---
title: "The Provision and Maintenance of a Cell Sorter"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078df1"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078df1"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078df1.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078df1.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency"
published: "2026-10-22"
---

# The Provision and Maintenance of a Cell Sorter

Buyer: Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078df1

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## Summary

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is buying a replacement cell sorter for its existing Aria instrument. The supply includes maintenance and, where applicable, bespoke consumables and auxiliary equipment. The sorter must isolate defined cell populations, including transfected cells and cells with particular phenotypes, support clonal expansion and prepare cells for single-cell sequencing. MHRA expects to use it across work on cancer genomics, CAR-T cells, nanobody production, immune-cell expansion, stem-cell isolation and microbiome strain isolation. This is a specialist laboratory equipment requirement, classified under laboratory, optical and precision equipment. Delivery is in the United Kingdom.

MHRA invited offers through an open procedure. The tender deadline was 20 November 2026 at 10:00 UTC; questions were due by 9 November 2026 at 10:00 UTC. The stated award decision date was 8 December 2026. The contract period runs from 28 December 2026 to 28 December 2029, with two possible 24-month extensions, up to 28 December 2033. The estimated value is £475,000 excluding VAT (£570,000 including VAT). There is one lot. Evaluation weights are technical quality 65%, commercial cost 25% and social value 10%. Offers may be submitted electronically in English through the named e-sourcing portal.

This opportunity is suited to suppliers able to provide and maintain specialist cell-sorting equipment for research and laboratory use. The system needs to handle targeted cell isolation and applications spanning genomics, cell therapies, protein research, immunology, stem cells and microbiome work, including workflows feeding into single-cell sequencing. Suppliers should be able to support the equipment over the initial three-year contract and potential extensions, and supply bespoke consumables and auxiliary equipment where needed. A strong technical proposal is central to the evaluation, alongside competitive pricing and a credible social-value offer. The scope may suit manufacturers and authorised equipment distributors with relevant installation, servicing and consumables capability, as well as specialist laboratory suppliers able to deliver the complete requirement.

## Notice

The Agency is looking to purchase a Cell Sorter as a replacement for Aria Cell Sorter (s/n P64828200097). This will include the purchase and maintenance of bespoke consumables and auxiliary equipment, if applicable. This cell sorter will support a number of projects such as Cancer Genomics, CAR-T cells, nanobody production, immune cell expansion, stem cells isolations, microbiome strain isolations. It will be required to isolate specific cell populations (e.g. transfected cells or cells with a specific phenotype) or allow clonal expansion of cells or feed into single cell sequencing pipelines if pre-isolation of cells is required.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100001-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 22 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 20 Nov 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 28 Dec 2026 - 28 Dec 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £475,000 |
| Lots value | £475,000 |
| 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 | Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | East London |
| Postcode | E14 4PU |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI4 Inner London - East |
| ITL 3 | TLI42 Tower Hamlets |
| Local authority | Tower Hamlets |
| Electoral ward | Canary Wharf |
| Westminster constituency | Poplar and Limehouse |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

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

## Release History

- 22 Oct 2026 at 13:47 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100001-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100001-2026
  22nd October 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency
- 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-078df1. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078df1.json.