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260083 - Contract for Supply, Delivery, Installation & Commissioning of a High Throughput Live-Cell Imaging System and associated maintenance, ancillary and consumables.

Queen's University Belfast

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

TenderCancellation

18 Apr 2026 at 23:27

UK12 - Procurement Termination Notice
Tender

17 Apr 2026 at 14:28

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

16 Apr 2026 at 13:10

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Queen's University Belfast is conducting a public procurement process for the acquisition of a high throughput live-cell imaging system, along with associated maintenance, ancillary, and consumables, under its Future Medicines Institute initiative. This tender process is relevant for businesses involved in detection and analysis apparatus, microscopes, and imaging equipment for medical, dental, and veterinary use. Set in Belfast, United Kingdom, the procurement method is open procedure, with critical dates including a tender period ending on 14 May 2026, an enquiry period closing on 7 May 2026, and an award period culminating on 15 June 2026. Despite an initial tender cancellation, the process is active with these noteworthy timelines.

This procurement represents a lucrative avenue for companies specialising in imaging technology, particularly those experienced in supplying high resolution and adaptive imaging systems. Suppliers have the opportunity to aid in accelerating drug discovery and enhancing cellular screening capabilities within FMI, with potential further purchases contingent on future funding. SMEs focused on innovative and sustainable solutions are particularly suited to this tender, as Queen’s University Belfast places emphasis on environmentally conscious practises and technical competency. Engaging in this tender offers businesses the chance to contribute to a leading academic institution and its cutting-edge research endeavours, fostering growth in both scientific collaborations and commercial enterprise.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

260083 - Contract for Supply, Delivery, Installation & Commissioning of a High Throughput Live-Cell Imaging System and associated maintenance, ancillary and consumables.

Notice Description

The Future Medicines Institute (FMI) requires a high throughput live-cell imaging system to enable FMI scientists and collaborators to monitor live cell imaging in real time under optimal conditions of cell growth in a properly maintained carbon dioxide and humidity environment to enable the efficient capture of cellular changes as they happen in the incubator. The objective of procuring a live cell imaging system is to enhance FMI's capacity to monitor cells in real time, in an optimally controlled environment, to support and strengthen its drug discovery capabilities. The proposed system must: * Be capable of multiplate/vessel imaging, up to a capacity of 6 plates/vessels and including capacity to image 6 384 well plates, to meet the volume of analysis that the centre is undertaking and support high throughput drug screening projects. * Enable high resolution fluorescence and bright field images to be captured and recorded in real time over hours, days, or weeks. * Offer flexibility to enable users to observe and quantify complex biological changes over time in cells and 3d structures such as spheroids and organoid models. * Include a fully integrated image acquisition system to capture real-time insight into morphological and phenotypic changes and allow multiple users the opportunity to perform complex cellular assays. * Offer versatile assay configurations, supporting various experimental formats such as 2d cell systems and 3d spheroid, and organoid models. The procurement of this live cell imaging system directly supports FMI's broader goals of: * Accelerating drug discovery through rapid identification and characterisation of therapeutic candidates * Providing screening capabilities in high-throughput format * Facilitating translational research by bridging fundamental cellular studies with therapeutic applications. The procurement of a live cell imaging system will provide direct benefit to research scientists within FMI, and wider stakeholders such as partner organisations and the wider academic community in Queens University Belfast (QUB) by: * Significantly enhance its cellular screening capabilities. * Enhancing live cell imaging capabilities and data acquisition throughput in optimised cellular conditions. * Reducing time in setting up multiple vessels for multiple time point experiments. * Reducing plasticware consumables and expensive reagents currently used in setting up multiple time point experiments. If funding becomes available to address future expansion needs the University reserves the right to purchase additional Live-Cell Imaging Systems during the life of the contract. Subject to the availability of funding, the University may optionally purchase additional Live Cell Imaging Systems during the term of the contract. Any such additional purchases shall be non guaranteed, limited to the optional items and maximum quantities and/or values set out in the Pricing Schedule, and shall have been included in the estimated contract value for the purposes of this procurement

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: option to extend maintenance, software updates or development, beyond this period for a further period of up to 10 years or the end of useful life of the equipment.

Planning Information

Queen’s has conducted Preliminary Market Engagement with a number of suppliers in order to: • develop the understanding of our requirements and the proposed approach to the procurement; • gain a better understanding of what the market can offer and if the market was capable of responding to a tender in relation to this requirement; • identify potential suppliers for the requirement; • understand potential lead times; • gain an understanding of the commercial profile for the requirement; • communicate sustainability targets and minimum requirements to confirm the market has the capability to deliver on these. • identify opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of the requirement. The information gathered from PME will be used to shape any forthcoming procurement strategy to ensure that requirements can be subject to reasonable competitive tension. Participation in preliminary market engagement is not a prerequisite for any future tender exercise.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06842a
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035419-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK12 - Procurement Termination Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

33 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products

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

CPV Codes

33110000 - Imaging equipment for medical, dental and veterinary use

38430000 - Detection and analysis apparatus

38510000 - Microscopes

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£975,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£975,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Apr 20264 months ago
Submission Deadline
14 May 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
17 Apr 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
29 Jun 2026 - 28 Jun 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Cancelled
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Cancelled
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Queen's University Belfast
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT7 1NN
Postcode Area
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

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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