---
title: "UKSBS PR17125 - ARCHER2 Hardware"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-fcab43e4-e39f-46cf-a3cc-04c9a3c97cfc"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-fcab43e4-e39f-46cf-a3cc-04c9a3c97cfc"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fcab43e4-e39f-46cf-a3cc-04c9a3c97cfc.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fcab43e4-e39f-46cf-a3cc-04c9a3c97cfc.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED"
published: "2019-10-21"
---

# UKSBS PR17125 - ARCHER2 Hardware

Buyer: UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-fcab43e4-e39f-46cf-a3cc-04c9a3c97cfc

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## Summary

The procurement process for the ARCHER2 Hardware is managed by UK Shared Business Services Limited (UK SBS), a key entity within the UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) framework, focusing on scientific research enhancement through high-performance computing (HPC). This tender, titled "UKSBS PR17125 - ARCHER2 Hardware", is classified under the industry category of supercomputers and is set within Scotland, United Kingdom. The tender period has a crucial deadline for bid submissions by 11:00 GMT on 3 June 2019, following an open procurement method, specifically the open procedure aimed at fulfilling contracts exceeding threshold values. The total budget allocated for the first four years is approximately £40 million, covering a contract commencement on 25 September 2019 and extending through to 5 May 2024.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in high-performance computing solutions, particularly those offering hardware capabilities suitable for academic and scientific research infrastructure. Companies that focus on computer architecture, maintenance, and computational support services will find themselves well-positioned to engage with this tender. Participation in this contract can lead to substantial growth, considering the multi-million pound investment aimed at securing the UK's position as a leader in computational science and engineering on a global scale.

## Notice

The closing date and and time for bids is 11:00hrs GMT on 03/06/19. Do not apply directly to the buyer. All tender information MUST be submitted through the CCS e-sourcing portal. UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) - Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) manages the ARCHER supercomputer service on behalf of the high performance computing (HPC) scientific user communities. This multi-million pound investment, which commenced service in 2013, provides national capability for scientific research across the HEI sector requiring access to high performance computing resources. Supporting a community of academic researchers across the UK, ARCHER provides a prestigious national Tier 1 compute resource for scientific endeavour. As provider of the national HPC service supporting researchers in diverse scientific fields, EPSRC currently manages the provision and support of the ARCHER service. A future capital investment will secure the next generation of HPC service and ensure provision of new HPC architecture capable of addressing the demands of increasing complexity in scientific research. The overall vision for ARCHER2 is to build on the existing Tier 1 and Tier 2 investments in national HPC facilities so that the UK is a recognised leader on the international scene for computational science and engineering. In order to achieve this, UK researchers must be able to carry out internationally competitive research across the remits of EPSRC, NERC and beyond. The benefits of the UK being world leading in computational science and engineering will be realised through: - the enhanced reputation of the UK in science and engineering as a whole; - the increased ability of UK researchers to make valuable contributions to the solution of complex scientific challenges and to the generation of quality scientific outputs; - increased attractiveness of UK researchers as partners in high profile international collaborations and improved access to large HPC resources in other countries. UKRI - EPSRC, as managing agent for the national HPC facility on behalf of the other Research Councils, is looking to tender contracts for three elements of the ARCHER2 facility: the hardware (to be based in Edinburgh); the service provision which manages academic access to the facility and the helpdesk; and the computational science and engineering (CSE) support which provides software development and training and support to users of the facility to enable their codes to run as effectively as possible. The hardware element of the ARCHER2 service will provide the compute resource, maintenance and support including storage and network connectivity to provide enhanced provision of HPC hardware for academic scientific research. The maximum budget for years 1-4 inc. VAT and all applicable duties and taxes is PS48m. There will be an optional year 5 for maintenance and support (est. PS2.4m inc. VAT). Net Values: PS40m years 1-4, PS2m optional year 5 Additional information: DO NOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO BUYER All submissions will be assessed in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, for procurement values that exceed Regulation 5 (Threshold amounts) Responses must be received by the date in the bid documents. Responses received outside or concurrently using the eSourcing process will not be accepted or considered further for this opportunity. How to Register on the CCS eSourcing Suite Full details of this opportunity can be found on the e-sourcing portal please follow instructions below. If you have not yet registered on the eSourcing Suite, this can be done online at https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/emptoris/ by following the link 'Register for CCS eSourcing'. Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so. Once you have registered on the eSourcing Suite, a registered user can express an interest for a specific procurement. This is done by emailing expressionofinterest@crowncommercial.gov.uk Your email must clearly state: * name and reference for the procurement you wish to register for; * name of the registered Bidder; * name and contact details for the registered individual sending the email. Crown Commercial Service will process the email and then enable the Bidder to access the procurement online via the e-Sourcing Suite. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done. The Sourcing documents can then be accessed on the eSourcing Suite at: https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk using the instructions detailed in the Specification documents within Contracts Finder. As a user of the e-Sourcing Suite you will have access to Emptoris email messaging service which facilitates all messages sent to you and from you in relation to any specific RFX event. Please note it is your responsibility to access these emails on a regular basis to ensure you have sight of all relevant information. For technical assistance on use of the e-Sourcing Suite please contact Crown Commercial Service Helpdesk: Telephone: 0345 010 3503 Training documents to support Bidders to utilise Emptoris CCS eSourcing are available in the Contracts Finder Tender documents section. About UK Shared Business Services UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) brings a commercial attitude to the public sector; helping our customers improve efficiency, generate savings and modernise. Our broad range of expert services is shared by our customers. This allows our customers the freedom to focus resources on core activities; innovating and transforming their own organisations. For full details of our partner base please review the following link: http://www.uksbs.co.uk/services/procure/

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d2b46653-b51f-49f5-ba6f-40472284541e |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure (above threshold) |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 21 Oct 2019 |
| Submission deadline | 3 Jun 2019 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 24 Sep 2019 |
| Contract period | 25 Sep 2019 - 5 May 2024 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £42,000,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £42,000,000 |
| 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 | 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 | CRAY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 30 - Office and computing machinery, equipment and supplies except furniture and software packages

### Codes

- 30211100 - Super computer

## Release History

- 21 Oct 2019 at 13:47 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d2b46653-b51f-49f5-ba6f-40472284541e
- 16 May 2019 at 13:41 - TenderAmendment - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/1eb42230-f839-4783-bfaf-042885e2cf12
- 12 Mar 2019 at 12:43 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/1eb42230-f839-4783-bfaf-042885e2cf12

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d2b46653-b51f-49f5-ba6f-40472284541e
  21st October 2019 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/1eb42230-f839-4783-bfaf-042885e2cf12
  16th May 2019 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/84a5ce76-f9b9-4a4d-af71-eae149615eaa
  Bidder Training
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/c16057ec-2ee4-462a-8e20-54ca07aa3c98
  Bidder - Logging into Emptoris for the first time

## Notice URLs

- http://www.uksbs.co.uk/services/procure/
- https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
- https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/emptoris/

## 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-fcab43e4-e39f-46cf-a3cc-04c9a3c97cfc. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fcab43e4-e39f-46cf-a3cc-04c9a3c97cfc.json.