--- title: "250247 Contract for the Supply, Commissioning, Installation & Maintenance for a Dynamic & a Static Mechanical Testing Frame, & Associated Grips & Environmental Test Chambers." ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-059782" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-059782" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059782.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059782.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST" published: "2025-10-08" --- # 250247 Contract for the Supply, Commissioning, Installation & Maintenance for a Dynamic & a Static Mechanical Testing Frame, & Associated Grips & Environmental Test Chambers. Buyer: QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-059782 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-059782) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059782.json) ## Summary Queen's University Belfast is conducting a procurement process to enhance its Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) by acquiring two 250kN mechanical testing frames, along with necessary grips and environmental test chambers. The focus is on both dynamic and static testing of metals and composites. Currently, the procurement is in the planning stage, with a pre-market engagement exercise underway to gather expressions of interest from potential suppliers. Interested parties are encouraged to complete a questionnaire by 17th October 2025, facilitating Queen's University in understanding the market’s capabilities. The procurement, governed under the 2023 legislation, aims to position Northern Ireland as a leader in manufacturing, leveraging state-of-the-art facilities in Belfast, UK. This procurement offers an excellent opportunity for suppliers specialising in servo-hydraulic testing apparatuses and those experienced with sophisticated mechanical testing equipment. Companies with capabilities in supplying, commissioning, and maintaining advanced servo-hydraulic systems will find a lucrative opportunity to collaborate with a prestigious academic institution. Engaging in this tender not only presents growth potential through long-term contracts—with a potential extension up to 2041—but also offers the chance to forge relationships in the high-tech sector associated with the University’s innovative manufacturing projects. ## Notice The Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), led by Queen's University Belfast, is key to an exciting future for manufacturing in Northern Ireland, as an industry-led, open-access manufacturing and engineering innovation centre with state-of-the-art facilities and an expert engineering team, underpinned by academic excellence. As part of this project Queen's University Belfast wish to procure two 250kN Mechanical Testing Frames. We require both a dynamic and static frame for the testing of metals and composites, with associated grips and environmental test chambers. ### Planning Information AMIC is expanding its core capabilities in Digital Factory, Smart Design, Sustainable Polymers and Composites, Nanotechnology and Photonics. As part of this project, Queen's University Belfast is seeking expressions of interest from suppliers as we wish to procure two 250kN Mechanical Testing Frames. We require both a dynamic and static frame for the testing of metals and composites, with associated grips and environmental test chambers. Queen's staff wish to engage with suppliers prior to procuring this equipment to: 1 - gain a better understanding of what the market can offer and if the market can respond to a tender meeting our requirements. 2 - identify potential suppliers able to provide the requirement. 3 - understand potential lead times. 4 - gain an understanding of the commercial profile for the requirement. A pre-market engagement questionnaire has been published here: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/queensuniversitybelfast. Interested parties are asked to complete and return this questionnaire via the InTend platform within 30 days of this notice. Queen's may then contact suppliers for further discussion of the information received in the questionnaire. Queen's do not guarantee that they will speak to every supplier who submits a return. Participation in the pre-market engagement exercise is not a pre-requisite to participation in any future tender exercise, however, the information provided may be used to inform decisions around the tender exercise. Queen's welcome all participation in this Pre Market engagement exercise. This Pre Market Engagement exercise is not a call for competition and does not commit Queen's to proceed with a formal procurement. Queen's is not obligated to adopt supplier feedback into the process. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063337-2025 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Goods | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 8 Oct 2025 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 17 Nov 2025 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 12 Jan 2026 - 13 Jan 2031 | | 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 | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST | | Locality | BELFAST | | Post town | Northern Ireland | | Postcode | BT7 1NN | | Country | Northern Ireland | | ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland | | ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland | | ITL 3 | TLN06 Belfast | | Local authority | Belfast | | Electoral ward | Central | | Westminster constituency | Belfast South and Mid Down | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses) ### Codes - 38542000 - Servo-hydraulic test apparatus ## Release History - 8 Oct 2025 at 13:17 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063337-2025 - 10 Sep 2025 at 11:46 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/055374-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063337-2025 8th October 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/055374-2025 10th September 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://in-tendhost.co.uk/queensuniversitybelfast - 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-059782. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059782.json.