---
title: "SEM Picomechanical Indenter (NU-Pico)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04c8f3"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04c8f3"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04c8f3.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04c8f3.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF NORTHUMBRIA AT NEWCASTLE"
published: "2025-03-14"
---

# SEM Picomechanical Indenter (NU-Pico)

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF NORTHUMBRIA AT NEWCASTLE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04c8f3

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## Summary

The University of Northumbria at Newcastle has awarded a contract for the supply of a Nanoindenter or picoindenter. This tender, under the title "SEM Picomechanical Indenter (NU-Pico)," falls within the industry category of scanning electron microscopes. The awarded contract includes installation, training, service, and a 2-year maintenance provision. The procurement process was conducted as an open procedure under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, and the contract value is GBP 290,000. The tender aimed to enhance the university's existing capabilities in mechanical property mapping using their Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM model: Tescan Mira 3 with GM chamber) and address rapid prototyping needs for novel materials in the North East of England. The procurement stage is currently complete, with Oxford Instruments NanoTechnology Tools Ltd identified as the supplier.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in advanced material characterisation technologies, particularly those with expertise in nanomechanical and tribological testing equipment. Companies engaged in developing high-precision scientific instruments, software solutions for material analysis, or providing technical training and support to academic institutions would find this contract especially relevant. Early career researchers, PhD students, research technical professionals, and industry users from interdisciplinary research areas are expected to benefit from the NU-Pico facility, presenting an excellent opportunity for suppliers to engage with a broader user base at the cutting edge of material science research.

## Notice

The Contract awarded for supply of Nanoindenter or picoindenter to fit inside our Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM model: Tescan Mira 3 with GM chamber). This instrument will allow users to map surface mechanical and tribological properties of materials and correlate them to structural, morphological and chemical properties.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The tender process was setup as an open tender under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. The Contract awarded for supply of a Nanoindenter or picoindenter to fit within University SEM (Tescan Mira 3 with GM chamber), as well as installation, training, service and 2-year maintenance contract. NU-Pico must be developed for academic and industrial researchers to perform high speed mechanical property mapping of material surfaces (surface hardness, Young's modulus, compression, tension, fatigue, adhesion etc.), while using SEM capabilities to perform simultaneous high resolution surface imaging, chemical mapping, 3D surface profiling and phase distribution studies.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009406-2025 |
| 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 | 14 Mar 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 21 Jan 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 13 Mar 2025 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £290,000 |
| Lots value | £290,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £290,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF NORTHUMBRIA AT NEWCASTLE |
| Locality | NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE |
| Post town | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Postcode | NE1 8ST |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC43 Tyneside |
| Local authority | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Electoral ward | Monument |
| Westminster constituency | Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | OXFORD INSTRUMENTS NANOTECHNOLOGY TOOLS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 38511100 - Scanning electron microscopes

## Release History

- 14 Mar 2025 at 12:05 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009406-2025
- 17 Dec 2024 at 19:05 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040692-2024

## Notice URLs

- http://www.northumbria.ac.uk
- https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=926136879
- https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/4HH2792572

## 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-04c8f3. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04c8f3.json.