Official UK procurement notice
Supply of Advanced Chromatography and Molecular Characterisation Platform
Authority: Aberystwyth University (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University is an internationally recognised centre for research, innovation and teaching in industrial biotechnology, biorefining, precision fermentation, biomaterials, agricultural biotechnology and sustainable manufacturing.
The University has recently invested in advanced parallel bioreactor infrastructure (Getinge Livit Flex) and digital bioprocess development systems to support research, contract research and industrial scale-up activities. To complement this capability, the University seeks to procure an advanced chromatography and molecular characterisation platform to generate high-quality analytical data and integrates with digital bioprocess workflows.
- No preliminary market engagement: Funding application timelines.
CPV: Chromatographs
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1Published value£198,568
What it takes to wini
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 morei
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).
Published sub-criteria (2)
- Technical: 80%
- Commercial: 20%
Published award criteria (2)
- Technical: Technical Evaluation Questions
- Commercial: Commercial Submission
No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.
- Price carries 20 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- Turnover usually expected at this size: about £397,136 (twice the annual value).
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula. Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How Aberystwyth University buys Detection and analysis apparatus (CPV 3843), and who usually turns up
Aberystwyth University’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Detection and analysis apparatus (CPV 3843) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in Wales (Cymru).
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered outside the region where that award was delivered.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 24 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid0% / 17%
2–331% / 50%
4–631% / 33%
7+38% / 0%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate61%
Within ±2%26%
Above estimate13%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 3843Published estimate£199k
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How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid22%
2–353%
4–618%
7+7%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
Based on 3 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Middle 50%£163k–£199k
Estimate£199k
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEA MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT UK LIMITEDWorked for this buyer | Scale Centrifugation System to Aberystwyth Universitynotice published Oct 2024 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £7.8m19 awards in 36m · last this month | 6 live · £1.9m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 13% below n=2 | |
| £7.7m50 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 12 live · £2.5m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=12 | |
Carl Zeiss LtdLarge | £4.1m40 awards in 36m · last this month | 24 live · £2.2m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=1 |
| £4.7m19 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago | 2 live · £1.4m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 10% below n=3 | |
| £5.4m25 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago | 10 live · £19m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 35% below n=1 |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Open for tender
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 8 Oct 2026, 11:09 BST
- Last source update
- 8 Oct 2026, 11:09 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 3 Dec 2026
- Authority reference
AU/2026/502/UPLC- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-095089- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-078380Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
Invoices must be received and cleared by 31st January 2027
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via Sell2Wales- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 9 Nov 2026, 14:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 2 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en, cy
etenderwales.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/home.html ↗
Tender reference within portal: itt_127647
Timeline
8 Oct 2026 → 7 Dec 2026 · 5 dates- Tender notice published19 days ago8 Oct 2026, 11:09 BST
- Today26 Oct 2026
- Clarification questions byin 7 days2 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission deadlinein 14 days9 Nov 2026, 14:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 38 days3 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 41 days7 Dec 2026
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Tender notice published8 Oct 2026, 11:09 BSTUK4
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender