Scope
Reference
AWE00428
Description
Remanufacture of a short pulse final focusing mirror, remove coating, refinish substrate and recoat.
Two short pulse beamlines require the use of an off-axis parabola (OAP) as the final focusing optic. Due to the optics proximity to target the surface becomes degraded over time due to target shrapnel and condensate from material vaporization.
The optics are 720 mm in diameter and have a specific surface profile and optical coating requirement. They either have a 1 Omega (1053 nm) or 2 Omega (527 nm) high reflectance coating with a specified laser damage threshold at the pulse length of use
Total value (estimated)
- £640,000 excluding VAT
- £800,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 15 December 2025 to 14 December 2026
- 1 year
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
- 38600000 - Optical instruments
Contract locations
- UKC - North East (England)
- UKD - North West (England)
- UKE - Yorkshire and the Humber
- UKF - East Midlands (England)
- UKG - West Midlands (England)
- UKH - East of England
- UKI - London
- UKJ - South East (England)
- UKK - South West (England)
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Submission type
Requests to participate
Deadline for requests to participate
10 September 2025, 11:59pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
No
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
12 December 2025
Award criteria
| Name | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Price | 50% |
| Technical | Quality | 20% |
| Quality | Quality | 20% |
| Social Value | Quality | 10% |
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Special regime
Defence and security
Competitive flexible procedure description
AWE is conducting this procurement using a two staged Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP)
The CFP is structured as below:
Stage 1: Invitation to Participate (ITP)
· Interested suppliers are invited to submit initial responses to demonstrate capability, experience, and alignment with the procurement objectives.
· AWE will evaluate submissions against defined criteria to identify the most suitable candidates.
· A shortlist of suppliers will be selected to proceed to Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender (ITT)
· The ITP will include technical assessments, questionnaires and capability statements.
ITP Timeline
1. Issue of the ITP and other Procurement Documents which have been made available at this stage. (06/08/25)
2. Deadline for receipt of ITP clarifications via email. (22/08/25)
3. ITP response close / deadline. (10/09/25)
4. Evaluation of ITP submissions. ( up to 29/09/25)
5. Results of ITP submissions & outcome letters issued. (30/09/25)
Stage 2: Invitation to Tender (ITT)
· Following the initial Invitation to Participate (ITP) stage, shortlisted suppliers will be invited to submit a formal tender during the Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage, which forms Stage 2 of the Competitive Flexible Procedure.
· Shortlisted suppliers will be asked to provide detailed proposals, including technical solutions, pricing, and delivery plans.
· AWE will assess tenders against predefined award criteria, which include quality, cost, innovation, and social value.
ITT Timeline:
1. Issue of the ITT and other Procurement Documents which have been made available at this stage. (30/09/25)
2. Deadline for receipt of ITT clarifications via email. (17/10/25)
3. ITT response close / deadline. (03/11/25)
4. Evaluation of ITT submissions. (19/11/25)
5. Results of ITT submissions & outcome letters issued. (21/11/25)
6. Internal Governance. (05/12/25)
7. Standstill period (up to 05/12/25)
8. Contract Signature (12/12/25)
9. Contract Start (15/12/25)
Documents
Documents to be provided after the tender notice
Responses to the ITP should be submitted via email to rdme.procurement@awe.co.uk. Please include in the title of your email submission the reference of 'AWE00428'.
Contracting authority
Atomic Weapons Establishment
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PYCH-2579-LGTN
AWE Aldermaston
Reading
RG7 4PR
United Kingdom
Email: RDME.procurement@awe.co.uk
Region: UKJ11 - Berkshire
Organisation type: Public authority - central government