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9005401 - Supply of K14 SWIFT Beamline KB Mirror System

Diamond Light Source Ltd

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

21 Sep 2026 at 13:39

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

27 Aug 2026 at 16:22

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

27 May 2026 at 13:10

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Diamond Light Source Limited procured a complete Kirkpatrick–Baez (KB) mirror system for the K14 SWIFT beamline at its facility on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. The requirement was for the design, supply of materials, manufacture, assembly, testing, delivery, installation and commissioning of two beam-focusing mirrors with position-adjustment systems. The horizontally and vertically focusing mirrors are intended to focus a monochromatic beam onto a sample in the beamline’s second end-station. The equipment includes mirror mechanics, temperature monitoring for interlocking, a vacuum vessel, support frame and interfaces with beamline services. The supplier was also required to install the mirrors in their benders at Diamond’s Optics Metrology Lab and train Diamond personnel in their operation. This is a specialist scientific goods requirement, classified as mirrors.

The procurement is complete: the contract was awarded to XDS Oxford Limited on 27 August 2026 and signed on 9 September 2026. The contract runs from 9 September 2026 to 9 January 2028. The awarded value is £355,000 excluding VAT and £426,000 including VAT. It followed a single-lot open procedure, with submissions due by 26 June 2026 and the award decision scheduled by 9 July 2026. Three bids reached the final stage, all from SMEs. Evaluation weighted price at 40%, technical quality at 25%, experience and capacity at 25%, commercial considerations at 5%, and delivery at 5%. The original estimated value was £250,000 excluding VAT and £300,000 including VAT. The requirement was above the relevant threshold and covered by the Government Procurement Agreement.

This award demonstrates demand from a UK national science facility for highly specialised X-ray or synchrotron beamline optics, rather than general mirror supply. Businesses seeking similar work would need credible capability across the full equipment lifecycle: precision design, materials selection, manufacture, assembly, testing, delivery, installation and commissioning of Kirkpatrick–Baez focusing mirrors and their mechanical adjustment systems. Relevant technical depth includes monochromatic-beam optics, horizontal and vertical focusing, vacuum vessels, support frames, temperature monitoring and interlocking, and integration with beamline services. Suppliers should also be able to install mirrors in benders, support metrology and acceptance testing, and train scientific staff in operation. The evaluation shows that technical quality and proven experience and capacity were as important as price, with delivery and commercial performance also assessed. The requirement was suitable for SMEs, and the award went to an Oxford-based SME.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

9005401 - Supply of K14 SWIFT Beamline KB Mirror System

Notice Description

Located on the Harwell Science & Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, Diamond Light Source (DLS) is a leading-edge facility for science, engineering and innovation. DLS allows researchers from academia and industry to investigate the structure and behaviour of the world around us at the atomic and molecular level. To continue delivering the world-changing science that Diamond enables, the facility is being upgraded to Diamond-II, a co-ordinated programme of development that combines a major machine upgrade with new instruments and complementary improvements to optics, detectors, sample environment and delivery capabilities, and computing, as well as integrated and correlative methods. This will be transformative in speed and spatial resolution and will offer users streamlined access to enhanced instruments for life and physical sciences. The scope of the contract is for the design, supply of material, manufacture, assembly, test, delivery, installation and commissioning of a two-mirror combined system (a pair of Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) mirrors) and its position adjustment systems. The mirrors will focus the beam onto a sample positioned in the K14 beamline second end-station. * The minimum scope of the contract should include: HFM - Horizontally Focusing Mirror Horizontally (outboard) reflecting, monochromatic beam mirror & mechanics. * VFM - Vertically Focusing Mirror- Vertically (upward) reflecting, monochromatic beam mirror & mechanics. * Temperature monitoring for interlocking. * Vacuum vessel. * Support frame. * Interface to beamline services. * Training for Diamond personnel in the operation of the mirrors * Installation of the mirrors in their benders at the DLS Optics Metrology Lab (OML).

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06a620
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089155-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
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
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

38622000 - Mirrors

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£250,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£250,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£355,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£355,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Sep 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
26 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
27 Aug 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
9 Sep 2026 - 9 Jan 2028 1-2 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
Diamond Light Source Ltd
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
DIDCOT
Postcode
OX11 0DE
Postcode Area
Oxford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC
Delivery Location
TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC
Local Authority
Vale of White Horse
Electoral Ward
Blewbury & Harwell
Westminster Constituency
Didcot and Wantage

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

XDS Oxford Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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