Find a TenderClosedTender notice
Published 6 Aug 2025, 13:23 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Parabola Refurbishment · UK public procurement notice

Official notice

Authority: AWE PLC

GoodsCompetitive flexible procedureAbove thresholdDefence & securitySME suitable
Published estimate£640,000≈ £698k / year · £800,000 inc. VAT
Submissions closed 26 Sept 2025
Contract term 11 moends 14 Dec 2026 · starts 7 Jan 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Remanufacture of a short pulse final focusing mirror, remove coating, refinish substrate and recoat.

Two short pulse beamlines require the use of an off-axis parabola (OAP) as the final focusing optic. Due to the optics proximity to target the surface becomes degraded over time due to target shrapnel and condensate from material vaporization.

The optics are 720 mm in diameter and have a specific surface profile and optical coating requirement. They either have a 1 Omega (1053 nm) or 2 Omega (527 nm) high reflectance coating with a specified laser damage threshold at the pulse length of use

  • How the procedure runs: AWE is conducting this procurement using a two staged Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP) The CFP is structured as below: Stage 1: Invitation to Participate (ITP) · Interested suppliers are invited to submit initial responses to demonstrate capability, experience, and alignment with the procurement objectives. · AWE will evaluate submissions against defined criteria to identify the most suitable candidates. · A shortlist of suppliers will be selected to proceed to Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender (ITT) · The ITP will include technical assessments, questionnaires and capability statements. ITP Timeline 1. Issue of the ITP and other Procurement Documents which have been made available at this stage (06/08/25) 2. Deadline for receipt of ITP clarifications via email. (22/08/25) 3. ITP response close / deadline. (26/09/25) 4. Evaluation of ITP submissions. (29/09/25 -17/10/25) 5. Results of ITP submissions & outcome letters issued. (20/10/25) Stage 2: Invitation to Tender (ITT) · Following the initial Invitation to Participate (ITP) stage, shortlisted suppliers will be invited to submit a formal tender during the Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage, which forms Stage 2 of the Competitive Flexible Procedure. · Shortlisted suppliers will be asked to provide detailed proposals, including technical solutions, pricing, and delivery plans. · AWE will assess tenders against predefined award criteria, which include quality, cost, innovation, and social value. ITT Timeline: 1. Issue of the ITT and other Procurement Documents which have been made available at this stage. (20/10/25) 2. Deadline for receipt of ITT clarifications via email. (05/11/25) 3. ITT response close / deadline. (17/11/25) 4. Evaluation of ITT submissions. (03/12/25) 5. Results of ITT submissions & outcome letters issued. (08/12/25) 6. Internal Governance. (08 - 22/12/25) 7. Standstill Period. (22/12/25) 8. Contract Signature. (05-06/01/26) 9. Contract Start Date. (07/01/26)

CPV: Optical instruments

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1 11 moSMEPublished value£640,000
Contract period: 7 Jan 2026 – 14 Dec 2026 (11 mo)Value: £640,000 exc. VAT · £800,000 inc. VAT

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored
Quality: 40%Price: 50%Social value: 10%
Published sub-criteria (4)
  • Technical: 20%
  • Quality: 20%
  • Price: 50%
  • Social Value: 10%
Published award criteria (4)
  • Price
  • Technical
  • Quality
  • Social Value
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 50 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 5 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Competitive flexible procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Goods
Notice status
Closed
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Defence & security
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
6 Aug 2025, 13:23 BST
Last source update
10 Sept 2025, 18:00 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 22 Dec 2025
Authority reference
AWE00428
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-046518
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Optical instruments
Delivery area
North East (UKC)North West (UKD)Yorkshire & Humber (UKE)East Midlands (UKF)West Midlands (UKG)East of England (UKH)London (UKI)South East (UKJ)
+1 moreSouth West (UKK)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-058275 Find a Tender
How it runs

AWE is conducting this procurement using a two staged Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP)

The CFP is structured as below:

Stage 1: Invitation to Participate (ITP)

  • Interested suppliers are invited to submit initial responses to demonstrate capability, experience, and alignment with the procurement objectives.
  • AWE will evaluate submissions against defined criteria to identify the most suitable candidates.
  • A shortlist of suppliers will be selected to proceed to Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender (ITT)
  • The ITP will include technical assessments, questionnaires and capability statements.

ITP Timeline

  1. Issue of the ITP and other Procurement Documents which have been made available at this stage (06/08/25)
  2. Deadline for receipt of ITP clarifications via email. (22/08/25)
  3. ITP response close / deadline. (26/09/25)
  4. Evaluation of ITP submissions. (29/09/25 -17/10/25)
  5. Results of ITP submissions & outcome letters issued. (20/10/25)

Stage 2: Invitation to Tender (ITT)

  • Following the initial Invitation to Participate (ITP) stage, shortlisted suppliers will be invited to submit a formal tender during the Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage, which forms Stage 2 of the Competitive Flexible Procedure.
  • Shortlisted suppliers will be asked to provide detailed proposals, including technical solutions, pricing, and delivery plans.
  • AWE will assess tenders against predefined award criteria, which include quality, cost, innovation, and social value.

ITT Timeline:

  1. Issue of the ITT and other Procurement Documents which have been made available at this stage. (20/10/25)
  2. Deadline for receipt of ITT clarifications via email. (05/11/25)
  3. ITT response close / deadline. (17/11/25)
  4. Evaluation of ITT submissions. (03/12/25)
  5. Results of ITT submissions & outcome letters issued. (08/12/25)
  6. Internal Governance. (08 - 22/12/25)
  7. Standstill Period. (22/12/25)
  8. Contract Signature. (05-06/01/26)
  9. Contract Start Date. (07/01/26)

How it was run

Official notice
Requests to participate (first stage)
26 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
Submission deadline
26 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
Electronic submission
Not allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

6 Aug 2025 → 7 Jan 2026 · 5 dates
  1. Tender notice published
    6 Aug 2025, 13:23 BST
  2. Latest notice published
    10 Sept 2025, 18:00 BST
  3. Submission deadline395 days ago
    26 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
  4. Award decision expected by308 days ago
    22 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
  5. Contract starts293 days ago
    7 Jan 2026

Notice history

2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 6 Aug 2025
  1. Tender notice published
    6 Aug 2025, 13:23 BST
    UK4
  2. Tender notice published
    10 Sept 2025, 18:00 BST
    UK4
Published amendments (1)

Extension to deadline of submission of ITP and subsequent ITT deadlines updated accordingly.

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PYCH-2579-LGTN AWE Aldermaston, Reading, South East, RG7 4PRContact email

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Bidding documents and specificationstenderBidding documents and specificationsAccess: Responses to the ITP should be submitted via email to rdme.procurement@awe.co.uk. Please include in the title of your email submission the reference of 'AWE00428'.

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender