---
title: "UKRI-6349 UPLiFT Refrigerant-based Helium Gas Cooler"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077574"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077574"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077574.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077574.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION"
published: "2026-09-18"
---

# UKRI-6349 UPLiFT Refrigerant-based Helium Gas Cooler

Buyer: UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077574

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## Summary

UK Research and Innovation, through the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Central Laser Facility, intends to procure a bespoke amplifier-head cooling system. The system will use refrigerant-based cooling technology to provide flexibility and remove reliance on an external coolant supply. The requirement combines the design and manufacture of specialist cooling equipment with engineering design services. The work is categorised as refrigerating equipment, heat-exchange units and engineering design. Delivery is in the United Kingdom. The procurement concerns a single planned requirement, rather than separate packages of equipment or services. Suppliers with experience in designing and building specialised thermal-management systems for scientific, industrial or laser applications are likely to find the subject matter relevant, particularly where they can integrate mechanical, refrigeration and engineering-design expertise.

This procurement is at the planning stage: UKRI has stated an intention to procure, but has not issued an invitation to tender. It expects to use an open procedure for a contract covering one lot. The estimated value is £140,000 excluding VAT and £168,000 including VAT. The planned contract period is 4 January 2027 to 3 January 2028. UKRI expects the next notice to be published on 23 October 2026. Before then, it is conducting voluntary pre-market engagement through a questionnaire, intended to assess supplier interest and the market. Interested suppliers are asked to request and return the questionnaire by 11:00 GMT on 2 October 2026. The requirement is above the applicable threshold, and the planned lot is identified as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs.

The requirement should suit specialist refrigeration, heat-exchange, thermal-management and engineering businesses able to develop a bespoke system rather than supply standard catalogue equipment. Strong candidates are likely to combine refrigeration technology with mechanical and engineering design, prototyping, fabrication, integration and testing capability. Experience of cooling high-performance amplifiers, lasers, scientific instruments or other sensitive industrial equipment would be relevant to the Central Laser Facility’s need. Suppliers should be prepared to demonstrate that their proposed design can operate reliably while reducing dependence on externally supplied coolant. The single lot is explicitly considered suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises, so smaller specialist firms or collaborative teams with the required technical capacity may be well placed to prepare for the future competition.

## Notice

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Central Laser Facility (CLF) are looking to appoint a supplier who can design and make a bespoke amplifier head cooling system. The system needs to be based on refrigerant based cooling technology to provide flexibility and remove reliance on an external source of coolant supply.

### Planning Information

UKRI are requesting that interested suppliers complete a pre-market engagement questionnaire to help determine interest and assess the market for UKRI-6349. 
Participation in this Pre-Market Engagement exercise is voluntary and will not form part of a formal bid.
If you are interested, please email stfcprocurement@ukri.org to receive the pre-market engagement questionnaire and return completed form to the same email address by 11:00 GMT on Friday 2nd October 2026. Ensure you include the following in the subject line of the email: "EOI RFI UKRI-6349 Pre-Market Engagement Questionnaire".

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088695-2026 |
| 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 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 4 Jan 2027 - 3 Jan 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £140,000 |
| 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 RESEARCH & INNOVATION |
| Locality | SWINDON, WILTSHIRE |
| Postcode area | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 1FL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Rodbourne Cheney |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon North |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 42 - Industrial machinery
- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

### Codes

- 42510000 - Heat-exchange units, air-conditioning and refrigerating equipment, and filtering machinery
- 42511100 - Heat-exchange units
- 42513200 - Refrigerating equipment
- 71320000 - Engineering design services

## Release History

- 18 Sep 2026 at 13:34 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088695-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088695-2026
  18th September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.ukri.org/

## 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-077574. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077574.json.