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H3AT Isotope Separation System (ISS) Gloveboxes

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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29 Jul 2026 at 15:31

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

UK Atomic Energy Authority is procuring glovebox assemblies for the Isotope Separation System (ISS) at the H3AT Tritium Loop Facility at Culham Campus, Oxfordshire. The scope covers design, manufacture, factory acceptance testing, delivery, installation support and commissioning support, together with professional design services. The gloveboxes provide the contained working environment needed for tritium handling in the facility’s isotope-separation process, which uses cryogenic and glovebox technologies. H3AT is a closed-loop tritium fuel-cycle simulation plant and experimental laboratory. The requirement is primarily for specialised machinery and includes associated works. The framework will support the ISS, a critical subsystem and a prerequisite for introducing active materials into the facility.

This completed procurement was awarded directly to Kinectrics Inc. under a single-supplier route, with the stated justification being intellectual-property or other exclusive rights and the absence of competition for technical reasons. The award was published on 29 July 2026. The framework value is £8.25 million excluding VAT (£9.9 million gross), above the relevant threshold, with a right to make additional purchases up to the framework ceiling. Its contract period is 18 September 2026 to 18 September 2031, and the scheduled contract-signature date is 1 September 2026. There is one completed lot. Call-offs will use NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract terms for manufacture and build, and NEC4 Professional Services Contract terms for design and advisory work.

This award demonstrates demand for highly specialised glovebox and isotope-separation capability within a major fusion and tritium research programme. A credible future competitor would need to design and manufacture contained glovebox assemblies, carry out factory acceptance testing, and provide delivery, installation and commissioning support alongside professional engineering advice. Experience of tritium handling, cryogenic systems, glovebox technologies and safety-critical laboratory or nuclear environments would be highly relevant. Suppliers would also need the engineering capacity to interface equipment directly with an existing cryogenic system and comply with an established facility-wide glovebox standard. The procurement shows that intellectual property, proven technical solutions, integration capability and the ability to work under NEC4 construction and professional-services arrangements are commercially significant.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

H3AT Isotope Separation System (ISS) Gloveboxes

Notice Description

This transparency notice is issued to advise the market that the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) intends to award a framework contract to Kinectrics Inc. for the design, manufacture, factory acceptance testing, delivery, installation support and commissioning support of the glovebox assemblies forming part of the Isotope Separation System (ISS) of the H3AT Tritium Loop Facility at Culham Campus, Oxfordshire, together with the associated professional design services. H3AT is constructing a tritium fuel cycle facility providing a closed-loop simulation plant and experimental laboratory. The ISS is a critical subsystem responsible for isotope separation using cryogenic and glovebox technologies. The gloveboxes provide the contained working environment necessary for tritium handling within the separation process and are a prerequisite to introducing active materials into the facility. The framework will be established under the NEC4 suite, with call-off contracts placed under the NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract for manufacture and build scope and the NEC4 Professional Services Contract for design and advisory scope, as the design matures.

Procurement Information

The ground relied upon under section 41(1) of, and Schedule 5 to, the Procurement Act 2023 (as required to be stated by regulation 26 of the Procurement Regulations 2024) is Single Supplier -- paragraph 5 (intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights) and paragraph 6 (absence of competition for technical reasons) of Schedule 5. The decision to award directly to Kinectrics Inc. is necessary because the ISS gloveboxes must interface directly with the ISS cryogenic system and conform to the glovebox standard adopted for the remainder of the H3AT facility, and because the detailed design and manufacturing solution incorporate intellectual property held by Kinectrics Inc. Any alternative manufacturer would be required to redesign to those interfaces and to develop a fresh manufacturing solution, which would duplicate completed work, incur disproportionate cost and could not be achieved within the programme window. UKAEA has assessed the market and is satisfied that there are no reasonable alternatives to the goods, services and works required.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d6c9
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071823-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

42 - Industrial machinery

CPV Codes

42900000 - Miscellaneous general and special-purpose machinery

42990000 - Miscellaneous special-purpose machinery

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£8,250,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
18 Sep 2026 - 18 Sep 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
OXFORDSHIRE
Postcode
OX14 3DB
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
Not specified
Local Authority
South Oxfordshire
Electoral Ward
Sandford & the Wittenhams
Westminster Constituency
Didcot and Wantage

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Kinectrics UK Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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