---
title: "Contract for the Supply and Installation of a High-Dimensional Spatial Transcriptomics/Proteomics Platform to the University of Birmingham"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-037fbd"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-037fbd"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-037fbd.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-037fbd.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM"
published: "2023-01-26"
---

# Contract for the Supply and Installation of a High-Dimensional Spatial Transcriptomics/Proteomics Platform to the University of Birmingham

Buyer: THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-037fbd

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## Summary

The University of Birmingham has completed a procurement process for a contract to supply and install a high-dimensional spatial transcriptomics/proteomics platform. This platform is intended for histology services at Birmingham Tissue Analytics, offering capabilities for high-dimensional protein and gene expression analysis at subcellular resolution. The tender involved the University of Birmingham as the buying organisation, with the procurement stage being an open procedure. The contract was awarded to Nanostring Technologies Inc. The deadline for the contract was on 7th December 2022.

This tender presents an opportunity for businesses in the laboratory, optical, and precision equipment industry category to provide a platform capable of high-parameter imaging assays for RNA expression profiling at single-cell resolution. It requires capabilities to analyse tissue samples in different formats and provide validated reagent kits for RNA/protein profiling. Businesses with experience in delivering high-dimensional imaging assays, including after-sales support and technical backup, would be well-suited to compete for this contract.

## Notice

The University of Birmingham invites tenders for supply of a high-dimensional spatial transcriptomics/proteomics platform. This will form part of the histology services offered by Birmingham Tissue Analytics (BTA), a University of Birmingham research facility. BTA already provides complex multi-parameter immuno-histochemical tissue imaging and spatial transcriptomic platforms academic, clinically focused, and industry-linked work streams. This spatial transcriptomics platform should build on the current capabilities of the facility, particularly with regards to the capability for high dimensional protein and gene expression analysis at subcellular analytical resolution. An ability to analyse tissue samples in a variety of formats would be desirable but it is essential to be able to work with Formalin Fixed Paraffin embedded materials in order to work with archived pathology samples. Furthermore, the platform should possess sufficient throughput to allow capacity for analysis of multiple slides per working day. It would be desirable for a data analysis package to be included with the platform which would be accessible to service users and intuitive for researchers to manage their own data analysis. This project may be funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) or; - European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) or; - Research Councils UK (RCUK), the strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research Councils.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The University of Birmingham invites tenders for supply of an imaging platform capable of delivering spatial high parameter, multi-omic data in single cell resolution. This platform will be operated by Birmingham Tissue Analytics, a University of Birmingham research facility that specialises in the delivery of high dimensional imaging assays as a service to academic and industry collaborators. General characteristics The platform in question is intended to expand the facilities capabilities in spatial transcriptomics, building on other technologies that are already used to phenotype tissue samples with but with either a lower number of parameters or lower level of resolution. Capabilities for profiling RNA expression in human tissue samples is essential. This profiling should allow sufficient depth to characterise cell identity and effector function to generate spatial atlases of tissue samples. To achieve this, it would be expected to be able to study in excess of 500 RNA markers per imaging run. An ability to profile protein marker expression in addition to RNA would also be highly advantageous. Specifications 1) An analytical platform capable of providing high parameter imaging assays to profile RNA expression in tissue samples at least single cell resolution. 2) Capabilities to analyse tissue samples in various formats, including Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) or frozen. 3) Pre validated reagent kits for RNA/protein profiling would be highly advantageous due to the service delivery basis for which the platform utilised which limits the feasibility of extensive panel validations across multiple projects. 4) Access to proprietary analysis software, ideally which can be made available to multiple researchers (service users) for their own data analysis. 5) PC-based controller with capabilities for image visualization and interrogation. A solution to handle large image files in conjunction with image analysis would be beneficial. 6) The instrument must come with an up-to-date and powerful computer for system control, data acquisition and, where applicable data analysis. We expect this computer to be provided with the latest operating software. 7) The software provided for the data acquisition and/or the data analysis should provide a user friendly workflow for image visualisation and analysis. After sales services * We expect a swift and high quality remote and on-site technical support for the length of the instrument warranty as well as additional service contracts we might purchase. * A training package must be provided for a group of users. * We expect the suppliers to provide us with educational resources and services dedicated to our instrument configuration.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002460-2023 |
| Notice type | Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 26 Jan 2023 |
| Submission deadline | 7 Dec 2022 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 7 Dec 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 | £296,165 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM |
| Locality | BIRMINGHAM |
| Post town | Birmingham |
| Postcode | B15 2TT |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLG3 West Midlands |
| ITL 3 | TLG31 Birmingham |
| Local authority | Birmingham |
| Electoral ward | Edgbaston |
| Westminster constituency | Birmingham Edgbaston |
| Delivery location | TLG31 Birmingham |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | NANOSTRING TECHNOLOGIES |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

### Codes

- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

## Release History

- 26 Jan 2023 at 15:36 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002460-2023
- 7 Nov 2022 at 15:20 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031448-2022

## Notice URLs

- http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx
- http://www.intendhost.co.uk/universityofbirmingham/aspx/Home

## 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-037fbd. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-037fbd.json.