---
title: "Purchase of High Throughput Sonication Systems (Covaris) including Associated Consumables and Maintenance"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-058bc5"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-058bc5"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-058bc5.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-058bc5.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "CARDIFF AND VALE UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD"
published: "2025-09-01"
---

# Purchase of High Throughput Sonication Systems (Covaris) including Associated Consumables and Maintenance

Buyer: CARDIFF AND VALE UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-058bc5

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## Summary

The procurement process managed by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, supported by the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership and Velindre University NHS Trust, aimed to acquire High Throughput Sonication Systems (Covaris) alongside associated consumables and maintenance. Initially, this tender, titled "Purchase of High Throughput Sonication Systems (Covaris) including Associated Consumables and Maintenance", targeted enhancing services for the All Wales Genomics Service and expanding somatic cancer testing capacity. The contract, although awarded through a direct procurement method to Covaris due to its proprietary Adaptive Focused Acoustics technology, was recently revised, ending the equipment purchase component as of 1st September 2025. The focus is now solely on consumables and maintenance, signifying a strategic retargeting within the life sciences and medical equipment sector in Cardiff, Wales (UKL22 region).

This tender, particularly aimed at businesses capable of delivering advanced medical consumables and maintenance for high-throughput sonication systems, offered substantial business growth opportunities. By covering essential consumables for a three-year period with additional extension possibilities, smaller firms in the medical consumables industry could leverage this contract for sustained revenue growth and technology partnerships. Companies with expertise in maintenance and service provision within genomics and cancer diagnostics would find this contract especially beneficial, considering the specific technological requirements and the long-term nature of the supply agreement in the burgeoning field of precision medicine in the UK.

## Notice

Cardiff and vale University Health Board, on behalf of the All Wales Genomics Service, intends to award a contract to Covaris , Inc. for the supply of a high throughput sonication system to support Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) workflows. The system is required to process samples in plate formats for downstream NGS library preparation and to expand capacity for somatic cancer testing services in Wales. Covaris is the sole manufacturer of instruments using patented Adaptive Focused Acoustics (AFA) technology, which is essential for achieving the required reproducibility and performance. No alternative suppliers were identified through market engagement and the equipment is not available via national frameworks. The procurement will cover supply of instrument, consumables and maintenance for three years (with warranty), with option to extend for up to two additional years. This notice is issued in accordance with procurement transparency obligations and to ensure compliance with public procurement regulations.

### Procurement Information

Covaris Inc. holds exclusive intellectual property rights over its propriety Adaptive Focused Acoustics technology, which is integral to its sample preparation systems. The company owns over 125 issued and pending patents covering acoustic treatment, sample processing, and instrument design. The patents ensure that no other supplier can legally replicate or offer equivalent technology. Covaris is also the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of its instruments and consumables. It does not license production or distribution to third parties, making it the sole legal source for these products and services. Covaris equipment is uniquely engineered to support specific workflows in genomics, proteomics, and epigenetics. The AFA technology enables highly controlled and reproducible sample preparation, which is essential for down stream applications such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) and cancer diagnostics.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052768-2025 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 1 Sep 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 21 Aug 2025 |
| Contract period | 1 Jan 2026 - 31 Dec 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £300,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Cancelled |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | CARDIFF AND VALE UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD |
| Additional buyers | Missing; NHS WALES SHARED SERVICE PARTNERSHIP HOSTED BY VELINDRE UNIVERSITY NHS |
| Locality | CARDIFF |
| Post town | Cardiff |
| Postcode | CF14 4HH |
| Country | Wales |
| ITL 1 | TLL Wales |
| ITL 2 | TLL5 South East Wales |
| ITL 3 | TLL51 Central Valleys and Bridgend |
| Local authority | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Electoral ward | Taff's Well |
| Westminster constituency | Cardiff North |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | COVARIS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 33 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products
- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

### Codes

- 33140000 - Medical consumables
- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 38400000 - Instruments for checking physical characteristics

## Release History

- 1 Sep 2025 at 11:05 - TenderCancellation - UK12 - Procurement Termination Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052768-2025
- 21 Aug 2025 at 07:55 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050372-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052768-2025
  1st September 2025 - Procurement termination notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050372-2025
  21st August 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://nwssp.nhs.wales/ourservices/procurement-services/
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-058bc5. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-058bc5.json.