Contract

UKHSA – Ammonia Analyser

  • Secretary of State for Health and Social Care acting as part of the Crown through UK Health Security Agency

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-008794

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-044a45

Published 19 March 2024, 11:23am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care acting as part of the Crown through UK Health Security Agency

10 South Colonnade

London

E14 4PU

Contact

Procurement Operations

Email

procurement.operations@dhsc.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKI42 - Tower Hamlets

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency

Buyer's address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

Health


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

UKHSA – Ammonia Analyser

Reference number

C249956

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 38434000 - Analysers

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

Procurement of an Picarro - Ammonia analyser.

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)

Value excluding VAT: £169,494

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKD45 - Mid Lancashire
Main site or place of performance

Environment Agency
Spurrier House,
Lancashire Business Park,
Centurion Way,
Leyland Lancaster,
PR26 6TZ

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Picarro SI2103 gas concentration analyser delivers ultra-precise and stable measurements of ammonia (NH3) with a parts-per-trillion (ppt) lower limit of detection (LOD) and negligible drift. It is the ideal solution for urban and atmospheric air quality monitoring, studies of particulate matter formation, livestock emission quantification, vehicle emission quantification, indoor air quality and other applications.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

The Authority may extend the Contract for a period of up to forty-eight (48) months by giving not less than ten (10) Working Days’ notice in writing to the Supplier prior to the Expiry Date. The terms and conditions of the Contract shall apply throughout any such extended period.

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below

  • The services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
    • protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights

Explanation:

With respect to the Picarro ammonia analyser we have been informed by the Environment Agency (EA) that there has been a protracted comparative study recently completed by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and CEH Edinburgh which builds on the attached paper (Martin et al). The attached study from 2016 states the Picarro analyser has potential use as a ‘spectroscopic reference instrument’ for monitoring ammonia in future exposure chamber tests to validate diffusive and pumped samplers, and also for field measurements. However, this latest comprehensive inter-comparative study of real time instruments and wet chemistry techniques which was led by CEH Edinburgh suggests the Picarro to be the real-time instrument of choice for ammonia and will be the EA’s preferred instrument of choice in future. This was primarily due to the unique methodology (cavity ringdown spectroscopy) which enables a superior limit of detection at levels of parts per trillion (ppt) as opposed to parts per billion (ppb) of the alternative instrument technologies (ppt levels of detection are essential for the investigative work this instrument will be employed to undertake). This therefore this means that from review undertaken there near technical impossibility for another economic operator to achieve the required performance due to the limitations of detection for comparative instruments in accordance with Reg 32 (2)(b)(ii) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015. Meaning this provider is uniquely placed to meet our requirements. UKHSA would require this level of detection for specific monitoring applications.

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No


Section five. Award of contract

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

27 February 2024

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 1

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Amiston Limited

2 Oakfield Coach House, 11 Weston Park, Bath, England

Bath

BA1 4AS

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
National registration number

12120348

The contractor is an SME

Yes

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £169,494

Lowest offer: £169,494 / Highest offer: £169,494 taken into consideration


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

The High Court

The Strand

London

WC2A 2LL

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.judiciary.uk/courts-and-tribunals/high-court/

six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures

The High Court

The Strand

London

WC2A 2LL

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.judiciary.uk/courts-and-tribunals/high-court/