UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

The Future Medicines Institute (FMI) requires a high throughput live-cell imaging system to enable FMI scientists and collaborators to monitor live cell imaging in real time under optimal conditions of cell growth in a properly maintained carbon dioxide and humidity environment to enable the efficient capture of cellular changes as they happen in the incubator. The objective of procuring a live cell imaging system is to enhance FMI’s capacity to monitor cells in real time, in an optimally controlled environment, to support and strengthen its drug discovery capabilities. The proposed system must: • Be capable of multiplate/vessel imaging, up to a capacity of 6 plates/vessels and including capacity to image 6 384 well plates, to meet the volume of analysis that the centre is undertaking and support high throughput drug screening projects. • Enable high resolution fluorescence and bright field images to be captured and recorded in real time over hours, days, or weeks. • Offer flexibility to enable users to observe and quantify complex biological changes over time in cells and 3d structures such as spheroids and organoid models. • Include a fully integrated image acquisition system to capture real-time insight into morphological and phenotypic changes and allow multiple users the opportunity to perform complex cellular assays. • Offer versatile assay configurations, supporting various experimental formats such as 2d cell systems and 3d spheroid, and organoid models. The procurement of this live cell imaging system directly supports FMI’s broader goals of: • Accelerating drug discovery through rapid identification and characterisation of therapeutic candidates • Providing screening capabilities in high-throughput format • Facilitating translational research by bridging fundamental cellular studies with therapeutic applications. The procurement of a live cell imaging system will provide direct benefit to research scientists within FMI, and wider stakeholders such as partner organisations and the wider academic community in Queens University Belfast (QUB) by: • Significantly enhance its cellular screening capabilities. • Enhancing live cell imaging capabilities and data acquisition throughput in optimised cellular conditions. • Reducing time in setting up multiple vessels for multiple time point experiments. • Reducing plasticware consumables and expensive reagents currently used in setting up multiple time point experiments. If funding becomes available to address future expansion needs the University reserves the right to purchase additional Live-Cell Imaging Systems during the life of the contract. Subject to the availability of funding, the University may optionally purchase additional Live Cell Imaging Systems during the term of the contract. Any such additional purchases shall be non guaranteed, limited to the optional items and maximum quantities and/or values set out in the Pricing Schedule, and shall have been included in the estimated contract value for the purposes of this procurement.

The Future Medicines Institute (FMI) requires a high throughput live-cell imaging system to enable FMI scientists and collaborators to monitor live cell imaging in real time under optimal conditions of cell growth in a properly maintained carbon dioxide and humidity environment to enable the efficient capture of cellular changes as they happen in the incubator. The objective of procuring a live cell imaging system is to enhance FMI’s capacity to monitor cells in real time, in an optimally controlled environment, to support and strengthen its drug discovery capabilities. The proposed system must: • Be capable of multiplate/vessel imaging, up to a capacity of 6 plates/vessels and including capacity to image 6 384 well plates, to meet the volume of analysis that the centre is undertaking and support high throughput drug screening projects. • Enable high resolution fluorescence and bright field images to be captured and recorded in real time over hours, days, or weeks. • Offer flexibility to enable users to observe and quantify complex biological changes over time in cells and 3d structures such as spheroids and organoid models. • Include a fully integrated image acquisition system to capture real-time insight into morphological and phenotypic changes and allow multiple users the opportunity to perform complex cellular assays. • Offer versatile assay configurations, supporting various experimental formats such as 2d cell systems and 3d spheroid, and organoid models. The procurement of this live cell imaging system directly supports FMI’s broader goals of: • Accelerating drug discovery through rapid identification and characterisation of therapeutic candidates • Providing screening capabilities in high-throughput format • Facilitating translational research by bridging fundamental cellular studies with therapeutic applications. The procurement of a live cell imaging system will provide direct benefit to research scientists within FMI, and wider stakeholders such as partner organisations and the wider academic community in Queens University Belfast (QUB) by: • Significantly enhance its cellular screening capabilities. • Enhancing live cell imaging capabilities and data acquisition throughput in optimised cellular conditions. • Reducing time in setting up multiple vessels for multiple time point experiments. • Reducing plasticware consumables and expensive reagents currently used in setting up multiple time point experiments. If funding becomes available to address future expansion needs the University reserves the right to purchase additional Live-Cell Imaging Systems during the life of the contract. Subject to the availability of funding, the University may optionally purchase additional Live Cell Imaging Systems during the term of the contract. Any such additional purchases shall be non guaranteed, limited to the optional items and maximum quantities and/or values set out in the Pricing Schedule, and shall have been included in the estimated contract value for the purposes of this procurement

