---
title: "Purchase of a nCounter Pro Analysis System"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000829200"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000829200"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000829200.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000829200.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH"
published: "2026-04-13"
---

# Purchase of a nCounter Pro Analysis System

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000829200

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## Summary

The University of Edinburgh has completed the procurement process for the purchase of an nCounter Pro Analysis System. The contracting authority is located at Charles Stewart House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. This procurement falls under the education category and addresses the need for continuity and technical compatibility within their research frameworks. The contract was awarded to Bruker Spatial Biology and involves the supply of goods. The award was executed without prior publication, as it is a procedure necessitated by technical reasons, ensuring alignment with existing laboratory equipment. The contract, valued at £120,000, was signed on 8th April 2026 and aims to maintain research operations affected by the discontinuation of the Gen2 version of the nCounter system, which will be unsupported from January 2027.

This tender presents significant growth opportunities, particularly for businesses specialising in laboratory analysis systems and proprietary molecular barcode technologies. Companies experienced in providing high-tech analytical equipment required for sophisticated genetic and cancer research applications would be well-suited to compete in such specialised tenders. The award emphasises the need for technical specifications and system compatibility, which can be a critical factor for businesses aiming to collaborate with large educational institutions. Engaging with contracts like this can enhance a supplier's portfolio and strengthen their reputation in the life sciences and educational research sectors.

## Notice

nCounter Pro Analysis System

### Procurement Information

The nCounter Analysis system has been an established and well used service in Institute for Genetics and Cancer since 2017. The current Gen2 version of the nCounter Analysis System will no longer be supported by Bruker/NanoString from January 2027 and will be replaced by the nCounter Pro Analysis System. We are awarding the contract to Bruker Spatial Biology for the following reasons: 1. Continuity of Research: A like-for-like replacement is essential to ensure continuity of ongoing research. The nCounter system uses proprietary molecular barcode reagents that deliver highly robust and reproducible results, even across instruments in different labs and countries. The facility currently supports a large number of ongoing studies, including a multicentre clinical trial since 2019 across the UK and France. All participating sites use a Bruker Spatial Biology custom codeset specific to the trial, which can only be analysed on the nCounter system. Access to the nCounter Pro is therefore critical to maintain consistency in processed and procedures, and ensure continuity of results. 2. Technical Compatibility: The facility currently owns a GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler, also supplied by Bruker Spatial Biology. This system uses proprietary molecular barcode technology to allow users to stain a tissue section to allow them to highlight areas within the tissue they wish to analyse (tumour vs surrounding tissue). These samples are then removed from the GeoMX instrument and require further downstream analysis using the nCounter system to produce reusable data. As the molecular barcodes required for this process are proprietary to Bruker Spatial Biology, they cannot be analysed on equipment from another supplier, therefore the nCounter system is an essential analysis platform for processing these outputs. Without access to the nCounter system, these samples cannot be analysed, severely limiting the functionality of the existing asset. On this basis, the contract is awarded to Bruker Spatial Biology on the grounds that competition is absent for technical reasons.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR553688 |
| Notice type | PCS Notice - Website Contract 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 | 13 Apr 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 8 Apr 2026 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £120,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Post town | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH1 1HT |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM1 East Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM13 City of Edinburgh |
| Local authority | City of Edinburgh |
| Electoral ward | City Centre |
| Westminster constituency | Edinburgh East and Musselburgh |
| Delivery location | TLM75 City of Edinburgh |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | BRUKER SPATIAL BIOLOGY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

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

## Release History

- 13 Apr 2026 at 00:00 - Award - PCS Notice - Website Contract Award Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR553688

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR553688
  Purchase of a nCounter Pro Analysis System - nCounter Pro Analysis System

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.ed.ac.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000829200

## 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-r6ebe6-0000829200. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000829200.json.