---
title: "Vacuum Pump Tritium Testing"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078a2f"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078a2f"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078a2f.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078a2f.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority"
published: "2026-10-16"
---

# Vacuum Pump Tritium Testing

Buyer: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078a2f

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## Summary

The UK Atomic Energy Authority is commissioning engineering services to design, manufacture, commission and operate a tritium-compatible test rig. The rig must represent the operating conditions of the Authority’s Vacuum and Impurity Treatment System (VAC-ITS) and be operated at the contractor’s licensed facility. The work also includes examining materials that have been in contact with the test system after operation, with particular focus on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This combines engineering design and integration with specialist testing and materials examination. The work is for one integrated requirement, rather than separate packages, and the test facility is to be provided by the contractor. The Authority is a central government organisation based at Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire; the test work is to take place at the contractor’s facility.

The buyer invited offers through an open procedure. The contract is for services, with one lot. The estimated value is £400,000 excluding VAT (£480,000 including VAT). The contract period is 21 December 2026 to 30 April 2027. The deadline for both clarification enquiries and tender submissions was 16 November 2026 at 12:00 UTC; the stated end of the award period is 2 December 2026. Evaluation is weighted 60% for quality and 40% for price. The quality criterion refers bidders to the procurement documents for its detailed requirements. Tender submissions may be made electronically, and the submission language is English.

This opportunity suits engineering contractors able to take responsibility for a complete test rig lifecycle, from design and manufacture through commissioning and operation. Bidders need access to a licensed facility capable of handling tritium and reproducing the relevant operating conditions of the VAC-ITS. The requirement also calls for suitable expertise and facilities to examine wetted materials after testing, particularly PTFE. It is therefore most relevant to suppliers combining nuclear or tritium-related engineering with controlled test operations and materials analysis, or to teams able to bring those capabilities together. The buyer marks the opportunity as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. The integrated scope favours suppliers able to coordinate engineering, safe facility operations and post-test examination within a single delivery.

## Notice

The Authority wishes to commission an organisation to deliver to design, manufacture, commission, and operate a tritium-compatible test rig that is representative of the operating conditions of the Vacuum and Impurity Treatment System (VAC-ITS) at the Contractor's licensed facility, and to perform post-operation examination of wetted materials, with particular focus on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098223-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 16 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 16 Nov 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 21 Dec 2026 - 30 Apr 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £400,000 |
| Lots value | £400,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Active |
| Lots status | Active |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority |
| Locality | OXFORDSHIRE |
| Postcode area | Oxford |
| Postcode | OX14 3DB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC |
| Local authority | South Oxfordshire |
| Electoral ward | Sandford & the Wittenhams |
| Westminster constituency | Didcot and Wantage |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 42122000 - Pumps
- 71323200 - Plant engineering design services
- 71340000 - Integrated engineering services

## Release History

- 16 Oct 2026 at 19:03 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098223-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098223-2026
  16th October 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://uk.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=110182&TID100115207&B=
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-atomic-energy-authority
- 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-078a2f. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078a2f.json.