---
title: "UK Simons Observatory (SO:UK) Consortium - Small Apeture Telescope Platform (SATP)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0365c0"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0365c0"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0365c0.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0365c0.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER"
published: "2022-09-05"
---

# UK Simons Observatory (SO:UK) Consortium - Small Apeture Telescope Platform (SATP)

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0365c0

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0365c0.json)

## Summary

The University of Manchester, a UK contracting authority, has completed the procurement process for the UK Simons Observatory Consortium's Small Aperture Telescope Platform. The procurement falls under the goods category with the main procurement method being a limited award procedure. The contract was signed on September 2nd, 2022, with a value of 2507689 EUR. The project involves deploying innovative detector technology for the Simons Observatory in Chile, bringing new inflation models within reach by 2023.

This tender presents an opportunity for businesses involved in advanced detector technology or telescope construction to engage in international projects within the science sector. Companies with expertise in supplying components for scientific instruments or experience in complex construction projects would find this tender suitable for growth opportunities in the field of satellite platforms and advanced telescope technologies.

## Notice

A Request for Proposals (RFP) was conducted by University of California, San Diego, in May 2018 for a vendor to design and construct small aperture camera platforms for the Simons Observatory (SO) which is a US-led international project to construct a group of CMB telescopes in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. It has been designed to address new science challenges, and is due to begin operations in 2023. In order to address its primary science goals, the SO collaboration has designed a single experiment that is unique amongst its peers in the field of CMB studies . The major UK contribution to SO is to specifically build, deploy, commission and operate an array of two small aperture telescopes (the SO:UK instrument) to exactly match the existing (US) SO instrument proprietary plans awarded under Purchasing Agreement SD-18-1025. The UK instrument will form a major component of the SO, providing 50% of its sensitivity to primordial B-modes. The additional sensitivity that will be provided by the SO:UK instrument has the potential to bring a compelling class of inflation models within our reach, for the first time. In building the instrument, we will incorporate a number of innovative features including the first use of a new detector technology (Kinetic Inductance Detectors, KIDs) in a CMB B-mode experiment. In addition to KIDs, the instrument work also includes the development and demonstration of novel meta-material (MM) quasi-optical components and high-performance detector readout technology.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

A Request for Proposals (RFP) was conducted by University of California, San Diego, in May 2018 for a vendor to design and construct small aperture camera platforms for the Simons Observatory (SO) which is a US-led international project to construct a group of CMB telescopes in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. It has been designed to address new science challenges, and is due to begin operations in 2023. In order to address its primary science goals, the SO collaboration has designed a single experiment that is unique amongst its peers in the field of CMB studies . The major UK contribution to SO is to specifically build, deploy, commission and operate an array of two small aperture telescopes (the SO:UK instrument) to exactly match the existing (US) SO instrument proprietary plans awarded under Purchasing Agreement SD-18-1025. The UK instrument will form a major component of the SO, providing 50% of its sensitivity to primordial B-modes. The additional sensitivity that will be provided by the SO:UK instrument has the potential to bring a compelling class of inflation models within our reach, for the first time. In building the instrument, we will incorporate a number of innovative features including the first use of a new detector technology (Kinetic Inductance Detectors, KIDs) in a CMB B-mode experiment. In addition to KIDs, the instrument work also includes the development and demonstration of novel meta-material (MM) quasi-optical components and high-performance detector readout technology.

### Procurement Information

A Request for Proposals (RFP) was conducted by University of California, San Diego, in May 2018 for a vendor to design and construct small aperture camera platforms for the Simons Observatory (SO) which is a US-led international project to construct a group of CMB telescopes in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. It has been designed to address new science challenges, and is due to begin operations in 2023. In order to address its primary science goals, the SO collaboration has designed a single experiment that is unique amongst its peers in the field of CMB studies . The major UK contribution to SO is to specifically build, deploy, commission and operate an array of two small aperture telescopes (the SO:UK instrument) to exactly match the existing (US) SO instrument proprietary plans awarded under Purchasing Agreement SD-18-1025. The UK instrument will form a major component of the SO, providing 50% of its sensitivity to primordial B-modes. The additional sensitivity that will be provided by the SO:UK instrument has the potential to bring a compelling class of inflation models within our reach, for the first time. In building the instrument, we will incorporate a number of innovative features including the first use of a new detector technology (Kinetic Inductance Detectors, KIDs) in a CMB B-mode experiment. In addition to KIDs, the instrument work also includes the development and demonstration of novel meta-material (MM) quasi-optical components and high-performance detector readout technology.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024783-2022 |
| Notice type | 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 |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 5 Sep 2022 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 1 Sep 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 | £2,507,689 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER |
| Locality | MANCHESTER |
| Post town | Manchester |
| Postcode | M13 9PL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD3 Greater Manchester |
| ITL 3 | TLD33 Manchester |
| Local authority | Manchester |
| Electoral ward | Hulme |
| Westminster constituency | Manchester Rusholme |
| Delivery location | TLD North West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | VERTEX ANTENNENTECHNIK |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment

### Codes

- 32534000 - Satellite platforms

## Release History

- 5 Sep 2022 at 10:35 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024783-2022

## Notice URLs

- https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofmanchester/aspx/Home
- https://www.manchester.ac.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-0365c0. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0365c0.json.