Collaborative strategic consultancy support on a wide range of matters aligned to Queen's Strategy 2030 goals including: strategic planning, delivery and monitoring, benchmarking and horizon scanning.

Queen’s has a requirement for an experienced Supplier(s) to provide a comprehensive waste management services to various locations across the University campus. The services to be delivered under this Contract shall be provided under four separate lots as follows: • Lot 1: Commercial Waste and Recycling Services • Lot 2: Confidential Waste and Non-Confidential Paper Waste • Lot 3: Chemical/Hazardous Waste • Lot 4: Clinical Waste Applicants are invited to tender for Lot 1, Lot 2, Lot 3 and Lot 4 or any combination of lots. Lots will be evaluated independently and Queen’s reserves the right to award each Lot separately. The key objectives of the Contract (Lot 1, Lot 2, Lot 3 and Lot 4) are as follows: • Effectively manage waste according to the principles of the Waste Hierarchy, supporting and aligning with the development of a circular approach to resource management. • Provide optimum, consistent service levels and ongoing value for money throughout the contract. • Provision of external bins/skips (with Queen’s specific signage, as required). • Provision of regular management information, consolidated invoices and transfer notes. • Ongoing prevention of waste, increase in recycling rates and working towards zero waste to landfill. • Ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation and best practice.

Queen’s University wish to procure 3 large-format, high-cadence cameras to be installed onto the Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope based in Hawaii for the purposes of scientific research. The cameras will cover a large field of view at the telescope diffraction limit.

School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Biological Services Unit (BSU) wishes to purchase and install a rodent metabolic cage system at the BSU, which can offer high-resolution, real-time collection of metabolic, and behavioural phenotyping data in mice. This includes simultaneously measuring energy expenditure, food and water consumption and physical activity in live animals.

Queen's University Belfast wish to procure A Turnkey Injection Moulding System for Polymer and Composite Research The procurement of this state-of-the-art injection moulding machine forms a critical component of the new Polymer Micro-Processing Suite at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). The goal is to establish a unique UK capability for gram-to-kilogram scale injection moulding trials, enabling early-stage polymer and composite innovation, hands-on training for students, and collaborative R&D with industry, particularly Northern Ireland SMEs.

Queen’s University of Belfast wishes to procure an Electrically Insulated Raceway Tank and Holding Tank System to be situated outside at the Queen's Marine Laboratory in Portaferry, and must fit on a concrete platform. The raceway tank must not be much larger than 9 x 2.5m, and holding tanks must be circular with 2m diameter. This system is to support experimental work on measuring the effects of electrical fields on elasmobranchs (e.g. sharks, skates, rays). The overarching goal of this procurement is the successful design, construction, and operational commissioning of a bespoke, electrically insulated marine animal housing system at the Queen’s University Marine Laboratory (QML). This system must meet stringent biological and electromagnetic shielding specifications to enable the core ELASMO project experimental protocols. The successful delivery of this requirement will result in four key outcomes: • Secure Housing: The provision of a stable, high-welfare environment for the long-term maintenance of OSPAR-listed elasmobranch species. • Research Readiness: A fully operational raceway and holding tank system compliant with the requisite electrical insulation standards for sensitive electrophysiology experiments. • Project Compliance: Fulfilment of a critical infrastructure deliverable required to unlock and progress the objectives of the DAERA-funded ELASMO project. • System to be delivered and Commissioned Before 01 April 2026

