Contract

The Manufacture, Supply, and Commissioning of a Neutron Source at Culham Campus for the LIBRTI Programme

  • United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-016533

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-047a49 (view related notices)

Published 23 April 2025, 2:06pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

Culham Campus

Abingdon

OX14 3DB

Contact

Carl Evans

Email

Carl.evans@ukaea.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKJ14 - Oxfordshire

National registration number

N/A

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-atomic-energy-authority

Buyer's address

https://uk.eu-supply.com/ctm/Company/CompanyInformation/Index/72814

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

one.5) Main activity

Other activity

Fusion Research


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

The Manufacture, Supply, and Commissioning of a Neutron Source at Culham Campus for the LIBRTI Programme

Reference number

T/CE093/24

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 38800000 - Industrial process control equipment and remote-control equipment

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

The manufacture, supply, and commissioning of a neutron source that is capable of allowing tritium breeding mock-ups to be exposed to 14.1 MeV neutrons. The Equipment supplied to the Client shall be based upon existing products capable of being delivered within 24 months from point of contract award. In parallel the Contractor shall commit to support the Client in a collaborative endeavour to develop an upgrade solution of the baseline system to increase its output and thereby target exposure fluxes of 1013 n/cm2/s. The development of the upgrade shall be centred around the assumption of it being deployable as an on-site modification of the existing Client baseline installation. The R&D programme described above shall be completed within 36 months from contract award. Finally, the Contractor shall enable successful operational use of the neutron source by the Client through the provision of both training and maintenance of the delivered systems.

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: £34,700,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 38940000 - Nuclear evaluation instruments

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKJ14 - Oxfordshire

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The manufacture, supply, and commissioning of a neutron source and supply of ancillary systems including, but not limited to cooling systems, power supplies, tritium handling (if required) and other control systems with the best available output (source strength and operational availability) that is capable of allowing tritium breeding mock-ups to be exposed to 14.1 MeV neutrons. The Neutron Source shall have proven operational availability (creating 14MeV neutrons) of at least 500 hours per annum to facilitate the LIBRTI experimental programme. The Equipment supplied to the Client shall be based upon existing products capable of being delivered within 24 months from point of contract award.

In parallel with the development of a baseline system stated above the Contractor shall commit to support the Client in a collaborative endeavour to develop an upgrade solution of the baseline system to increase its output and thereby target exposure fluxes of 1013 n/cm2/s. The contractor may wish to take on the full development programme but as a minimum, shall ensure that the baseline system can be updated with a retrofit and that the Contractor will supply drawings and technical information adequate to supporting an upgrade. The development of the upgrade shall be centred around the assumption of it being deployable as an on-site modification of the existing Client baseline installation. The R&D programme described above shall be completed within 36 months from contract award.

Finally, the Contractor shall enable successful operational use of the neutron source by the Client through the provision of both training and maintenance of the delivered systems. The contractor shall provide a maintenance service provision from point of delivery to the Client and will include the provision for both planned and unplanned maintenance tasks supported by a Service Level Agreement

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 100

Price - Weighting: Per Quality Point

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

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

Open procedure

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

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2024/S 000-020321


Section five. Award of contract

Contract No

1

Title

The Manufacture, Supply, and Commissioning of a Neutron Source at Culham Campus for the LIBRTI Programme

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

13 March 2025

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 3

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 3

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

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

SHINE Technologies, LLC

3400 Innovation Drive

Janesville

53546

Email

steveburger@shinefusion.com

Country

United States

NUTS code
  • US - United States
National registration number

n/a

The contractor is an SME

Yes

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

Total value of the contract/lot: £34,700,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

UK Atomic Energy Authority

Culham Campus

Abingdon

OX14 3DB

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-atomic-energy-authority

six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures

UK Atomic Energy Authority

Culham Campus

Abingdon

OX14 3DB

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-atomic-energy-authority

six.4.3) Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures

VI.4.2)Body responsible for mediation procedures

VI.4.3)Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:

The authority will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period at the point information on the award of the contract is communicated to tenderers.

This period allows unsuccessful tenderers to seek further debriefing from the authority before a contract is entered into applicants have 2 working days from the notification of the award decision to request. Additional debriefing and that information have to be provided within a minimum of 3 working days before the expiry of the standstill period. Such additional information should be sought from the contact named in this notice.

If an appeal regarding the award of a contract has not been successfully resolved, the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015 No. 102) provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland).

Any such action must be brought promptly.

(generally within 3 months).

six.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained

UK Atomic Energy Authority

Culham Campus

Abingdon

OX14 3DB

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-atomic-energy-authority