Scope
Reference
ID 6121155
Description
AFBI require a Contractor for the supply, delivery, installation, commissioning, and training of staff in the use of a Liquid Chromatography -Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS) with Linear Ion Trap functionality, and which must be delivered on or before 31st March 2026.
This tender competition is for one LC-MS with Linear Ion Trap functionality purchased with 4 years' additional warranty covering breakdown support and an annual preventive maintenance visit which must be delivered on or before 31st March 2026.
Suppliers should refer to the Specification Schedule for full detail on the requirements of this contract.
Total value (estimated)
- £475,000 excluding VAT
- £570,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 17 February 2026 to 31 March 2031
- Possible extension to 31 March 2035
- 9 years, 1 month, 12 days
Description of possible extension:
The Buyer may extend the Service and Support Package for 5 optional periods of up to 12 Months (per instrument) each by giving not less than six months' notice in writing to the Supplier prior to the Expiry Date.
The Conditions of the Contract shall apply throughout any such extended period.
Options
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid.
Should additional funding become available within a period of 12 months from the commissioning completion date, AFBI may purchase a further instrument with the same specification as detailed in the Specification Document - subject to budgetary approval and agreement between the Buyer and Supplier.
Where an additional instrument is purchased, the Buyer will use the pricing from the Pricing Schedule submitted for the initial purchase.
The additional instrument must be of an identical technical model and specification to the initial purchase and must be supplied and supported in full compliance with the Specification document, including the optional extension years for Warranty and Servicing and Support.
The Delivery and Commissioning of any additional purchase must be completed within 3 months of the order being placed.
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 38400000 - Instruments for checking physical characteristics
- 38430000 - Detection and analysis apparatus
- 38432000 - Analysis apparatus
- 38432200 - Chromatographs
- 38433000 - Spectrometers
- 38433100 - Mass spectrometer
Contract locations
- UKN - Northern Ireland
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
14 January 2026, 3:00pm
Tender submission deadline
26 January 2026, 3:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders must be submitted electronically via the relevant Call for Tender (CfT) opportunity on eTendersNI, website details immediately below.
Paper submissions will not be accepted or considered and will be rejected by the Contracting Authority / Buyer.
The tender documents are available with unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: URL https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
2 February 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| MFR1 - Minimum Functional Requirements (MFR 1-25) | Pass/Fail |
Quality |
| STD1 - Minimal Functional Requirements: Supporting Technical Documentation/Narrative | Pass/Fail |
Quality |
| T1 - Training Requirements | Pass/Fail |
Quality |
| D1 - Delivery Requirements | Pass/Fail |
Quality |
| QA1 - Solvent standard test - CV% of repeated injections of Antiparasitics (A/P) standard | 10.5 Percent |
Quality |
| QA2 - Solvent standard test - Instrument Detection Limit of A/P standard | 3.5 Percent |
Quality |
| QA3a - Sample test - Quantitative Analysis A/P - Linearity over limited range (R2 + Residuals) | 3.5 Percent |
Quality |
| QA3b - Sample test - Quantitative Analysis A/P - Positive samples average concentration + CV% | 10.5 Percent |
Quality |
| QA3c - Sample test - Quantitative Analysis A/P - Successful determination of unknown analyte concentration including blank samples | 14 Percent |
Quality |
| QA4a - Sample test - Quantitative Analysis of Amphenicols (AMP) - Linearity over limited range (R2 + Residuals) | 3.5 Percent |
Quality |
| QA4b - Sample test - Quantitative Analysis Amphenicols - positive samples average concentration + CV% | 10.5 Percent |
Quality |
| QA4c - Sample test - Quantitative Analysis Amphenicols - successful determination of unknown analyte concentration including blank samples | 14 Percent |
Quality |
Weighting description
70 percent quality and 30 percent cost.
This competition also includes a number of Mandatory Requirements which will be scored
on a Pass/Fail basis. Please refer to the Instructions to Tender document for further
information on all criteria
Other information
Payment terms
For ANI clients insert: For further details on invoicing procedures please see : https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/ar ticles/account-ni-good-invoicing-practice
Contract Value
The estimated value figure indicated in the Scope Section represents an overall estimated contract value. This value reflects the potential scale of the contract and takes into account potential optional extension periods and the uptake of potential optional services as detailed in the tender documents. This figure does not however take into account the application of indexation or increases to charges due to increases in the Real Living Wage. Neither CPD nor the contracting Authority can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this contract. The Contracting Authority does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender. Suppliers remain responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by them or by any third party acting under instructions from the Supplier in connection with taking part in this procurement process regardless of whether such costs arise as a consequence, directly or indirectly of any amendments made to the procurement documents by the Contracting Authority at any time. No legally binding contract shall arise (and a Supplier shall have no legitimate expectation that a contract will be entered into) until such time as entry into the Contract has been confirmed by the Contracting Authority.
Description of risks to contract performance
The Contracting Authority has identified the following risks as risks that satisfy the criteria of Schedule 8 sub-paragraph (6)(a) of the Procurement Act 2023 i.e. that the risk/s could jeopardise the satisfactory performance of the contract but, because of its/their nature, cannot be addressed in the contract as awarded:
1. Has concluded that there is a possibility that the contract may have to be modified as a result of a materialisation of the known risk/s at a later date in accordance with Schedule 8 paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023.
Exclusions
If at any time during the procurement, or post award, it comes to the attention of the Contracting Authority (CA) or CPD, by whatever means, that a Supplier has become 'excluded' or 'excludable' as per Sec 57 of the PA 2023, the CA, after compliance with its obligations under the PA 23, reserves the right to exclude said Supplier from the procurement procedure or terminate any contract they have been awarded.
The Contracting Authority expressly reserves the rights:
(I). not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;
(II). to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering Competition;
(III). to award (a) contract(s) in respect of any part(s) of the [services] covered by this notice; and
(IV). to award contract(s) in stages.
and in no circumstances will the Authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates.
This project will be used to progress the Government's wider social, economic and environmental objectives.
Applicable trade agreements
- Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Contracting authority
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PBLN-5294-NVHZ
18a Newforge Lane
Belfast
BT9 5PX
United Kingdom
Region: UKN06 - Belfast
Organisation type: Public authority - central government
Devolved regulations that apply: Northern Ireland
Other organisation
These organisations are carrying out the procurement, or part of it, on behalf of the contracting authorities.
CPD - Supplies & Services Division
Summary of their role in this procurement: Construction and Procurement Delivery - Supplies and Services Division, is a Centre of Procurement Expertise and provides a central procurement function for central government in Northern Ireland
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVWG-8426-YWXV
Clare House 303 Airport Road West
Belfast
BT3 9ED
United Kingdom
Region: UKN06 - Belfast