---
title: "UKSBS PR18083 AN"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-8acb530f-4160-446c-acc2-28c890a3bece"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8acb530f-4160-446c-acc2-28c890a3bece"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8acb530f-4160-446c-acc2-28c890a3bece.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8acb530f-4160-446c-acc2-28c890a3bece.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED"
published: "2018-05-22"
---

# UKSBS PR18083 AN

Buyer: UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-8acb530f-4160-446c-acc2-28c890a3bece

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8acb530f-4160-446c-acc2-28c890a3bece)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8acb530f-4160-446c-acc2-28c890a3bece.json)

## Summary

The procurement process involves UK Shared Business Services Limited, which is seeking suppliers for the MOONS (Multi-Object Optical and Near Infrared Spectrograph) project, an initiative for the European Southern Observatory. This contract falls under the goods category, specifically for pumps with a total value of £69,792.96. The awarding of this contract, executed through a direct procurement method as a single tender action, marks the completion of the tender stage. The contract period commenced on 27 April 2018 and runs until 29 June 2018, with the procurement process concluding on 26 April 2018.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in manufacturing or supplying highly specialised vacuum technology, particularly turbo pumps. Companies that have capabilities in cryogenic systems and high-precision equipment would be particularly well-suited to engage with this contract. The awarded supplier, Pfeiffer Vacuum Ltd, showcases the type of established suppliers that may find success in future related opportunities, especially those familiar with the requirements set by leading astronomical institutions.

## Notice

This is an Award Notice. MOONS (Multi-Object Optical and Near Infrared Spectrograph) is a new concept for an astronomical instrument that has been selected by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in response to their call for 3rd generation instruments for the Very Large Telescope (VLT) located at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. STFC (via the UKATC) is the lead organisation of the Consortium responsible for the design, build and commissioning of the instrument under an ESO Contract, with a budget of around 10M EUR and 200 FTE. As part of this, the UKATC has to deliver the MOONS cryo-vacuum system which requires 2-off turbo pumps for which ESO has mandated the use of a specific model and type, namely the ATH 2303M from Pfeiffer Vacuum. MOONS is designed to operate at infra-red wavelengths and hence uses detectors that are sensitive to infra-red light. These detectors must be cooled to 120K to limit the background radiation they see and hence must be located inside a cryostat held under vacuum conditions. To achieve the required vacuum pressure of 1x10-6 mBar the cryostat for MOONS needs 2-off turbo pumps. Based on the demands of on-site maintenance and inter-operability with existing equipment, ESO has mandated that only one specific type of turbo pump can be used at the telescope facility.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c6627b3a-0f15-4938-888b-2ba9130a55fa |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Single tender action (below threshold) |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 22 May 2018 |
| Submission deadline | 26 Apr 2018 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 25 Apr 2018 |
| Contract period | 26 Apr 2018 - 29 Jun 2018 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £69,792 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| 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 | UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED |
| Locality | SWINDON |
| Post town | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 1FF |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Rodbourne Cheney |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon North |
| Delivery location | TLM Scotland |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | PFEIFFER VACUUM |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 42 - Industrial machinery

### Codes

- 42122000 - Pumps

## Release History

- 22 May 2018 at 08:22 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c6627b3a-0f15-4938-888b-2ba9130a55fa

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c6627b3a-0f15-4938-888b-2ba9130a55fa
  22nd May 2018 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8acb530f-4160-446c-acc2-28c890a3bece. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8acb530f-4160-446c-acc2-28c890a3bece.json.