UK Research & Innovation: UKRI-4697 EPAC Optic Bundle 4

UK-Swindon: Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses).

Section I: Contracting Authority

   I.1) Name, Addresses and Contact Point(s):
       UK Research & Innovation
       UK Research and Innovation, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FL, United Kingdom
       Tel. +44 01793298902, Email: STFCprocurement@ukri.org
       Contact: Chloe Lacy
       Main Address: www.ukri.org
       NUTS Code: UK

   I.2) Joint procurement:
      The contract involves joint procurement: No          
      In the case of joint procurement involving different countries, state applicable national procurement law: Not Provided
      The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body: No

   I.4)Type of the contracting authority:
      Body governed by public law

   I.5) Main activity:
      Other activity: Research

Section II: Object Of The Contract

   II.1) Scope of the procurement

      II.1.1) Title: UKRI-4697 EPAC Optic Bundle 4            
      Reference number: UKRI-4697

      II.1.2) Main CPV code:
         38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses).


      II.1.3) Type of contract: SUPPLIES

      II.1.4) Short description: The work involves an upgrade of the existing EPAC facility to introduce a second beamline in the pump laser section of EPAC. This purchase is for an EPAC Bundle 4.

      II.1.6) Information about lots
         This contract is divided into lots: No
            
      II.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
          Value: 184,500
                  
         Currency:GBP            

   II.2) Description

      II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s):
      Not Provided

      II.2.3) Place of performance
      Nuts code:
      UK - UNITED KINGDOM
   
      Main site or place of performance:
      UNITED KINGDOM
             

      II.2.4) Description of the procurement: In order to ensure efficiency of operation, maintenance and to share operational costs of spares and resources this second beamline will be a duplicate of the original. This requires an additional Optic Bundle 4. This optical bundle is highly specialist, and operationally critical pieces of equipment, which have been developed in collaboration with the CLF over the past 10 years. The previous designs have been fully tested and integrated into the current facility and work very well for the intended use. They are based on 10 years of development work and represent significant work on both the part of STFC and MPO to ensure effective integration and operation.

They are absolutely necessary components of the EPAC laser system, the optics already in place have been fully integrated into the EPAC overall control and machine protections systems. In taking this approach we ensure that spare parts for these optics can be used on the original system and on the second beamline. The compatibility between the two beamlines is critical as we already have spare parts from the first beamline which can, if needed, be used on the second beamline, this in turn saves the facility money as the spare parts are already available and time as these spare parts are already stored on site at RAL. The upgrade will ensure the optical systems for the second beamline operate in the same manner as the existing system.

      II.2.5) Award criteria:
                  
      Price - Weighting: 100
            

      II.2.11) Information about options
         Options: No
         

      II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
         The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
         

      II.2.14) Additional information: The term and conditions relating to this purchase are provided in the Contract, which matches the Contract number cited in the narrative to this Purchase Order and are specific to this Contract. Where the Contract number is not so cited, then our standard terms and conditions will apply which are available at :- https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/UKRI-090123-ProcurementContractData-2658-December2022.pdf


Section IV: Procedure

IV.1) Description

   IV.1.1)Type of procedure: Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union in the cases listed below (please complete Annex D1)


   IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
      The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement: No       
      

   IV.1.6) Information about electronic auction
      An electronic auction has been used: No

   IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
      The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

IV.2) Administrative information

   IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
       Not Provided
   

   IV.2.9) Information about termination of call for competition in the form of a prior information notice
      The contracting authority will not award any further contracts based on the above prior information notice: No

Section V: Award of contract

Award Of Contract (No.1)

   Contract No: UKRI-4697    
   Lot Number: Not Provided    
   Title: UKRI-4697 EPAC Optic Bundle 4

   A contract/lot is awarded: Yes


   V.2) Award of contract

      V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract: 12/02/2025

      V.2.2) Information about tenders
         Number of tenders received: 1
         Number of tenders received from SMEs: Not Provided          
         Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: Not Provided          
         Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: Not Provided          
         Number of tenders received by electronic means: Not Provided

      V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

      The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
         
         Contractor (No.1)
             Manx Precision Optics Ltd., N/A
             Units 11-12a, Isle of Man Freeport, Ballasalla, IM9 2AP, Isle Of Man
             Tel. +44 1624620800, Email: cbridle@mpo.im
             Internet address: https://mpo.im/
             NUTS Code: IM
            The contractor is an SME: No

      V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
         Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: 184,500          
         Total value of the contract/lot: 184,500
         Currency: GBP

      V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
         The contract is likely to be subcontracted: No
         
Section VI: Complementary information

   VI.3) Additional information: To view this notice, please click here:
https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=921305575

   VI.4) Procedures for review

      VI.4.1) Review body
          UK Research & Innovation
          Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FL, United Kingdom
          Tel. +44 1793867000, Email: STFCprocurement@ukri.org
          Internet address: www.ukri.org

      VI.4.3) Review procedure
         Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures: Not Provided

      VI.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
         Not Provided

   VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice: 13/02/2025




ANNEX D

   1. Justification for the choice of the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a call for competition in accordance with Article 32 of Directive 2014/24/EU

      No tenders or no suitable tenders/requests to participate in response to: Not Provided

      The products involved are manufactured purely for the purpose of research, experiment, study or development under the conditions stated in the directive (for supplies only): No       
      
      The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason: absence of competition for technical reasons

      Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority and in accordance with the strict conditions stated in the directive: No

      Additional deliveries by the original supplier ordered under the strict conditions stated in the directive: No

      
      
      Procurement of supplies quoted and purchased on a commodity market: No

      Purchase of supplies or services on particularly advantageous terms: No


   3. Explanation
          The original manufacturer of the optical system for EPAC’s first beamline was supplied by MPO who have intimate knowledge of the design and operation of the existing system from previously contracted deliveries under contracts PR16037. This is a direct replica of the existing system in EPAC. The previous designs have been fully tested and integrated into the current facility. They are based on 10 years of development work and represent significant work on both the part of STFC and MPO to ensure effective integration and operation. The spare parts for these optics can be used on the original system and on the second beamline. The compatibility between the two beamlines are critical, as we already have spare parts from the first beamline which can, if needed, be used on the second beamline which allows the beamlines to stay functioning. For these reasons, STFC have awarded to MPO in accordance to regulation 32 for absence of competition, for technical reasons.