Queen’s University of Belfast want to procure a high accuracy, high performance, multifunctional, large volume co-ordinate measurement machine for the automated inspection of large volume, high value, manufactured components for local aerospace, civil, maritime and green technology industries. The co-ordinate measuring machine will be used as an all-purpose flexible CMM for the dimensional inspection of large components for general industry. Typical products expected to be inspected are tooling and fixturing, machined parts, composite structures and assemblies for the aerospace industry. It will need to have the capability of accessing deep features as well as scanning and measuring complex free form shapes. The machine will need to provide flexibility, high throughput, high accuracy, as well as high reliability with minimal maintenance. The machine will be installed in a dedicated climate-controlled metrology laboratory, but we require the machine to be equipped with temperature compensation system and protection from airborne contaminants. The machine will need to be equipped initially with an automatic indexing probe head and with tactile probing and tactile scanning capabilities. The machine connectivity, controls and software will need to be able to support the addition of other sensors in the future, such as laser scanners, non-contact sensors, optical sensors or surface roughness probes. It will need to have the ability to support the provision of automatic interchange of multiple sensors and styli. The machine will be utilised primarily for research purposes, resulting in lower hours run compared to a manufacturing environment.

The Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences’ Biological Services Core Technology Unit (BSU), at Queen’s University Belfast (Queen’s) wish to procure a new or high quality second hand cagewash (less than 1 years ‘service) • Please note: - The execution of this tender & contract will be solely dependent on grant funding being received, which is estimated to be confirmed in November 2025. • No award will be made, or orders issued until the grant funding has been confirmed. If grant funding is not secured, the market will be notified, and this procurement exercise will be stood down.

The Future Medicines Institute (FMI) requires a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) system with advanced capabilities for real-time, label-free analysis of biomolecular interactions. (Maximum budget available for Equipment inclusive of 3 years extended warranty & annual preventative maintenance is is £330,000). The primary objective of procuring an SPR device is to enhance FMI’s capacity to characterise binding kinetics, affinity, and specificity of biomolecular interactions, thereby strengthening its protein science and drug discovery workflows. The proposed system must: • Provide precise kinetic and affinity measurements for a wide range of biomolecular interactions, including protein–protein, protein–antibody, and protein–small molecule binding. • Deliver high sensitivity and reproducibility to ensure reliable and quantitative data across experiments. • Support automation and high-throughput analysis, enabling efficient screening of large sample sets. • Include robust data analysis software for comprehensive kinetic modelling and data interpretation. • Offer versatile assay configurations, supporting various experimental formats and immobilisation chemistries. • Integrate seamlessly with upstream and downstream workflows, including protein purification and structural analysis. The procurement of a high-performance SPR system directly supports FMI’s broader goals of: • Accelerating drug discovery through rapid identification and characterisation of therapeutic candidates. • Enhancing biopharmaceutical research by enabling detailed analysis of binding mechanisms critical to biologics development. • Facilitating translational research by bridging fundamental molecular interaction studies with clinical and therapeutic applications. This procurement will provide direct benefit to research scientists by: • Reducing manual intervention and experimental variability through automation and streamlined workflows. • Enhancing data quality with high-resolution detection and advanced signal processing for accurate kinetic profiling. • Please note: - The execution of this tender & contract will be solely dependent on grant funding being received, which is estimated to be confirmed in November 2025. • No award will be made, or orders issued until the grant funding has been confirmed. If grant funding is not secured, the market will be notified, and this procurement exercise will be stood down.

