---
title: "Award of contract for specialised high pressure freezer - University of Aberdeen"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0783d5"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0783d5"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0783d5.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0783d5.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "University of Aberdeen"
published: "2026-10-08"
---

# Award of contract for specialised high pressure freezer - University of Aberdeen

Buyer: University of Aberdeen  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0783d5

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## Summary

The University of Aberdeen procured a specialised high-pressure freezer for preparing biological specimens for electron microscopy. The equipment must vitrify specimens under extreme pressure to preserve their ultrastructure for subsequent analysis. This is a laboratory equipment purchase, specifically a high-pressure freezer (CPV 39711120). Delivery is in Aberdeen. The requirement concerns a specialised instrument intended to work with the university’s existing equipment configuration, operating procedures and laboratory infrastructure.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to Leica Microsystems (UK) Ltd. The contract was signed on 8 October 2026 and is active, with a value of £550,000. The procedure was a limited award without a prior competition. The University of Aberdeen justified this route on technical grounds: it considered Leica the only supplier able to meet the required technical characteristics and compatibility needs, since alternatives would require significant changes to existing equipment, procedures and laboratory infrastructure. The requirement was presented as one lot, and the stated award criterion was price. One bid was recorded. The lot itself is marked cancelled, although the award and contract are recorded as active.

For suppliers assessing future demand from the University of Aberdeen, this purchase shows a requirement for specialist high-pressure freezing equipment used to prepare biological specimens for electron microscopy. A credible competitor would need to demonstrate that its system meets the required technical performance and can integrate with the university’s existing equipment, laboratory infrastructure and working procedures without significant changes. Compatibility is central to this requirement, not simply the ability to vitrify specimens under pressure. The purchase was awarded through a technically justified non-competitive route, so suppliers of alternative systems would need strong evidence that they can meet the same compatibility needs as well as the scientific purpose. The recorded supplier is Leica Microsystems (UK) Ltd.

## Notice

Award of contract for a high-pressure freezer capable of vitrifying biological specimens under extreme pressure conditions to preserve ultrastructure for subsequent electron microscopy analysis.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Award of contract for a high-pressure freezer capable of vitrifying biological specimens under extreme pressure conditions to preserve ultrastructure for subsequent electron microscopy analysis.

### Procurement Information

The contract is being awarded without competition on the grounds that the required technical characteristics and compatibility requirements can only be met by Leica Microsystems. Alternative systems would necessitate significant changes to existing equipment configurations, operating procedures and laboratory infrastructure.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095245-2026 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £550,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | University of Aberdeen |
| Locality | ABERDEEN |
| Postcode area | Aberdeen |
| Postcode | AB24 3FX |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM5 North Eastern Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire |
| Local authority | Aberdeen City |
| Electoral ward | Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen |
| Westminster constituency | Aberdeen North |
| Delivery location | TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Leica Microsystems (UK) Ltd |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 39 - Furniture (incl. office furniture), furnishings, domestic appliances (excl. lighting) and cleaning products

### Codes

- 39711120 - Freezers

## Release History

- 8 Oct 2026 at 14:09 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095245-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://www.abdn.ac.uk/procurement
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000845240
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00102

## 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-0783d5. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0783d5.json.