--- title: "Tender for The Supply and Installation of An Aysmmetric Flow Field Fractionation (AF4) Platform" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05e2c8" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05e2c8" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05e2c8.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05e2c8.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM" published: "2025-11-19" --- # Tender for The Supply and Installation of An Aysmmetric Flow Field Fractionation (AF4) Platform Buyer: THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05e2c8 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05e2c8) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05e2c8.json) ## Summary The University of Birmingham has initiated an open procurement process for the supply and installation of an Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AF4) Platform, classified under laboratory, optical, and precision equipment. The procurement relates to the university's chemistry department in Birmingham, and the process is intended to support research funded by the European Research Council grant HORDE. The tender is currently in the active stage, with the submission deadline set for 17 December 2025. This tender follows an open procedure under the legal framework of the UK 2023 legislation, aiming to procure advanced scientific equipment that will aid in the detailed characterisation of nanoemulsions. This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in the production and supply of high-precision scientific equipment, particularly those equipped with capabilities in integrating complex analytical technologies like Multi-Angle Light Scattering and Dynamic Light Scattering. Companies with expertise in modular, user-friendly systems that facilitate advanced research applications will find this tender particularly suitable. The supplier's equipment would become a crucial component of the university's research infrastructure, potentially leading to sustained collaboration and future opportunities within the academic sector, thus fostering business growth and innovation in scientific instrumentation. ## Notice The University of Birmingham invites tenders for the supply and installation of an Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AF4) system with integrated ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis), and differential refractive index (dRI) detectors, Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS) and online Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) capability, and a fraction collector. The AF4 system will form part of the research infrastructure funded by the European Research Council (ERC) grant HORDE awarded to Dr Stephen Fielden. It will provide critical support for experimental investigations into nanoemulsions undergoing processes such as Ostwald ripening. AF4 represents one of the few techniques capable of fractionating nanoemulsions according to droplet size, thereby enabling precise and detailed characterisation of complex, time-dependent behaviours in dispersed systems. The system will be employed to separate nanoemulsion droplets by size, allowing direct measurement of changes in droplet size distribution via integrated MALS and DLS detectors. This capability will provide transformational insight into the mechanisms governing nanoemulsion evolution, a central research theme within HORDE. Fractionation should be possible in a semi-preparative manner, allowing collected fractions to be further analysed using complementary techniques including Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) to determine the chemical composition associated with distinct droplet populations. The system should therefore be robust, modular, and designed for straightforward integration within the materials characterisation facility within the School of Chemistry. The entire system should have a single PC-based controller capable of executing automated instrument control and data collection. The broad user base and diverse range of emulsion and nanoparticle materials to be characterised with the equipment means that the interface should be user friendly, simple to clean and reliable. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075030-2025 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Goods | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 19 Nov 2025 | | Submission deadline | 17 Dec 2025 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 30 Apr 2026 - 1 May 2028 | | 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 | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## 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 | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses) ### Codes - 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses) ## Release History - 19 Nov 2025 at 09:23 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075030-2025 - 17 Nov 2025 at 16:37 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074533-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075030-2025 19th November 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074533-2025 17th November 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofbirmingham/aspx/Tenders/Current ## Notice URLs - http://www.birmingham.ac.uk - 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-05e2c8. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05e2c8.json.