--- title: "Request for information - Liquid Handling Robots" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ee4b" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ee4b" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ee4b.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ee4b.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "UK Health Security Agency" published: "2026-08-28" --- # Request for information - Liquid Handling Robots Buyer: UK Health Security Agency Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ee4b [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ee4b) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ee4b.json) ## Summary The UK Health Security Agency, acting for the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is exploring liquid-handling robots for its genomics laboratory services. The equipment would support laboratory processing for nucleic acid sequencing, helping maintain and expand capacity and improve efficiency. The intended users are UKHSA sequencing laboratories in Bristol, Colindale, Manchester and Porton Down. These laboratories provide pathogen surveillance, clinical metagenomics sequencing and outbreak detection services. The procurement is for goods in the laboratory, optical and precision equipment category (CPV 38000000), with delivery in the United Kingdom. It forms part of UKHSA’s Pathogen Genomics Strategy and Pandemic Preparedness Programme, supporting public health and clinical functions. This process is at the planning stage and is currently a request for information to inform a possible future procurement. UKHSA expects to receive market information by 11 September 2026, following publication of the request on 28 August 2026. The buyer has said that responses will not create a contract and that failing to respond will not prevent suppliers from tendering in future. One lot is planned, with an indicative contract period from 1 December 2026 to 31 March 2027. The published indicative value is £1 GBP gross. No tender invitation has been issued, and the procedure or evaluation method for any later competition has not been settled. This will suit suppliers of liquid-handling robotics and laboratory automation equipment, particularly businesses able to support workflows in high-throughput genomics and sequencing laboratories. Relevant experience is likely to include automating nucleic acid processing, integrating robotic systems with laboratory equipment and software, and improving throughput, consistency and operational efficiency. Suppliers should be prepared to explain how their systems could support pathogen surveillance, clinical metagenomics and outbreak detection across multiple UK laboratory sites. The planned lot is identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises. The current stage is useful for manufacturers, specialist distributors, systems integrators and laboratory technology providers preparing for a possible future tender. ## Notice The key dates for this RFI are as follows: RFI Published: 28 August 2026 RFI Response: 11 September 2026 Should you have any questions or queries relating to this RFI, please use the Atamis portal's messaging centre to direct your questions to us for a response. If a response is not received by the RFI response deadline this will have no impact on your ability to tender for the opportunity in the future. UKHSA will not enter into contracts on the basis of replies to this RFI. Description of Scope of Requirements: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is responsible for protecting every member of every community from the impact of infectious diseases, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents and other health threats. We provide intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as on the global stage, to make the nation's health secure. Background: The UKHSA Sequencing Laboratories in Bristol, Colindale, Manchester, and Porton Down offer nucleic acid sequencing services to support a variety of public health and clinical functions. These services currently include ongoing pathogen surveillance programmes, clinical metagenomics sequencing, and outbreak detection. As part of the UKHSA Pathogen Genomics Strategy and Pandemic Preparedness Programme, we are looking to maintain and expand the capacity and efficiency of our Genomics services. We therefore wish to explore available liquid handling robotics to support sequencing laboratory processing. Should you wish to respond to this Request for Information or require more information, please follow the link below: https://atamis-1928--prospend.vf.force.com/apex/CS_ContractPage?filters=&page=1&Preview=Yes&searchStr=&SearchType=Projects&sortStr=Alphabetical&uid=a07Pz00001uBE2zIAG&sfdcIFrameOrigin=https%3A%2F%2Fatamis-1928.lightning.force.com ### Planning Information Request for information ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082064-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Goods | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 28 Aug 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 11 Sep 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Dec 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £1 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | UK Health Security Agency | | Locality | LONDON | | Postcode area | East London | | Postcode | E14 4PU | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI4 Inner London - East | | ITL 3 | TLI42 Tower Hamlets | | Local authority | Tower Hamlets | | Electoral ward | Canary Wharf | | Westminster constituency | Poplar and Limehouse | | 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 - 28 Aug 2026 at 10:24 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082064-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082064-2026 28th August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://atamis-1928--prospend.vf.force.com/apex/CS_ContractPage?filters=&page=1&Preview=Yes&searchStr=&SearchType=Projects&sortStr=Alphabetical&uid=a07Pz00001uBE2zIAG&sfdcIFrameOrigin=https%3A%2F%2Fatamis-1928.lightning.force.com - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency - 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-06ee4b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ee4b.json.