Awarded contract

The Supply, Delivery and Maintenance of a Live Cell Imaging Instrument

  • Medicines Discovery Catapult

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice reference: 2021/S 000-029793

Published 1 December 2021, 12:22pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Medicines Discovery Catapult

Block 35, Mereside, Alderley Park

Cheshire

SK10 4TG

Contact

Ms Laura Hough

Email

laura.hough@md.catapult.org.uk

Telephone

+44 1625708394

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKD62 - Cheshire East

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://md.catapult.org.uk/

Buyer's address

https://md.catapult.org.uk/

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Other type

Health - Research

one.5) Main activity

Other activity

Health - Research


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

The Supply, Delivery and Maintenance of a Live Cell Imaging Instrument

Reference number

DN584991

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

The supply, delivery and maintenance of a Live Cell Imager.

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: £150,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKD62 - Cheshire East

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The supply, delivery and maintenance of a Live Cell Imager for the TRFID facility (cat 3 laboratories) for Medicines Discovery Catapult located in Alderley Park.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

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

Negotiated without a prior call for competition

  • The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
    • absence of competition for technical reasons

Explanation:

Live cell imaging (and analysis) capability with the following specifications is required for the CAT 3 lab facility for the Medicines Discovery Catapult:

• Both phase and fluorescence image capture in both 2D (Eg. proliferation, cell viability assays) and 3D (Eg. organoid) cell models enables the wide range of assays required to be run.

• Capacity to image multiple plates (using different protocols) at the same time, this is due to the flexibility required as the MDC works on various / multiple projects and needs this level of flexibility to efficiently perform the required experiments. The ability to simultaneously run different assays measuring unrelated endpoints is required to increase lab capacity, reducing time by running concurrent experiments.

• Automation of imaging and remote access to live experiments is required to reduce scientist time in the CAT 3 laboratory which is required from a Health and Safety perspective and also a resource perceptive from the vetting of staff required to access the CAT 3 facilities. This is a safety aspect required for a containment level 3 laboratory and makes continuous 24 hour timepoints more manageable.

• In addition to microtiter plates the instrument must be compatible with a selection of tissue culture plastics and microscope slides.

• Space is limited in the TRFID /CAT 3 facility and means that the instrument must have a compact footprint, either a benchtop instrument or the size of a standard cell culture incubator.

The Incucyte SX5 live- cell analysis system is the only system on the market that fulfils all of these requirements thus competition is absent for technical reasons and this purchase is being processed under sole source.

MDC will undertake a 10 day standstill period. If no challenges are received during the standstill period the MDC will continue to award the contract to Sartorius. The standstill period will end at midnight on Monday 13th December 2021.

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

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes


Section five. Award of contract/concession

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

30 November 2021

five.2.2) Information about tenders

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

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire

Sartorius UK Limited

Longmead Business Centre

Epsom

KT199QQ

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKD62 - Cheshire East
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

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

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £150,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Medicines Discovery Catapult Ltd

Alderley Park

Country

United Kingdom