The acquisition of a gravimetric microbalance for accurate measurement of gas uptake, sorption kinetics and thermodynamic sorption profile of a wide variety of materials, both solids and liquids

The imaging equipment in the Biological Services Unit (BSU) is no longer fit for purpose. Therefore, the department requires to purchase an In Vivo Optical Imaging System. The equipment will serve multiple users, open to anyone with permissions to conduct such regulated work and support for multi-spectral luminescence/fluorescence imaging capability at QUB. In vivo imaging is leading edge in animal research, aligning with commitment to 3Rs and QUB priorities in delivering research excellence. • Please note: - The execution of this tender & contract will be solely dependent on grant funding being received, which is estimated to be confirmed in November 2025. • No award will be made, or orders issued until the grant funding has been confirmed. If grant funding is not secured, the market will be notified, and this procurement exercise will be stood down.

School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Biological Services Unit (BSU) wishes to purchase and install a rodent metabolic cage system at the BSU, which can offer high-resolution, real-time collection of metabolic, and behavioural phenotyping data in mice. This includes simultaneously measuring energy expenditure, food and water consumption and physical activity in live animals. • Please note: - The execution of this tender & contract will be solely dependent on grant funding being received, which is estimated to be confirmed in November 2025. • No award will be made, or orders issued until the grant funding has been confirmed. If grant funding is not secured, the market will be notified, and this procurement exercise will be stood down.

The goal of this procurement is to acquire a Single Cell Microbial Isolation Platform operable within a Coy anaerobic chamber, enabling the isolation of strict anaerobic bacteria without compromising viability. The supplier must demonstrate the successful operation of this Single Cell Microbial Isolation Platform model in an identical chamber, ensuring proven compatibility. Desired outcomes are to increase throughput, precision, and reproducibility in anaerobic bacterial sorting, supporting advanced research in microbial ecology, synthetic biology, and clinical microbiology. With this equipment, we will be able to anaerobically sort and study both known and previously uncultured rumen bacteria, saving time and costs in the long run of isolating novel strains, and opening new opportunities to discover effective microbial candidates for reducing methane emissions. The execution of this tender & contract will be solely dependent on grant funding being received, which is estimated to be confirmed in November 2025. No award will be made, or orders issued, until the grant funding has been confirmed. If grant funding is not secured, the market will be notified, and this procurement exercise will be stood down. Please note it may be a requirement of the funding body associated with this procurement that delivery and invoicing take place by 31st March 2026. Where this is the case, the successful Supplier will be asked to confirm their ability to meet the required deadline prior to the award of the Contract being confirmed. Where the 1st-ranked Supplier is unable to meet the deadline, their Tender Response will be rejected, and the 2nd-ranked Supplier will be asked to confirm their ability to meet the deadline and so on until a Supplier can confirm that the date can be met. Time is of the essence when it comes to the delivery and invoicing of equipment within stipulated deadlines.

Queen’s University Belfast require a contract for the supply, delivery, installation and ongoing maintenance of a universal horizontal machining center for the machining and profiling of metal bar and extrusions to allow 5 axis machining of complex aerospace parts in fewer setups.

Queen’s University Belfast require a Contract for a 6 Axis CNC Gantry Agile multifunctional composites automated ply lay-up machine, designed to manipulate modular process heads for high productivity and quality. It is anticipated the tender will be published 28/08/2025 and close 23/09/2025.

Queen’s University Belfast require a Contract for a Design, Supply, Delivery, Commissioning and Installation of a Gas-Powered Rotational Moulding machine The machine will be located at the AMIC Factory of the Future, Global Point Newtownabbey, and used by AMIC to facilitate collaborative research projects with industry partners.

Queen’s University of Belfast wishes to procure a High-Resolution X ray micro-Computed Tomography System for the 3D non-destructive imaging of a wide range of advanced materials. Materials of interest range in density and include, but are not limited to: CFRP laminates, glass fibre composites, foam cored structures, aluminium alloys, steels, nimonic alloys, titanium alloys, and inconel.

Queen’s University Belfast require a contract for supply, delivery, installation and ongoing maintenance of a high accuracy, multifunctional, dual robotic ultrasonic testing platform for the automated, non-destructive inspection of large volume, complex aerospace composite structures.