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The supply of specialised analytical equipment to upgrade laboratories at NRS

Nuclear Restoration Services Limited

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

21 Oct 2026 at 13:50

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

21 Sep 2026 at 14:09

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

24 Aug 2026 at 11:44

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Nuclear Restoration Services Limited, through its Dounreay site, bought specialised analytical equipment to upgrade its laboratories. The purchase is for two Gamma Specs to be installed in the D1215 laboratories and integrated with the site’s existing bespoke analytical system. This is electrotechnical equipment for laboratory analysis, rather than a general laboratory fit-out. The requirement supports NRS’s nuclear decommissioning operations and its future statutory and regulatory responsibilities. Delivery and installation are at the Dounreay site in Scotland. The equipment must work with the analytical system already in operation there; compatibility with that system is central to the requirement.

The procurement is complete: NRS selected Mirion Technologies (CANBERRA UK) Limited through a direct award under the Procurement Act 2023, Section 41, Schedule 5, Paragraph 7. The award was dated 24 August 2026. The contract was signed on 5 October 2026, with a period from 6 October 2026 to 30 March 2027. Its value is £383,433.92 excluding VAT (£460,120.70 including VAT). There was one lot, and the award covered the supply of the analytical equipment. The stated basis was that changing supplier would make the equipment incompatible with the existing bespoke system and create disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance; NRS judged there was no reasonable alternative or substitute. The awarded supplier was Mirion Technologies (CANBERRA UK) Limited.

For suppliers assessing this buyer’s future demand, this award shows that NRS requires specialised analytical equipment that integrates with existing bespoke systems at Dounreay. A credible competitor would need to demonstrate that its equipment can operate compatibly with the installed system, and provide the technical evidence and integration support needed to avoid disruption, costly changes, additional validation, maintenance complications or staff retraining. Suppliers would also need to plan for installation in the D1215 laboratories, where refurbishment progress could affect readiness. The direct award was justified on compatibility and operational grounds, so a competing solution would need to address those constraints convincingly, not simply offer analytical equipment of a similar general type. The requirement is a substantial, site-specific equipment supply rather than routine laboratory consumables.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

The supply of specialised analytical equipment to upgrade laboratories at NRS

Notice Description

A direct award has been made by Nuclear Restoration Services Limited (Dounreay) to Mirion Technologies (Canberra) UK Ltd for the supply of specialised analytical equipment to upgrade laboratories on the Dounreay site under PA23 Direct Award Procedure; Section 41, Schedule 5, Paragraph 7 on the grounds of: a) a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods, services or works that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing goods, services or works, and; b) the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance. This requirement can only be supplied by Mirion Technologies (Canberra) UK Ltd, as the equipment is required to form part of, and integrate with, an existing bespoke analytical system in operation at the Dounreay site. Changing supplier would introduce compatibility and integration risks, potentially requiring modification or replacement of existing assets and resulting in additional costs for system changes, validation activities, maintenance arrangements, and staff training. Such changes would also introduce programme delays and could adversely affect NRS's ability to support future statutory, regulatory and decommissioning requirements. Given the need to maintain compatibility with the existing analytical system and avoid disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance, the Authority considers that no reasonable alternative or substitute exists capable of delivering the required goods within acceptable levels of risk, cost, and timescale.

Procurement Information

A direct award has been made by Nuclear Restoration Services Limited (Dounreay) to Mirion Technologies (Canberra) UK Ltd for the supply of specialised analytical equipment to upgrade laboratories on the Dounreay site under PA23 Direct Award Procedure; Section 41, Schedule 5, Paragraph 7 on the grounds of: a) a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods, services or works that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing goods, services or works, and; b) the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance. This requirement can only be supplied by Mirion Technologies (Canberra) UK Ltd, as the equipment is required to form part of, and integrate with, an existing bespoke analytical system in operation at the Dounreay site. Changing supplier would introduce compatibility and integration risks, potentially requiring modification or replacement of existing assets and resulting in additional costs for system changes, validation activities, maintenance arrangements, and staff training. Such changes would also introduce programme delays and could adversely affect NRS's ability to support future statutory, regulatory and decommissioning requirements. Given the need to maintain compatibility with the existing analytical system and avoid disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance, the Authority considers that no reasonable alternative or substitute exists capable of delivering the required goods within acceptable levels of risk, cost, and timescale.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ea56
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099502-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

31 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting

CPV Codes

31730000 - Electrotechnical equipment

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£383,433 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£383,433 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
24 Aug 20262 months ago
Contract Period
6 Oct 2026 - 30 Mar 2027 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Nuclear Restoration Services Limited
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
WARRINGTON
Postcode
WA3 6GR
Postcode Area
Warrington
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD6 Cheshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD61 Warrington
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Warrington
Electoral Ward
Birchwood
Westminster Constituency
Warrington North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Mirion Technologies (Canberra UK) Ltd

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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