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UKRI-6281 Transport of APA Shipping Frame Assemblies from Europe to USA

UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

21 Oct 2026 at 12:09

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is preparing a procurement for international freight transport of specialist scientific equipment: DUNE Anode Plane Assemblies (APAs) secured in purpose-built shipping frame assemblies. Each assembly combines a frame holding two fragile detector units, shock- and vibration-absorbing supports, and a base frame. Most APAs are made and assembled at STFC Daresbury Laboratory in the UK; some are tested at CERN. Shipments will travel from the UK or CERN to Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, USA, for storage before onward transport and installation at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. The requirement is freight transport agency services for scientific equipment, serving the international DUNE neutrino-science and proton-decay experiment.

This is at the planning stage: UKRI is undertaking preliminary market engagement to shape the specification, and there is no invitation to tender yet. The buyer expects a call-off contract over four years, from 4 January 2027 to 3 January 2031, with about 68 shipments anticipated; the level of spend is not guaranteed. The stated estimated value is £1,462,000 excluding VAT and £1,754,400 including VAT. UKRI asks interested suppliers to complete a questionnaire to indicate market appetite; its stated closing time is 14:00 UK time on 2 November 2026. One lot is planned. The procurement is expected to use a framework agreement, but the planned procedure and how bids will be evaluated have not been set out.

This requirement is likely to suit freight forwarders and specialist transport operators able to manage international movements from the UK or CERN to the United States. Suppliers should be prepared to handle large, fragile scientific detector equipment in dedicated shipping assemblies, protecting it from shock and vibration during transport and handling. Experience coordinating complex, long-distance shipments and managing the risks of damage to high-value, schedule-critical research equipment would be relevant to the buyer’s stated concern: any damage to the APAs could seriously affect project costs and timing. The anticipated shipment volume and four-year call-off arrangement point to a need for sustained operational capacity, while the absence of guaranteed spend means suppliers should assess the commercial fit of variable demand. UKRI is seeking market feedback now to inform the forthcoming specification.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

UKRI-6281 Transport of APA Shipping Frame Assemblies from Europe to USA

Notice Description

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is undertaking Preliminary Market Engagement to inform the development of a forthcoming procurement for the international transportation of specialist scientific equipment. Interested suppliers are invited to review the accompanying information and complete the market engagement questionnaire The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is an international experiment for neutrino science and proton decay studies. The Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) is the facility required for DUNE and once it is completed, it will comprise the world's highest-intensity neutrino beam (at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory ('FNAL'), Batavia, Illinois) and the infrastructure necessary to support massive, cryogenic far detectors installed deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility ('SURF'), 1300m underground, in Lead, South Dakota. The DUNE Anode Plane Assemblies (also named 'APAs') are the main detectors of the DUNE Horizontal Drift Experiment. They are built as large stainless-steel frames onto which prestressed copper-beryllium wires are winded in 4 layers. The APAs represent the detector part of the DUNE TPC. Most of the APAs are produced and assembled in the UK at STFC Daresbury Laboratory (DL), some are tested at CERN, therefore, they must be transported long distances from either the UK or CERN to Fermilab in the US where they are stored waiting for final transport and installation at SURF laboratory. The APAs are very complex and fragile detectors. If they would be damaged during their transport, the impacts on the cost and schedule could have serious consequences on the DUNE project. To mitigate this risk, two APAs are transported inside a transport frame (also named APA Shipping Frame 'ASF'). The ASF is installed on wire rope absorbers (WRAs') intended to dampen the shocks and vibrations from the transport and handling, and finally mounted on a base frame (BF). The ASF, WRAs and BF form the ASF Assembly. The Contracting Authority, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are looking to engage with suppliers before the full requirement is published for the marketplace to submit bid submissions. The contract is expected to be on a call off basis and there is no guarantee of the level of spend through this contract. However, it is anticipated approximately 68 shipments are required during the 4 year duration. We would like you to complete the following questionnaire to help us understand the marketplace interest - https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=juC3i6TajkqSfvyjjbBLfsxoERpCeehLn8lp5URh6C9UODcyTklFQk5YVk9PWVdBRE9VSkNERzEwNS4u

Planning Information

Please can interested parties complete the following questionnaire. This will be reviewed to understand the marketplace appetite and help shape the specification - https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=juC3i6TajkqSfvyjjbBLfsxoERpCeehLn8lp5URh6C9UODcyTklFQk5YVk9PWVdBRE9VSkNERzEwNS4u The questionnaire will close at 1400hrs UK time on 02 Nov 2026.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078cb4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099410-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services

CPV Codes

63521000 - Freight transport agency services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,462,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
4 Jan 2027 - 3 Jan 2031 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
SWINDON, WILTSHIRE
Postcode
SN2 1FL
Postcode Area
Swindon
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK71 Swindon
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Swindon
Electoral Ward
Rodbourne Cheney
Westminster Constituency
Swindon North

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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