Award

Purchase of an Electrophysiology System

UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

22 Apr 2026 at 08:56

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process managed by the University of Edinburgh, a noted educational institution, involved acquiring an Electrophysiology System under the main procurement category of Laboratory, Optical, and Precision Equipment. Classified as goods, this procurement was carried out using a limited method without prior publication due to technical reasons, specifically the need for continuity in ongoing research. The tender, identified as NCA21372, has reached the award stage and was completed successfully, with Scientifica LTD selected as the supplier. The contract, valued at £128,734.38 GBP, was signed on 12th December 2025, ensuring the equipment's delivery to the University of Edinburgh located in region UKM75.

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities, particularly for SMEs involved in scientific and laboratory equipment manufacturing. As the procurement was awarded without a prior competitive process due to technical justifications, technical proficiency and specialised knowledge in electrophysiology systems are essential for potential suppliers looking to engage in similar future opportunities. Businesses that can ensure product compatibility and continuity in research settings stand to benefit from such procurements. Additionally, building partnerships with research institutions like the University of Edinburgh can fortify market presence and encourage long-term collaborations.

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Notice Title

Purchase of an Electrophysiology System

Notice Description

Purchase of an Electrophysiology System

Lot Information

Lot 1

This system is being procured to accelerate research already underway and complements existing systems used by the research group and their partners. Any risks to the consistency of this research based on altering established workflows and by introducing system interfaces between differing manufacturers needs to be removed. Specifically, matching the parts on this electrophysiology rig with those on an existing microscope systems used by the researchers means experiments that require to combine information from both high-resolution microscopy and electrophysiology can be conducted in the same environment, using an identical set up and key components which is crucial for enabling accuracy and translatability between the two systems. In addition, the research group collaborates in their work and associated experiments with another research body who also use this system. Continuity is a key issue given switching between manufacturers would introduce too much variability in the data as such experiments are highly sensitive to even small changes in protocol and would require experimental protocols to be re-designed and optimised from scratch. Therefore, the procurement of this instrument has been awarded directly with Scientifica via an NCA.

Procurement Information

Due to reasons listed in the contract details, the University of Edinburgh is awarding this contract without prior publication due to a lack of competition on technical grounds.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06881b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036423-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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


CPV Codes

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

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£128,734 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Apr 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
12 Dec 20254 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 EDINBURGH
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EDINBURGH
Postcode
EH1 1HT
Post Town
Edinburgh
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM1 East Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM13 City of Edinburgh
Delivery Location
TLM75 City of Edinburgh

Local Authority
City of Edinburgh
Electoral Ward
City Centre
Westminster Constituency
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

SCIENTIFICA

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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