---
title: "Provision of Independent Research and Advice on Nuclear Graphite"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03574b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03574b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03574b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03574b.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "OFFICE FOR NUCLEAR REGULATION"
published: "2023-05-25"
---

# Provision of Independent Research and Advice on Nuclear Graphite

Buyer: OFFICE FOR NUCLEAR REGULATION  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03574b

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## Summary

The Office for Nuclear Regulation has awarded a contract for the provision of Independent Research and Advice on Nuclear Graphite. The contract, with a value of £2,000,000, was signed on 28th July 2022. The procurement method used was a limited negotiated procedure without publication of a contract notice. The University of Manchester is the current supplier for this contract.

This procurement process offers opportunities for businesses specialising in research and development services and consultancy. The main objectives of this tender are to secure access to independent technical advice regarding nuclear graphite and cores, safety case validity, and academic research on ageing phenomena in graphite. Companies with expertise in these areas would be suited to compete for similar tenders in the future.

## Notice

To secure access to independent (from Licensees) technical advice relating to the ageing and behaviour of nuclear graphite and graphite cores; assessment of validity of safety cases and academic research into various aspects of ageing phenomena in graphite.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

To secure access to independent (from Licensees) technical advice relating to the ageing and behaviour of nuclear graphite and graphite cores; assessment of validity of safety cases and academic research into various aspects of ageing phenomena in graphite.

Options: The anticipated duration of the contract is 24 months, but with an option to extend in annual increments for a further 2 years.

### Procurement Information

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in Find a Tender Service or the Official Journal of the European Union in the case listed below: Regulation 32 exempt: 32(2)(b)(ii) whereby "competition is absent for technical reasons". ONR asserts it belief that the University of Manchester are the only economic operator in the EU that are capable to support ONR with independent, research and expert advice to mount an authoritative but constructive challenge to the Licensee's arguments / submissions and to ensure that judgements made are consistent with a broadly-based authoritative scientific consensus. Containing experts; leading academic authority and industry professionals, ONR has no knowledge of any other fully independent operator who holds the ability to satisfy its requirement at present and consequently asserts general grounds are satisfied.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014971-2023 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 25 May 2023 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 27 Jul 2022 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £2,000,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | OFFICE FOR NUCLEAR REGULATION |
| Locality | BOOTLE |
| Post town | Liverpool |
| Postcode | L20 7HS |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD7 Merseyside |
| ITL 3 | TLD73 Sefton |
| Local authority | Sefton |
| Electoral ward | Linacre |
| Westminster constituency | Bootle |
| Delivery location | TLD North West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

## Release History

- 25 May 2023 at 15:04 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014971-2023
- 29 Jul 2022 at 09:40 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020760-2022

## Notice URLs

- http://www.onr.gov.uk

## 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-h6vhtk-03574b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03574b.json.