Find a TenderAwarded without competitionTransparency notice
Published 10 Nov 2025, 12:05 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

202526 5355 - Optical Tweezers-Fluorescence Microscope

Official notice

Authority: University of Leeds (Education)

Direct award
Sectors: Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses) (38) Delivery listed: Netherlands (NL329)
Awarded value£877,741published award · inc. VAT
Award in standstill Not publishedno call for competition
Award (standstill) to Lumicks B.V

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Purchase of an optical tweezer system with Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy and widefield microscopy plus microfluidics.

To view this notice, please click here:

neupc.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html ↗

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1Awarded
Delivery listed: Netherlands (NL329)

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Direct award
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Notice status
Awarded without competition
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Direct award (no call for competition)
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
10 Nov 2025, 12:05 GMT
Last source update
10 Nov 2025, 12:05 GMT
Authority reference
202526 5355
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-072355
Latest notice
Transparency notice (UK5)
Delivery area in notice
Netherlands (NL329)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05dd90 Find a Tender
Why no open competition
Single Suppliers Technical Reasons; Urgency
Published justification

This procurement is being undertaken via a single-source route due to the unique

technical capabilities of the C-Trap® Dymo 400 and the exclusive rights held by its

manufacturer, LUMICKS B.V. the unique elements of this are:

  • Multi-trap continuous-wave optical tweezers,
  • Multi-colour confocal fluorescence microscopy, and
  • Multi-channel laminar flow microfluidics.

These technologies are protected by several granted patents, including: US9952421,

EP3256254B1 (optical traps), US9766180, EP3004848B1 (fluorescence imaging),

S11156513B2 (optical force measurement) and EP3737756B1 (DNA supercoiling).

No other commercially available instrument can provide simultaneous, correlated forcedistance-fluorescence measurements with the required resolution and sensitivity.

Key performance features exclusive to the C-Trap include:

  • Force resolution 0.1 pN and drift stability 0.3 pN over 2 minutes
  • Confocal localisation precision 15 nm
  • Real-time imaging of single molecules under physiological flow conditions
  • Escape force 1000 pN, allowing for broad biological applicability
  • Integrated hardware/software for fast setup and automated experimental workflows.

Additionally, the system includes a complete service and application support package,

exclusive training kits, and proprietary components that are not available from any other

provider

Notice history

2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 10 Nov 2025
  1. Transparency notice published
    10 Nov 2025, 12:05 GMT
    UK5
  2. Contract signature expected
    18 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
    scheduled

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1some still in standstill
Awarded value (inc. VAT) £877,7411 award inc. VAT; no net value published
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Lumicks B.V19 Dec 2025 – 18 Dec 2030£877,741 inc. VAT—Standstill

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

University of Leeds

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PDVB-8476-PXMZ Purchasing Office, University of Leeds, Leeds, Yorkshire & Humber, LS2 9JTContact name, email, phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • Lumicks B.V.Awarded supplierGB-COH: 60187263 Paalbergweg 3, Amsterdam, NL, 1105AG, NLContact email, phone

Official documents & specifications (1)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender