Scope
Reference
250262
Description
The Future Medicines Institute (FMI) requires a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) system with advanced capabilities for real-time, label-free analysis of biomolecular interactions.
(Maximum budget available for Equipment inclusive of 3 years extended warranty & annual preventative maintenance is is £330,000).
The primary objective of procuring an SPR device is to enhance FMI's capacity to characterise binding kinetics, affinity, and specificity of biomolecular interactions, thereby strengthening its protein science and drug discovery workflows.
The proposed system must:
• Provide precise kinetic and affinity measurements for a wide range of biomolecular interactions, including protein-protein, protein-antibody, and protein-small molecule binding.
• Deliver high sensitivity and reproducibility to ensure reliable and quantitative data across experiments.
• Support automation and high-throughput analysis, enabling efficient screening of large sample sets.
• Include robust data analysis software for comprehensive kinetic modelling and data interpretation.
• Offer versatile assay configurations, supporting various experimental formats and immobilisation chemistries.
• Integrate seamlessly with upstream and downstream workflows, including protein purification and structural analysis.
The procurement of a high-performance SPR system directly supports FMI's broader goals of:
• Accelerating drug discovery through rapid identification and characterisation of therapeutic candidates.
• Enhancing biopharmaceutical research by enabling detailed analysis of binding mechanisms critical to biologics development.
• Facilitating translational research by bridging fundamental molecular interaction studies with clinical and therapeutic applications.
This procurement will provide direct benefit to research scientists by:
• Reducing manual intervention and experimental variability through automation and streamlined workflows.
• Enhancing data quality with high-resolution detection and advanced signal processing for accurate kinetic profiling.
• Please note: - The execution of this tender & contract will be solely dependent on grant funding being received, which is estimated to be confirmed in November 2025.
• No award will be made, or orders issued until the grant funding has been confirmed. If grant funding is not secured, the market will be notified, and this procurement exercise will be stood down.
Contract dates (estimated)
- 22 December 2025 to 21 December 2035
- Possible extension to 21 December 2045
- 20 years
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
- 38430000 - Detection and analysis apparatus
- 38432000 - Analysis apparatus
Contract locations
- UKN06 - Belfast
Engagement
Engagement deadline
7 October 2025
The engagement was carried out before this notice was published.
Engagement process description
Summary of Informal Preliminary Market Engagement
Queen's has conducted Preliminary Market Engagement with a number of suppliers in order to:
• develop the understanding of our requirements and the proposed approach to the procurement;
• gain a better understanding of what the market can offer and if the market was capable of responding to a tender in relation to this requirement;
• identify potential suppliers for the requirement;
• understand potential lead times;
• gain an understanding of the commercial profile for the requirement;
• communicate sustainability targets and minimum requirements to confirm the market has the capability to deliver on these.
• identify opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of the requirement.
The information gathered from PME will be used to shape any forthcoming procurement strategy to ensure that requirements can be subject to reasonable competitive tension.
Participation in preliminary market engagement is not a prerequisite for any future tender exercise.
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
17 October 2025
Contracting authority
Queen's University Belfast
- Charity Commission for Northern Ireland: 101788
University Rd
Belfast
BT7 1NN
United Kingdom
Email: procurement@qub.ac.uk
Region: UKN06 - Belfast
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government
Devolved regulations that apply: Northern Ireland