---
title: "Dilution Refrigerator for Cryogenic Characterisation of RF Hardware"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077f91"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077f91"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077f91.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077f91.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NPL Management Limited"
published: "2026-10-02"
---

# Dilution Refrigerator for Cryogenic Characterisation of RF Hardware

Buyer: NPL Management Limited  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077f91

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## Summary

NPL Management Limited is procuring a cryogen-free, pulse-tube-cooled dilution refrigerator for cryogenic testing of quantum hardware and radio-frequency (RF) circuits. It is intended to complement NPL’s existing measurement systems and support higher-throughput testing with faster cooldowns. The system must include thermometry, wiring and readout electronics, and allow further sensors to be added. It needs more than 20 coaxial lines, including high-attenuation inputs and low-loss outputs, with some lines operating up to 40 GHz; future expansion of RF cabling and DC looms is also required. The equipment must support testing at very low and intermediate temperatures, with a spacious mixing-chamber plate. Delivery is to NPL’s National Physical Laboratory site in Teddington, England.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to Oxford Nanoscience Limited. The award is pending, and the contract period is 14 October 2026 to 14 October 2027. The award value is £687,000 excluding VAT (£824,400 including VAT). NPL used a direct award under section 43 of the Procurement Act 2023 after an earlier competitive procurement found no suitable tender; it then reviewed its requirements and procurement strategy. The competition was arranged as a single lot. The equipment specification requires a base temperature of 10 mK or below, access to intermediate temperature stages, and at least 0.19 m² of horizontal mixing-chamber plate area. No magnet is required.

For suppliers considering a future requirement of this kind, the award indicates demand for a complete cryogenic measurement system rather than a refrigerator alone: temperature measurement, wiring and readout electronics must be integrated, with scope to add sensors and cabling. Credible suppliers would need to demonstrate experience equipping systems for sensitive superconducting devices and complex quantum and RF circuits, including high-attenuation input lines, low-loss output lines and RF operation to 40 GHz. The design must also provide configurable DC connections for multi-way RF switches and low-noise amplifiers, alongside high- and low-resistance device looms. Capacity to deliver the specified low-temperature performance, intermediate-stage access and experimental space is central. This award followed an unsuccessful competitive procurement and resulted in a direct award to Oxford Nanoscience Limited.

## Notice

NPL is seeking engagement from suppliers who can provide "Dry" ("cryogen-free") pulse tube cooled dilution refrigerator system to be used for characterisation of quantum hardware including RF and quantum circuits with sample volume under vacuum. The system should include thermometry and associated wiring and readout electronics with provision to integrate additional temperature sensors in future for comprehensive diagnostics. The purpose is to complement our existing measurement systems and add measurement capability, for characterisation of quantum and RF hardware with high throughput and faster cooldowns repeated typically every 2 weeks. The dilution refrigerator needs to be suitable for RF measurements of complex quantum circuits and hardware, meaning it must be equipped with 20+ coaxial lines with provision to further increase the number of coaxial lines in the future. These lines must include high attenuation input lines suitable for use with sensitive quantum devices such as superconducting qubits and parametric amplifiers and low-loss output coaxial lines suitable for use with low-noise amplifiers, isolators and parametric amplifiers. Some of these coaxial lines must operate up to 40 GHz with provision to integrate even higher frequency RF cabling in the future. There should be sufficient number of DC lines with sufficient reconfigurability to enable biasing of at least tens of RF multi-way switches, at least four low noise amplifiers and few dedicated high resistance and low resistance DC looms for devices under test with provision to integrate more DC looms in the future. The asset must enable the characterisation of quantum and cryogenic RF hardware based on the following: - Base temperature of less than or equal to 10 mK with access to PT2 and other intermediate stages for testing components at intermediate temperatures. - Mixing chamber plate area of at least 0.19m2 in horizontal space and vertical experimental apparatus - We do NOT require a magnet

### Procurement Information

The Authority previously conducted a competitive procurement for Contract Title under procurement reference Reference Number. The Authority concluded that no suitable tender was identified through the competitive procurement process. In accordance with section 43 of the Procurement Act 2023 the procurement was therefore terminated following a review of the authority's requirements and procurement strategy. The Authority now intends to make a direct award in accordance with section 43 of the Procurement Act 2023.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093275-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| 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 | 14 Oct 2026 - 14 Oct 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £687,000 |
| 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 | NPL Management Limited |
| Locality | TEDDINGTON |
| Postcode area | Twickenham |
| Postcode | TW11 0LW |
| 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 | Teddington |
| Westminster constituency | Twickenham |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | OXFORD NANOSCIENCE LIMITED |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

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

## Release History

- 2 Oct 2026 at 11:58 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093275-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093275-2026
  2nd October 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.npl.co.uk
- http://www.qd-oxford.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-077f91. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077f91.json.