Award

VEAT Notice for Sample Preparation Reagents

UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Summary of the contracting process

The University of Edinburgh has awarded a contract to New England Biolabs for the provision of sample preparation reagents critical for sequencing processes, specifically for the use with Oxford Nanopore Technologies equipment. The procurement process was completed as a limited procedure without prior publication, justified by the unique technical compatibility requirements that only New England Biolabs could fulfil. The contract, valued at £195,027.97, was signed on 19 March 2026. This falls under the education industry category and is delivered at the University location in Edinburgh, UKM75. The process was concluded at the award and contract stage.

This contract presents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in biotechnology and molecular biology, particularly those capable of providing specialised library preparation reagents. While the procurement was non-competitive due to the technical specifications required, similar businesses might benefit by aligning their products or services with future technological needs of such public institutions. Suppliers with advanced compatibility and validation processes in the field of sequencing could strategically position themselves for future tender opportunities within the education sector. The technical specificity and non-competitive nature highlight niche but critical opportunities for high-tech providers in the industry.

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Notice Title

VEAT Notice for Sample Preparation Reagents

Notice Description

The University of Edinburgh intends to award a contract to New England Biolabs to provide products for the library preparation of samples ahead of sequencing.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The University of Edinburgh intends to award a contract to New England Biolabs (NEB) to provide products for the library preparation of samples ahead of sequencing on Oxoford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) equipment. The NEB reagents are the only products validated, qualified, and optimized by ONT for the library preparation protocol. Substituting these critical reagents would require full revalidation, introducing risks to workflow stability and data comparability. Although multiple suppliers offer general molecular biology reagents, no alternative vendor meets the validated compatibility requirements for the current ONT workflows in this project. NEB is therefore the only acceptable source for the products for library preparation for this project. Based on validation data, workflow compatibility, and compliance requirements, NEB is the single source capable of supplying reagents required for the ONT sequencing processes defined in the project. These products are not available from other vendors; it is only possible to purchase these validated reagents directly from NEB UK.

Procurement Information

The University of Edinburgh intends to award a contract without prior publication due to the absence of competition for technical reasons. There is only one supplier who can meet the requirements as published in this notice.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000824814
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR553354
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large, SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

33 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products


CPV Codes

33696500 - Laboratory reagents

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£195,027 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Apr 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
19 Mar 20261 months ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EDINBURGH
Postcode
EH1 1HT
Post Town
Edinburgh
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM1 East Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM13 City of Edinburgh
Delivery Location
TLM75 City of Edinburgh

Local Authority
City of Edinburgh
Electoral Ward
City Centre
Westminster Constituency
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

NEW ENGLAND BIOLABS

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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