---
title: "Procurement of New Benchtop Genome Sequencer and all consumables and servicing for ten years"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-068960"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-068960"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068960.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068960.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "AGRI-FOOD AND BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTE (AFBI)"
published: "2026-04-23"
---

# Procurement of New Benchtop Genome Sequencer and all consumables and servicing for ten years

Buyer: AGRI-FOOD AND BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTE (AFBI)  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-068960

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## Summary

The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in partnership with CPD - Supplies and Services Division in Belfast is currently in the tender stage of procuring a new benchtop genome sequencer along with all necessary consumables and a service agreement spanning ten years. This initiative, titled "Procurement of New Benchtop Genome Sequencer and all consumables and servicing for ten years," aims to modernise the veterinary microbiology capabilities of AFBI to better serve the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). The procurement falls under the category of medical equipment and laboratory reagents, expected to enhance AFBI’s capacity to process approximately 5,650 microbial genomes annually. The tender, employing an open procedure, requires submissions by 19 May 2026, and electronic submissions are favoured via eTendersNI. The award process is scheduled to conclude on 29 May 2026, with contract commencement expected on 20 July 2026.

This tender offers substantial opportunities for firms specialising in medical and laboratory equipment, especially those with expertise in genome sequencing and long-term servicing agreements. Companies providing biomedical equipment and repair and maintenance services can benefit significantly from this contract, valued at £2.5 million. The emphasis on quality, compliance with minimum functional requirements, and delivering zero carbon solutions also make it attractive for suppliers focusing on high-quality control and sustainable innovations. With a contract period extending until 2036, successful bidders can anticipate a long-term business relationship, fostering potential growth within the public-sector procurement domain.

## Notice

AFBI is committed to modernising its veterinary microbiology capabilities in order to improve services to our sponsoring Government Department, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Expanding on use of microbial genomics has enhanced disease surveillance, epidemiological investigations and pathogen phenotypic characterisation including antimicrobial resistance profiling. Demand for microbial genome sequencing within AFBI VSD has expanded by six-fold over the last 5-year period - a demand that our existing instruments cannot sustain for important in-house sequencing with defined timelines. AFBI therefore require, an instrument with increased sample capacity and data output to ensure demand can be met and continue to deliver high quality data and analyses. Approximately 5650 microbial genomes are expected to be processed per annum with an average size of approximately 5 megabase pairs (Mbps). Additionally, AFBI require consumables/reagents (e.g. Sequencing Chemistry, Oligonucleotide indexes to permit multiplexing of samples for sequencing and DNA Library Preparation Chemistry) for the work detailed above and servicing for this replacement instrument for the duration of its useful life of ten years.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036977-2026 |
| 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 | 23 Apr 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 19 May 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 19 Jul 2026 - 19 Jul 2036 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £2,500,000 |
| Lots value | £2,500,000 |
| 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 | AGRI-FOOD AND BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTE (AFBI) |
| Additional buyers | CPD - SUPPLIES AND SERVICES DIVISION |
| Locality | BELFAST |
| Post town | Northern Ireland |
| Postcode | BT9 5PX |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland |
| ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland |
| ITL 3 | TLN06 Belfast |
| Local authority | Belfast |
| Electoral ward | Sydenham |
| Westminster constituency | Belfast East |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 33 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products
- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 50 - Repair and maintenance services
- 51 - Installation services (except software)
- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 33100000 - Medical equipments
- 33696500 - Laboratory reagents
- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 38434540 - Biomedical equipment
- 38500000 - Checking and testing apparatus
- 50000000 - Repair and maintenance services
- 50400000 - Repair and maintenance services of medical and precision equipment
- 50530000 - Repair and maintenance services of machinery
- 51000000 - Installation services (except software)
- 51540000 - Installation services of special-purpose machinery and equipment
- 85145000 - Services provided by medical laboratories

## Release History

- 23 Apr 2026 at 10:15 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036977-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036977-2026
  23rd April 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
- https://www.afbini.gov.uk/
- https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
- 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-068960. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068960.json.