---
title: "NU1433-60 RecoVolt: Novel Battery Discharge System Commercialisation of university research through provision of management skills to assist in successful spin-out company creation"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-183871a2-8c8b-4fb9-9376-11b3567f16d5"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-183871a2-8c8b-4fb9-9376-11b3567f16d5"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-183871a2-8c8b-4fb9-9376-11b3567f16d5.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-183871a2-8c8b-4fb9-9376-11b3567f16d5.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY"
published: "2024-07-26"
---

# NU1433-60 RecoVolt: Novel Battery Discharge System Commercialisation of university research through provision of management skills to assist in successful spin-out company creation

Buyer: NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-183871a2-8c8b-4fb9-9376-11b3567f16d5

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## Summary

Newcastle University has completed the procurement process for the recruitment of an experienced business executive to support the commercialisation of their novel battery discharge system, an innovative project titled "NU1433-60 RecoVolt." This initiative, focused on business and management consultancy within the battery manufacturing and recycling industry, took place in England, United Kingdom. The procurement followed a selective method under a restricted procedure, and the contract, valued at £30,000, commenced on 1st August 2024, ending on 1st March 2025. The award was successfully granted to Smart Origin on 26th July 2024.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses in the electric vehicle, battery manufacturing, or recycling sectors. Companies involved in lithium-ion battery recycling, manufacturing, and transportation can leverage this technology to enhance safety, compliance, and cost-efficiency. The initiative aims to mitigate fire risks and environmental concerns associated with end-of-life batteries by providing a system for efficient discharging and health diagnostics. Ideal candidates for this contract are businesses with expertise in electric vehicle technology, battery manufacturing or recycling, and those capable of developing robust business plans and attracting investment.

## Notice

The transition to net zero presents significant challenges as well as opportunities for new innovative technologies. Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs) form a critical role in the decarbonisation of transport as well as balancing the national grid as it transitions to renewable energy sources. While LIBs are crucial for this transition, they present significant environmental and safety challenges when it comes to disposal or repurposing them at their end-of-life (EOL) phase. These EOL LIBs, often retaining residual energy, pose substantial fire risks and environmental concerns. Researchers and Newcastle University have developed a novel and comprehensive system for the efficient discharging of EOL LIBs, readying them for recycling while extracting battery diagnostics data, a critical component for assessing the health and potential second-life applications of these batteries. This platform is designed to analyse battery performance and degradation, providing valuable insights for repurposing EOL LIBs in applications such as energy storage systems. The academic team are looking to recruitment of an experienced and appropriate business executive to progress this opportunity. The ideal candidate will have experience and understanding of the electric vehicle or battery manufacture/recycling industry and will be able to work with the team to develop a robust and credible business plan. It will also be necessary for the business executive to codevelop and present the attractiveness and readiness of the proposition to potential investors and to support securing investment funding. A successful candidate would ideally work closely with Dr Kamal, who has aspirations to become CEO, to help guide and mentor them in readiness to step into the role sometime in the future. Opportunity The technology offers a cheap, rapid, safe, and agnostic method of discharging batteries, modules or cells, while recovering the discharged energy (either to the grid or to an energy storage device). The technology has the added advantage of assessing the health of the battery, which can be used to inform the second-life use of the battery. There are several markets/customers which the technology could be applied to: 1. Recycling: This technology plays a crucial role in the pre-treatment stage of LIB recycling. By discharging the batteries to deactivate them before mechanical processing, this mitigates the fire safety risk. Additionally, the energy harvested from these end-of-life batteries can be used within the factory, offsetting operational expenses. 2. Manufacturing: In battery manufacturing plants, 5-12% of cells fail quality control, amounting to over 1,000 cells per day in large facilities. This technology addresses this issue by safely discharging these cells before they are shipped for recycling, ensuring compliance with safety regulations. 3. Transport: For end-of-life batteries requiring transport, discharging them significantly reduces the risk of incidents, thereby

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c59f226f-3b1c-41b8-8c47-acc058017fa3 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Restricted procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 26 Jul 2024 |
| Submission deadline | 12 Jul 2024 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 25 Jul 2024 |
| Contract period | 31 Jul 2024 - 1 Mar 2025 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £30,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £30,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY |
| Locality | NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE |
| Post town | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Postcode | NE1 7RU |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC43 Tyneside |
| Local authority | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Electoral ward | Monument |
| Westminster constituency | Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SMART ORIGIN |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services

## Release History

- 26 Jul 2024 at 08:42 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c59f226f-3b1c-41b8-8c47-acc058017fa3

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c59f226f-3b1c-41b8-8c47-acc058017fa3
  26th July 2024 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Notice URLs

- https://www.ncl.ac.uk

## Provenance

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