---
title: "R&D Vape Analysis"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077c07"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077c07"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077c07.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077c07.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Home Office"
published: "2026-09-29"
---

# R&D Vape Analysis

Buyer: Home Office  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077c07

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077c07)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077c07.json)

## Summary

The Home Office commissioned research and development to assess whether existing Border Force technology can identify vape liquid and nicotine. The work tests and evaluates the application of Agilent Resolve SORS Raman spectroscopy technology to identifying vape liquids and determining nicotine content. It is a research laboratory services requirement, intended to establish the suitability of current equipment for this border-control use. The work is delivered in the United Kingdom.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to the University of Kent, which signed the contract on 9 September 2026. The contract runs from 19 September to 28 November 2026. Its value is £1,259.84 excluding VAT and £1,511.81 including VAT. The requirement was handled as a below-threshold direct award without competition. There was one lot, covering the research and evaluation work as a whole. The published outcome identifies the selected supplier and confirms the contract is active.

For suppliers considering similar future Home Office research, this award shows demand for practical laboratory evaluation of technology used by Border Force. A credible competitor would need expertise in Raman spectroscopy, particularly Agilent Resolve SORS technology, and the ability to test whether it can identify vape liquids and assess nicotine content. Relevant strengths include designing and carrying out applied research, handling vape-liquid samples, evaluating detection capability, and producing evidence that supports operational decisions about existing border equipment. The selected provider is a large university, indicating that established research capacity was suited to this small, focused assignment. The buying route was a direct award without competition, so this outcome also demonstrates that this particular requirement was not openly competed.

## Notice

Research and development activity to understand if current Border Force technology can identify vape liquid and nicotine. The project will test and evaluate whether existing Agilent Resolve SORS Raman spectroscopy technology can be applied to the identification of vape liquids and nicotine content.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091664-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 29 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 19 Sep 2026 - 28 Nov 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £1,259 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Home Office |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 4DF |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | University of Kent |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73111000 - Research laboratory services

## Release History

- 29 Sep 2026 at 09:40 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091664-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091664-2026
  29th September 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-23204

## Notice URLs

- http://www.kent.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-077c07. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077c07.json.