Procurement of Octet R8e, 8-Channel System

Description

Purchase of Octet R8e, 8-Channel System and associated accessories (pipettes etc.), software and maintenance plan

Key facts

Procedure

Direct award

Lots

1

Contact

purchasing@quadram.ac.uk

Contract period

28 Oct 2026 → 28 Oct 2032

Value incl. VAT

£549k

Category

goods

Awarded suppliers

• SARTORIUS UK LIMITED · GB-COH-01126814 · UKJ26, GB

Ground given for limiting competition

The buyer’s own stated reason for awarding without open competition, as published. Their assertion, not a finding.

A market review was undertaken to identify alternative suppliers of this technology. An alternative supplier was identified but proposed meetings did not take place and the alternative supplier subsequently did not provide a quote, technical proposal or configuration to evaluate against the proposal/quote Sartorius provided. Other label-free biomolecular interaction technologies, such as Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), were also considered at a technology level. However, SPR is technically different from the required dip-and-read BLI workflow and involves microfluidics. QIB already has access to SPR capability within the Research Park, whereas the purpose of this procurement is to establish a complementary high-throughput BLI capability within QIB. The funded scientific case specifically identified BLI as the required capability, including its high-throughput workflow and compatibility with the planned microbiome, fermentation, FPLC and multiomics research pipeline. On this basis, QIB considers that a conventional competitive tender would not provide a meaningful comparison for the required specification. The procurement exercise identified Sartorius as the supplier able to provide the required BLI capability, configuration, technical support and service provision within the required timescale and funding envelope.