
- All Stages
- Award
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- UK7 - Contract Details Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Direct
- Procurement Method Details
- Direct award
- Tender Suitability
- Not specified
- Awardee Scale
- Large
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
50 - Repair and maintenance services
-
- CPV Codes
38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
50000000 - Repair and maintenance services
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- Not specified
- Lots Value
- Not specified
- Awards Value
- £201,200 £100K-£500K
- Contracts Value
- £201,200 £100K-£500K
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 2 Feb 20263 months ago
- Submission Deadline
- Not specified
- Future Notice Date
- Not specified
- Award Date
- 13 Jan 20264 months ago
- Contract Period
- 11 Mar 2026 - 10 Mar 2030 4-5 years
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Complete
- Lots Status
- Complete
- Awards Status
- Active
- Contracts Status
- Active
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION (UKRI)
- Contact Name
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Email
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Phone
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Buyer Location
- Locality
- SWINDON, WILTSHIRE
- Postcode
- SN2 1FL
- Post Town
- Swindon
- Country
- England
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLK South West (England)
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLK71 Swindon
- Delivery Location
- Not specified
-
- Local Authority
- Swindon
- Electoral Ward
- Rodbourne Cheney
- Westminster Constituency
- Swindon North
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008860-2026
2nd February 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003096-2026
14th January 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003080-2026
14th January 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
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-0605a4-2026-02-02T11:26:58Z",
"date": "2026-02-02T11:26:58Z",
"ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0605a4",
"initiationType": "tender",
"parties": [
{
"id": "GB-PPON-PDQJ-7126-JDHG",
"name": "UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)",
"identifier": {
"scheme": "GB-PPON",
"id": "PDQJ-7126-JDHG"
},
"address": {
"streetAddress": "Polaris House",
"locality": "Swindon, Wiltshire",
"postalCode": "SN2 1FL",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom",
"region": "UKK14"
},
"contactPoint": {
"name": "MRC Procurement",
"email": "mrcprocurement@ukri.org",
"telephone": "+441793442000"
},
"roles": [
"buyer"
],
"details": {
"url": "https://www.ukri.org/",
"classifications": [
{
"id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
"scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
"description": "Public authority - central government"
}
]
}
},
{
"id": "GB-PPON-PNBB-8555-WJLQ",
"name": "Life Technologies Ltd",
"identifier": {
"scheme": "GB-PPON",
"id": "PNBB-8555-WJLQ"
},
"address": {
"streetAddress": "3 Fountain Drive, Inchinnan Business Park",
"locality": "Paisley",
"postalCode": "PA4 9RF",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom",
"region": "UKM83"
},
"contactPoint": {
"email": "uk.customerservicessupport@thermofisher.com"
},
"roles": [
"supplier"
],
"details": {
"scale": "large",
"vcse": false,
"publicServiceMissionOrganization": false,
"shelteredWorkshop": false
}
}
],
"buyer": {
"id": "GB-PPON-PDQJ-7126-JDHG",
"name": "UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)"
},
"tender": {
"id": "UKRI-5559",
"legalBasis": {
"id": "2023/54",
"scheme": "UKPGA",
"uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
},
"title": "UKRI-5559 Maintenance contract for BIGFOOT 7 cell sorter",
"description": "The Medical Research Council (MRC) have appointed a supplier to provide a fully comprehensive maintenance contract for a period of 4 years for a BIGFOOT 7 cell sorter including parts, labour and 3 business day on-site response for faults.",
"status": "complete",
"procurementMethod": "direct",
"procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
"procurementMethodRationale": "As the manufacturer of the BIGFOOT 7 cell sorter Life Technologies Ltd are the only supplier able to provide the required OEM parts and software support for this system. No other parts are compatible with this equipment.",
"lots": [
{
"id": "1",
"status": "complete"
}
],
"documents": [
{
"id": "conflictOfInterest",
"documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
"description": "Not published"
}
],
"procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
{
"id": "singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons"
}
],
"coveredBy": [
"GPA"
]
},
"awards": [
{
"id": "1",
"title": "UKRI-5559 Maintenance contract for BIGFOOT 7 cell sorter",
"status": "active",
"value": {
"amountGross": 241440,
"amount": 201200,
"currency": "GBP"
},
"mainProcurementCategory": "services",
"aboveThreshold": true,
"suppliers": [
{
"id": "GB-PPON-PNBB-8555-WJLQ",
"name": "Life Technologies Ltd"
}
],
"items": [
{
"id": "1",
"additionalClassifications": [
{
"scheme": "CPV",
"id": "50000000",
"description": "Repair and maintenance services"
},
{
"scheme": "CPV",
"id": "38000000",
"description": "Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)"
}
],
"deliveryAddresses": [
{
"region": "UKH12",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKH12",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
},
{
"region": "UKH12",
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom"
}
],
"relatedLot": "1"
}
],
"contractPeriod": {
"startDate": "2026-03-11T00:00:00Z",
"endDate": "2030-03-10T23:59:59Z"
},
"relatedLots": [
"1"
],
"documents": [
{
"id": "003080-2026",
"documentType": "awardNotice",
"noticeType": "UK5",
"description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003080-2026",
"datePublished": "2026-01-14T12:42:37Z",
"format": "text/html"
},
{
"id": "003096-2026",
"documentType": "awardNotice",
"noticeType": "UK6",
"description": "Contract award notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003096-2026",
"datePublished": "2026-01-14T13:16:04Z",
"format": "text/html"
}
],
"milestones": [
{
"id": "1",
"type": "futureSignatureDate",
"dueDate": "2026-01-27T23:59:59Z",
"status": "scheduled"
}
],
"date": "2026-01-13T00:00:00Z",
"standstillPeriod": {
"endDate": "2026-01-23T23:59:59+00:00"
}
}
],
"language": "en",
"contracts": [
{
"id": "1",
"awardID": "1",
"title": "UKRI-5559 Maintenance contract for BIGFOOT 7 cell sorter",
"status": "active",
"period": {
"startDate": "2026-03-11T00:00:00Z",
"endDate": "2030-03-10T23:59:59Z"
},
"value": {
"amountGross": 241440,
"amount": 201200,
"currency": "GBP"
},
"aboveThreshold": true,
"dateSigned": "2026-01-30T00:00:00Z",
"noAgreedMetricsRationale": "Not applicable",
"documents": [
{
"id": "008860-2026",
"documentType": "contractNotice",
"noticeType": "UK7",
"description": "Contract details notice on Find a Tender",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008860-2026",
"datePublished": "2026-02-02T11:26:58Z",
"format": "text/html"
}
]
}
]
}