---
title: "RBGKEW1573 phenoTest for SPEED project"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077f8f"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077f8f"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077f8f.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077f8f.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW"
published: "2026-10-02"
---

# RBGKEW1573 phenoTest for SPEED project

Buyer: ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077f8f

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## Summary

The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew commissioned a custom-built phenoTest 3D X-ray computed tomography imaging platform for its ARIA-funded SPEED research project. The system is designed to measure seed and seedling traits at individual-seed level through non-destructive, longitudinal 3D imaging. The supply includes proprietary hardware, software, algorithms and data-processing workflows, together with software licences, delivery, installation, commissioning, maintenance, calibration, technical support and training. Kew will use the platform to generate research data and will have operational access and rights for the project; the supplier retains ownership of the equipment. Installation is planned at Wakehurst in West Sussex.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded directly to PhenoKey B.V. The stated award value is £600,000. The contract period runs from 9 November 2026 to 31 August 2028, and the award was published on 2 October 2026. Kew used a direct award, citing the supplier’s exclusive intellectual property and patented or licensed technology, as well as technical reasons and the absence of reasonable alternatives. The authority says the platform’s validated performance for the project’s required species, compatibility with earlier Kew research and ability to produce comparable results underpin the decision. There is one lot, marked suitable for SMEs. The award is recorded as pending.

This requirement demonstrates demand for specialist plant-phenotyping equipment that combines non-destructive 3D X-ray CT imaging with seed-level longitudinal measurement, proprietary software and research workflows. A credible supplier for comparable work would need to control, or have lawful access to, the relevant hardware, software, algorithms, licences and intellectual property, and provide installation, commissioning, calibration, maintenance, technical support and user training. The buyer’s rationale also makes validated performance for the relevant plant species, compatibility with existing research and comparable data outputs central to the requirement. Suppliers without those technical capabilities or rights are unlikely to meet this buyer’s stated need. The SME suitability designation indicates that smaller businesses may be capable of participating where they can meet the specialised technology, support and delivery requirements.

## Notice

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew intends to award a contract for the provision of a custom-built phenoTest 3D X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging platform to support the ARIA-funded SPEED project. The contract will include delivery, installation, commissioning, software licences, maintenance, calibration, technical support and training. The platform will be used to measure dynamic seed and seedling traits at individual-seed level using non-destructive longitudinal 3D X-ray CT imaging. The requirement includes access to the associated proprietary hardware, software, algorithms and processing workflows necessary to generate and analyse the required research data. The supplier will retain ownership of the equipment. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew will receive operational access to the platform and the associated rights required to use the system for project purposes. Delivery, installation and commissioning are required in sufficient time to support project milestones, with installation planned at Wakehurst, West Sussex, United Kingdom.

### Procurement Information

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew intends to award this contract directly to PhenoKey B.V. under section 41(1)(a) of the Procurement Act 2023. The authority considers that the direct award justification relating to intellectual property and exclusive rights applies because the requirement depends upon patented and licensed technology that can only be supplied through PhenoKey B.V. Evidence obtained by the authority confirms that the required solution relies upon protected methods, proprietary software, algorithms and associated intellectual property rights that are necessary to deliver the required functionality. The authority has concluded that no other supplier can lawfully provide access to the required combination of technology, licences and associated services. The authority also considers that the direct award justification relating to technical reasons applies because only PhenoKey B.V. can provide the required phenoTest 3D X-ray computed tomography platform and there are no reasonable alternatives. The requirement includes non-destructive longitudinal phenotyping of individual seeds and seedlings, integration of proprietary hardware and software, and compatibility with previous Kew research. The platform has been validated for the species required by the project and is required to generate comparable research outputs within the project timescales. Alternative suppliers, products and methods would not provide the required combination of technical capability, validated performance, intellectual property access and research comparability. The authority considers that the exclusivity arises from third-party intellectual property rights and essential technical requirements rather than from any artificial narrowing of the specification. Supporting patent, licensing, technical and no-reasonable-alternatives evidence is retained on the procurement file.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093272-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 2 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 9 Nov 2026 - 31 Aug 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £600,000 |
| 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 | ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW |
| Locality | KEW GREEN |
| Postcode area | Twickenham |
| Postcode | TW9 3AE |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI7 Outer London - West and North West |
| ITL 3 | TLI75 Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames |
| Local authority | Richmond upon Thames |
| Electoral ward | Kew |
| Westminster constituency | Richmond Park |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | PhenoKey B.V. |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 48 - Software package and information systems
- 51 - Installation services (except software)

### Codes

- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
- 51000000 - Installation services (except software)

## Release History

- 2 Oct 2026 at 11:56 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093272-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093272-2026
  2nd October 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.phenokey.com
- 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-077f8f. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077f8f.json.