Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
National Physical Laboratory
Hampton Road
Teddington
TW11 0LW
Contact
Nina Heath
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Other activity
Scientific Research
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
CAN - sSNOM for University of Manchester
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
NPL has a requirement for a scattering-type near-field optical microscope (VIS-neaSCOPE) that enables simultaneous background-free imaging and spectroscopy on nanometre length scales in the visible range.
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: £395,278.96
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance
Manchester, UK
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
A scattering-type near-field optical microscope (VIS-neaSCOPE) that enables simultaneous background-free imaging and spectroscopy on nanometre length scales in the visible range.
- Patented parabolic mirror design for focusing and collection of light
- Patented dual-port design to allow two beams of light to be focused on the atomic force microscope (AFM) tip for nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy
- Patented signal processing for optical background suppression
- Patented pseudo-heterodyne detection (PsHEt) technology for background suppression
- Patented interferometric design (nano-FTIR) for background-free optical detection technology and simultaneous detection of optical amplitude and phase and hyperspectral imaging
- Patented high speed holography (HSH) for multispectral imaging
- Patened phase shifting (PhS) detection to extract relative phase
- Optimised scanning probe microscope system that can be combined with mechanical and electrical measurements
- Built-in optical imaging and spectroscopy software modules, as well as data visualisation and analysis software
- Position sensors for motorised parabolic mirror axes to enable alignment-free focusing of a laser beam to the AFM tip
- Visible and NIR illumination units, which can be integrated and coupled into both the room-temperature and cryogenic temperature s-SNOM system.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Technical / Weighting: 80%
Price - Weighting: 20%
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
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:
- absence of competition for technical reasons
Explanation:
Absence of competition for technical reasons. VEAT ref: 2022/S 000-029139
Attocube is the only company worldwide, who manufactures a scattering-type near-field optical microscope (VIS-neaSCOPE) that enables simultaneous background-free imaging and spectroscopy on nanometre length scales in the visible range. Their exclusive design works with the following patents:
- Patented parabolic mirror design for focusing and collection of light
- Patented dual-port design to allow two beams of light to be focused on the atomic force microscope (AFM) tip for nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy
- Patented signal processing for optical background suppression
- Patented pseudo-heterodyne detection (PsHEt) technology for background suppression
- Patented interferometric design (nano-FTIR) for background-free optical detection technology and simultaneous detection of optical amplitude and phase and hyperspectral imaging
- Patented high speed holography (HSH) for multispectral imaging
- Patend phase shifting (PhS) detection to extract relative phase
These patents and the exclusive design have enabled the VIS-neascope system to conduct amplitude and phase-resolved vector field, reflection and absorption mapping with nanoscale spatial resolution. It is currently the only system on the market that enables dual-port operation combined with a high NA parabolic mirror, which is essential for low SNR pump-probe measurements in the visible range. The VIS-neascope system is also the only system offering pseudoheterodyne background-free detection of the amplitude and phase of the near-field signal up to the 5th harmonic order, which is another essential requirement for s-SNOM in the visible range.
In addition, the vis-neaSCOPE offers the following unique technical specifications:
- Optimised scanning probe microscope system that can be combined with mechanical and electrical measurements
- Built-in optical imaging and spectroscopy software modules, as well as data visualisation and analysis software
- Position sensors for motorised parabolic mirror axes to enable alignment-free focusing of a laser beam to the AFM tip
- Visible and NIR illumination units, which can be integrated and coupled into both the room-temperature and cryogenic temperature s-SNOM system.
The system is also flexible and can be upgraded to operate in other wavelength ranges (out to THz range), perform electrical measurements, nano-PL, nano-Raman and photothermal expansion mapping in the future.
In particular, neaspec is the only company who can upgrade the existing cryogenic s-SNOM system (cryo-neaSCOPE) based at University of Manchester and integrate a visible illumination unit to perform nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy at low temperature.
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: 2022/S 000-029139
Section five. Award of contract
Title
sSnom for UoM
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
29 November 2022
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
attocube systems AG
Eglifinger Weg 2, Haar, Bayern, 85540, Germany
Haar
85540
Country
Germany
NUTS code
- DE - Germany
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £395,278.96
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
National Physical Laboratory
Hampton Road
Teddington
TW11 0LW
Telephone
+44 2089773222
Country
United Kingdom