---
title: "Purchase of a Materials Tester"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-068028"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-068028"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068028.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068028.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH"
published: "2026-07-15"
---

# Purchase of a Materials Tester

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-068028

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068028.json)

## Summary

The University of Edinburgh, a public education institution governed by public law, has awarded a contract for the purchase of a triaxial materials load tester, classified under the industry category of laboratory, optical, and precision equipment excluding glasses. This procurement falls within the "goods" category and is located in Edinburgh, UKM75. The procurement followed a limited method due to the lack of competition, as GDS Instruments was determined to be the only supplier capable of meeting the University's technical requirements. The contract was signed on 2nd July 2026 with a total value of £63,711, and the procurement process is now complete.

This tender presents an opportunity for businesses specialising in precision laboratory equipment, particularly those offering unique technical solutions. While the procurement was conducted without prior publication or competition due to specific technical needs, it highlights the demand for innovative products in advanced educational research settings. Small to medium-sized enterprises like GDS Instruments, which can meet highly specialised technical criteria, are particularly well-suited to benefit from such opportunities. Future potential collaborations might arise for businesses that can demonstrate cutting-edge capabilities in engineering and precision technology to support ongoing research at institutions like the University of Edinburgh.

## Notice

The University of Edinburgh intents to award a contract for the purchase of a triaxial materials load tester. The University of Edinburgh believes that GDS Instruments is the only supplier capable of providing a solution that meets its requirements.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The University of Edinburgh intents to award a contract for the purchase of a triaxial materials load tester. The University of Edinburgh believes that GDS Instruments is the only supplier capable of providing a solution that meets its requirements, specifically: 1) Measurement accuracy and integrity through proprietary design that removes seal friction and pressure compensation irrespective of surrounding stress as well as the elimination of the need for mathematical compensation to correct for ram upthrust. 2) Enhanced safety due to the usage of pressure/volume controllers as compared to syringe-based or pneumatic systems. 3) Open architecture software that is crucial for the ongoing research at the University that also allows for user-defined custom scripts and custom calculations and virtual transducers.

### Procurement Information

From a comprehensive market analysis the University of Edinburgh thinks that there is a lack of competition due to technical reasons as specified in the notice.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/066852-2026 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 15 Jul 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 9 Apr 2026 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £63,711 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Post town | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH1 1HT |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM1 East Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM13 City of Edinburgh |
| Local authority | City of Edinburgh |
| Electoral ward | City Centre |
| Westminster constituency | Edinburgh East and Musselburgh |
| Delivery location | TLM75 City of Edinburgh |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | GDS INSTRUMENTS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

## Release History

- 15 Jul 2026 at 14:04 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/066852-2026
- 10 Apr 2026 at 13:55 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/032892-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://www.ed.ac.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000829138
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00107

## 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-068028. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068028.json.