---
title: "Spectrophotometer System"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ecfe"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ecfe"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ecfe.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ecfe.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX"
published: "2026-08-26"
---

# Spectrophotometer System

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ecfe

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## Summary

The University of Essex procured a laboratory spectrophotometer system, including supply, installation, commissioning and user training. The equipment is an Edinburgh Instruments LP980 Laser Flash Photolysis Spectrophotometer for advanced nanosecond time-resolved absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. It is intended to support research into photochemical, photophysical and protein-based light-driven processes, including work on rhodopsins, haem proteins, engineered photoreceptors, fluorescent proteins and photochemical probes. Required capabilities include broadband excitation across visible and near-infrared wavelengths, full-spectrum transient data acquisition, temperature-controlled luminescence detection and nanosecond time-resolved measurements. The equipment will be used by the University of Essex at its Colchester site. The procurement is categorised as laboratory, optical and precision equipment, excluding glasses, under CPV 38000000.

The procurement has reached the award stage and is recorded as complete. The University of Essex made a direct award to Edinburgh Instruments Limited on 20 August 2026. The awarded value is £243,050.21 excluding VAT, or £291,660.25 including VAT. The contract period is from 9 September 2026 to 8 September 2027, with signature scheduled for 9 September 2026 and the standstill period ending on 8 September 2026. There was one completed lot. The direct award was justified on single-supplier technical grounds: the LP980 was identified as the only instrument meeting the University's requirements and offering a direct replacement and capability enhancement for its obsolete Applied Photophysics LKS80 system. The requirement was evaluated on technical fit rather than a competitive price process.

This procurement indicates demand for high-specification research instrumentation that combines laser flash photolysis with time-resolved absorption, fluorescence and lifetime measurement. A credible future supplier would need proven capability in advanced optical and precision laboratory equipment, particularly systems supporting nanosecond measurements, broadband excitation from 410 to 2600 nm, transient spectral capture from 200 to 870 nm, and temperature-controlled laser-induced fluorescence. The buyer also values integrated functionality, single-shot full-spectrum acquisition, reduced sample consumption and reduced photodamage, with applications in photosensitive biological systems and fluorescent proteins. Suppliers competing when this requirement returns would need to demonstrate that their platform can replace ageing equipment while materially extending research capability, and provide end-to-end delivery, installation, commissioning and specialist user training.

## Notice

Supply, installation, commissioning and training for an Edinburgh Instruments LP980 Laser Flash Photolysis Spectrophotometer. The system will provide nanosecond transient absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy capabilities for the investigation of photochemical, photophysical and protein-based light-driven processes. The instrument will support research requiring nanosecond time-resolved measurements, broadband excitation across the visible and near-infrared regions, full-spectrum transient data acquisition, and temperature-controlled luminescence detection.

### Procurement Information

The Edinburgh Instruments LP980 is the only identified instrument that meets the University's technical requirements for advanced time-resolved spectroscopy while providing a direct replacement and significant capability enhancement over the obsolete Applied Photophysics LKS80 system. The LP980 combines a high-energy optical parametric oscillator delivering 3-5 ns excitation pulses across a broad tuning range (410-2600 nm) with gated intensified CCD detection capable of capturing complete transient spectra (200-870 nm) following a single laser pulse. These capabilities are essential for the proposed research programme, enabling studies of photosensitive biological systems, including rhodopsins, haem proteins and engineered photoreceptors, while minimising sample consumption and photodamage. In addition, the inclusion of temperature-controlled laser-induced fluorescence detection expands the University's ability to investigate fluorescent proteins and photochemical probes that cannot be studied using the existing equipment. No alternative solution has been identified that provides the required combination of excitation flexibility, single-shot full-spectrum transient acquisition, and integrated lifetime measurement functionality within a single platform.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081506-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 26 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 20 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 9 Sep 2026 - 8 Sep 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £243,050 |
| 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 | UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX |
| Locality | COLCHESTER |
| Postcode area | Colchester |
| Postcode | CO4 3SQ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex |
| ITL 3 | TLH34 Essex Haven Gateway |
| Local authority | Colchester |
| Electoral ward | Wivenhoe |
| Westminster constituency | Harwich and North Essex |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | EDINBURGH INSTRUMENTS LIMITED |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

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

## Release History

- 26 Aug 2026 at 16:55 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081506-2026
- 26 Aug 2026 at 16:44 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081503-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081506-2026
  26th August 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081503-2026
  26th August 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.edinst.com
- http://www.essex.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-06ecfe. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ecfe.json.