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5112.SH.JN - High Yield Electrospinning System

UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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25 Sep 2026 at 11:15

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Sheffield bought a high-yield electrospinning system for its School of Clinical Dentistry. The equipment supports production of flexible microfiber patches designed to adhere to the oral mucosa and deliver drugs and other therapeutics directly to it. The team has developed patches that can carry small lipophilic compounds as well as larger molecules such as peptides and proteins, with rapid release and retained activity. The system is also intended to support adaptation of the technology for mRNA vaccine delivery, following a UKRI Engineering Biology Mission Award. This is a laboratory and precision-equipment purchase, delivered for the university’s work in Sheffield.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to Bioinicia Fluidnatek S.L., a supplier based in Spain. The contract was signed on 9 September 2026 and runs from 16 September 2026 to 10 December 2027. Its value is £118,600 including gross value as stated. The purchase was handled below the applicable threshold using a method recorded as unknown. There was one lot, covering the electrospinning system, and the lot and award are complete and active respectively. The published data identifies the award and supplier but does not set out a separate scoring or evaluation basis.

For suppliers tracking demand in specialist laboratory equipment, this purchase shows the University of Sheffield investing in electrospinning capacity for clinical dentistry research and therapeutic-material development. A credible competitor for a comparable future requirement would need to supply a high-yield electrospinning system suited to producing microfiber patches, and demonstrate that the equipment can support work with polymer solutions or melts and the manufacture of flexible fibres for oral-mucosa delivery applications. Relevant capability would include understanding the demands of drug and advanced-therapeutic loading and release, including research involving both small compounds and larger biological molecules. The selected supplier is an SME, indicating that a specialist supplier can compete for this scale of equipment purchase; the requirement is focused on a technical system rather than a broad laboratory fit-out.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

5112.SH.JN - High Yield Electrospinning System

Notice Description

A team at the School of Clinical Dentistry have developed a novel microfiber-based mucoadhesive oral matrix that can deliver drugs and advanced therapeutics directly to the oral mucosa. This technology is highly acceptable to patients and has been evaluated for clinical use in human studies. The team at Sheffield are world leading. We have reported that such matrices can incorporate and release a range of lipophilic, low molecular mass compounds that rapidly diffuse throughout the mucosa following release and without loss of properties. Moreover, we have incorporated larger macromolecules such as peptides and proteins and achieved high loading efficiency, rapid release profiles and retention of functional activity. The patches are prepared using electrospinning, a versatile, voltage-driven manufacturing technique that uses electrostatic forces to draw and stretch polymer solutions or melts into continuous micro- and nanofibers. Electrospinning offers the production of patches that are flexible, enabling them to conform to wet, curved and dynamic surfaces. Furthermore, their high surface-to-volume ratio facilitates efficient drug loading/release and sustained mucoadhesive interactions, leading to prolonged tissue residence time. The team have recently secured a UKRI Engineering Biology Mission Award for the adaptation of the technology for mRNA vaccine delivery. For this award we require a high yield electrospinning system.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077a4d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/090898-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - unknown
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
£118,600 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
25 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
16 Sep 2026 - 10 Dec 2027 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
UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
SHEFFIELD
Postcode
S10 2TN
Postcode Area
Sheffield
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE3 South Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE32 Sheffield
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Sheffield
Electoral Ward
Broomhill and Sharrow Vale
Westminster Constituency
Sheffield Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Bioinicia Fluidnatek S.L.

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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