---
title: "Pd Ag Functional Testing"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06a8be"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06a8be"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06a8be.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06a8be.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UK FUSION ENERGY LTD"
published: "2026-07-24"
---

# Pd Ag Functional Testing

Buyer: UK FUSION ENERGY LTD  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06a8be

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## Summary

UK Fusion Energy Ltd, located at Culham Science Centre in Abingdon, is spearheading a procurement process titled "Pd Ag Functional Testing" within the technical testing and research services category. This project is part of the STEP Fuel Cycle system and aims to develop advanced technologies for hydrogen separation through palladium silver membrane assemblies. It involves various trials and tests, including annealing and brazing, to evaluate manufacturability. The procurement followed an open procedure, valued at £195,000 and awarded to Amentum Clean Energy Ltd. The contract period begins on 7th August 2026 and concludes on 31st March 2027, after a standstill period ending on 5th August 2026.

This tender highlights promising opportunities for businesses specialising in advanced material testing and experimental development, especially those capable of conducting complex metallurgical assessments. The open procurement method underscores a competitive environment, inviting qualified businesses to demonstrate technical expertise in areas such as membrane technology and material science. Companies with a solid track record in technical and laboratory analysis services would find this tender especially appealing, opening paths to potential collaborations and future projects in the growing field of clean energy technology.

## Notice

The STEP Fuel Cycle (FC) system requires advanced technologies for hydrogen separation and recovery. The aim of this investigation is to demonstrate the manufacturability of palladium silver membrane assemblies. This will be achieved through conducting annealing trials, brazing trails, and diffusion bonding trials. The effect of these processes on the alloy and its properties will be evaluated through microstructural characterisation and hardness testing, respectively. These techniques will then be used to manufacture membrane assemblies which will be inspected and delivered to UKFE for subsequent testing. The objectives of this investigation are to conduct the following: 1. Tube characterisation, characterise and test the different batches of palladium silver membrane tubes, including microscopy and hardness testing, as received. 2. Annealing trials, refine and execute the process control variables for the annealing of the palladium silver membrane tubes. The effects of annealing on the alloy shall be characterised via microscopy and hardness testing. 3. Brazing trials, refine and execute the process control variables for the brazing of palladium silver membrane tubes to steel fittings. 4. Diffusion bonding trials, develop and execute the process control variables for the diffusion bonding of palladium silver membrane tubes to steel fittings. 5. Destructive testing, to complete the manufacture, inspection, and destructive testing of brazed and diffusion bonded assemblies. The microstructure and hardness of the of the joint shall be evaluated cross-sectionally. 6. Assembly manufacture, the manufacture of membrane assemblies (Figure 1) via annealing, brazing or diffusion bonding. 7. Assembly inspection, refine and execute an inspection regime on all assemblies.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070322-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 24 Jul 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 29 Jun 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 8 Jul 2026 |
| Contract period | 6 Aug 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £195,000 |
| Lots value | £195,000 |
| Awards value | £195,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UK FUSION ENERGY LTD |
| Locality | ABINGDON |
| Post town | Oxford |
| Postcode | OX14 3DB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC |
| Local authority | South Oxfordshire |
| Electoral ward | Sandford & the Wittenhams |
| Westminster constituency | Didcot and Wantage |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | AMENTUM CLEAN ENERGY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services
- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 71620000 - Analysis services
- 71632000 - Technical testing services
- 73100000 - Research and experimental development services
- 73111000 - Research laboratory services

## Release History

- 24 Jul 2026 at 13:05 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070322-2026
- 29 May 2026 at 11:12 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050785-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070322-2026
  24th July 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050785-2026
  29th May 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-16950
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-16951
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-16952
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-16953
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-16954
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-16955
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-16956
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-16957

## Notice URLs

- https://ukifs.delta-esourcing.com/respond/T7K77D22NE
- 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-06a8be. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06a8be.json.
