Procurement of Octet R8e, 8-Channel System

A market review was undertaken to identify alternative suppliers of this technology. An alternative supplier was identified but proposed meetings did not take place and the alternative supplier subsequently did not provide a quote, technical proposal or configuration to evaluate against the proposal/quote Sartorius provided. Other label-free biomolecular interaction technologies, such as Surface Plasmon Resonance

(SPR), were also considered at a technology level. However, SPR is technically different from

the required dip-and-read BLI workflow and involves microfluidics. QIB already has access to

SPR capability within the Research Park, whereas the purpose of this procurement is to

establish a complementary high-throughput BLI capability within QIB. The funded scientific

case specifically identified BLI as the required capability, including its high-throughput

workflow and compatibility with the planned microbiome, fermentation, FPLC and multiomics

research pipeline.

On this basis, QIB considers that a conventional competitive tender would not provide a

meaningful comparison for the required specification. The procurement exercise identified

Sartorius as the supplier able to provide the required BLI capability, configuration, technical

support and service provision within the required timescale and funding envelope.