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NanoSims Annual Service Contract

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

16 Jul 2026 at 16:58

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

15 Jun 2026 at 13:46

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

04 Jun 2026 at 13:28

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Open University is procuring specialist annual servicing and maintenance for its NanoSIMS 50 instrument. NanoSIMS is a highly complex and sensitive research instrument, and the requirement is to renew the service contract that supports its continued operation. The work falls within repair and maintenance services. The buyer is The Open University, a public authority based at Walton Hall in Milton Keynes. The requirement concerns technical support for the instrument, including specialist expertise, service knowledge and access to the parts needed to maintain it to the required standard. This is a single service requirement rather than a wider programme of equipment supply, construction or general facilities maintenance.

The procurement is complete and was awarded through a direct award. The stated rationale was that technical competition is absent: Cameca is the original NanoSIMS instrument supplier and was assessed as the only provider able to supply the necessary service support, expertise and parts, with no reasonable alternative. The contract was awarded to Cameca on 15 June 2026 for EUR 423,000 excluding VAT, or EUR 507,600 including VAT. The awarded service period was 5 July 2026 to 4 July 2029. The contract was signed on 11 July 2026 and is active, with its recorded contract period running from 11 July 2026 to 10 July 2029. The award was above the relevant threshold.

This procurement demonstrates demand for manufacturer-level support for high-value, technically complex research instrumentation. Suppliers well placed for a comparable requirement would need detailed knowledge of NanoSIMS 50 systems, specialist engineering and maintenance capability, and dependable access to genuine or otherwise approved replacement parts. They would also need to show that their service can maintain a sensitive instrument to the standard required for continued research use. The direct-award rationale indicates that continuity, instrument-specific expertise and technical access were decisive considerations, rather than a general maintenance offer. Competitors monitoring this buyer should therefore build credible evidence of manufacturer status, authorised support capability or equivalent technical competence, together with the capacity to provide sustained annual servicing.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

NanoSims Annual Service Contract

Notice Description

Renewal of annual service contract for the NanoSIMS 50 instrument.

Procurement Information

The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract -- (a) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. CAMECA is the original supplier of the NanoSIMS instrument and the only provider capable of delivering service support to the required standard, including the necessary knowledge, expertise and access to parts. The NanoSIMS instrument is highly complex and sensitive, requiring specialist technical expertise to maintain it effectively. There are no reasonable alternative suppliers able to provide the level of support needed to ensure its continued operation for research purposes.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ad80
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/067439-2026
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

50 - Repair and maintenance services

CPV Codes

50000000 - Repair and maintenance services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£423,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£423,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
15 Jun 20263 months ago
Contract Period
11 Jul 2026 - 10 Jul 2029 3-4 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
THE OPEN UNIVERSITY
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
MILTON KEYNES
Postcode
MK7 6AA
Postcode Area
Milton Keynes
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ12 Milton Keynes
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Milton Keynes
Electoral Ward
Monkston
Westminster Constituency
Milton Keynes Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

CAMECA

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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