--- title: "Procurement of the Femtosecond Spitfire ACE laser system" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03c52a" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03c52a" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03c52a.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03c52a.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM" published: "2023-04-28" --- # Procurement of the Femtosecond Spitfire ACE laser system Buyer: THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03c52a [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03c52a) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03c52a.json) ## Summary The University of Birmingham has awarded a contract for the procurement of the Femtosecond Spitfire ACE laser system to Newport Spectra-Physics Limited. This tender, initiated as a result of Professor Vas Stavros' relocation to the University of Birmingham, falls under the 'goods' category with a focus on lasers. The procurement method used was a limited negotiation without publication of a contract notice. The contract was signed on 28th April 2023. This tender presents an opportunity for businesses specialising in specialist optical instruments within the laser industry to engage with the University of Birmingham. As the University sought a single-source supplier for a like-for-like replacement of the laser system, companies with expertise in providing stable output lasers with unique capabilities, such as Spectra-Physics, would be well-suited to tender for similar future opportunities in the sector. ## Notice Professor Vas Stavros and his group recently (January 2023) relocated from the University of Warwick to the University of Birmingham. The femtosecond laser system that is sought (as part of Vas Stavros's start-up package) is from a single supplier: MKS Newport Spectra-Physics. The Femtosecond Spitfire ACE laser system (termed henceforth Spitfire ACE) will replace a now obsolete MKS Newport Spectra-Physics Spitfire Pro XP, currently housed in the Stavros Lab at the University of Warwick. This is a like-for-like replacement with superior output stability. The Spitfire ACE delivers 3) fractions, three of these fractions can be used to optically pump the OPAs that will be transferred from the University of Warwick. The tunability in wavelength output from the OPAs will enable multiple different measurements to be carried out concurrently. ### Lot Information Lot 1 The Spitfire ACE will dovetail three existing optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs, essentially smaller lasers with unrivalled wavelength tunability) that will be transferred from the University of Warwick to the University of Birmingham. These OPAs are MKS Newport Spectra-Physics supplied OPAs and thus are set up to only be compatible with the Spitfire ACE. For this reason, we are seeking a single source supplier for the like-for-like replacement (vide supra). Spectra-Physics have done a lot of system work with the Spitfire and OPA together to be able to supply a system with stable output. The result of this work was ACE (Automated Compressor Enhancement). No other manufacturer has this capability. Whilst the OPAs can be made to work with amplifiers from other manufacturers, drifts in OPA output are not compensated for. The OPAs that Prof. Stavros has have been operated with an amplifier with Automated Compressor Enhancement and for long timescale experiments such as his, this drift compensation is essential. Therefore, the only company that would be able to supply an instrument to meet the University's requirements, particularly the drift compensation (Automated Compressor Enhancement), is Spectra-Physics. ### Procurement Information The Spitfire ACE will dovetail three existing optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs, essentially smaller lasers with unrivalled wavelength tunability) that will be transferred from the University of Warwick to the University of Birmingham. These OPAs are MKS Newport Spectra-Physics supplied OPAs and thus are set up to only be compatible with the Spitfire ACE. For this reason, we are seeking a single source supplier for the like-for-like replacement (vide supra). Spectra-Physics have done a lot of system work with the Spitfire and OPA together to be able to supply a system with stable output. The result of this work was ACE (Automated Compressor Enhancement). No other manufacturer has this capability. Whilst the OPAs can be made to work with amplifiers from other manufacturers, drifts in OPA output are not compensated for. The OPAs that Prof. Stavros has have been operated with an amplifier with Automated Compressor Enhancement and for long timescale experiments such as his, this drift compensation is essential. Therefore, the only company that would be able to supply an instrument to meet the University's requirements, particularly the drift compensation (Automated Compressor Enhancement), is Spectra-Physics. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012315-2023 | | Notice type | Award Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Goods | | Procurement method | Limited | | Procurement method details | Negotiated without publication of a contract notice | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Large | | All stages | Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 28 Apr 2023 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 27 Apr 2023 | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | 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 | 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 | TLG West Midlands (England) | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | NEWPORT SPECTRA-PHYSICS | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses) ### Codes - 38636000 - Specialist optical instruments - 38636100 - Lasers ## Release History - 28 Apr 2023 at 13:23 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012315-2023 ## Notice URLs - http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/contact/index.aspx ## 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-03c52a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03c52a.json.