High Pressure Vitreous Freezer

{
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-FTS-2023",
    "name": "University Of Edinburgh"
  },
  "date": "2025-06-05T11:54:19+01:00",
  "description": "Invitation to Tender date on notice represents anticipated date for ITT Stage 2.  For avoidance of doubt this notice constitutes invitation to ITT Stage 1 in addition to qualification\nThe buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 29401. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343\nCommunity benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/\nA summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:\nIntroduction\nIt is the policy of the University of Edinburgh, in line with Scottish Government guidance, to encourage our supply chain to be making a positive social impact, in addition to the benefits they bring to the University and Scottish economy through providing goods and services.  In this section suppliers are asked to confirm what commitments they make in respect of Sustainability and Community benefits.\nA combined question is asked on sustainability and community benefits in the procurement documentation; evaluation guidance which will be followed is provided.  Suppliers have flexibility to highlight any sustainability and community benefit opportunities they offer or will offer during the duration of the contract.  These benefits should be in Scotland, preferably Edinburgh and South-East Scotland.\nEdinburgh ESES\nIf a supplier does not currently provide any community benefits in the region of Edinburgh and East Scotland, an easy way to do this is via ESES Communities.  This is a website funded by the Edinburgh\u0026South East Scotland City Region Deal, which provides a public portal of pre-vetted social projects which businesses can choose to invest in.  Suppliers can submit for an opportunity and when accepted will be advertised as a backer to the project.  Opportunities may consist of simple donations (e.g. for school uniforms for impoverished children) or contribution of skills (such as providing IT training for the elderly).\nThe website can be found at:\nhttps://www.esescommunities.org/\n(SC Ref:800799)",
  "id": "030174-2025",
  "initiationType": "tender",
  "language": "en",
  "links": [
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  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-054368",
  "parties": [
    {
      "address": {
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "locality": "Edinburgh",
        "postalCode": "EH1 1HT",
        "region": "UKM75",
        "streetAddress": "Charles Stewart House, 9-16 Chambers Street"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "jpike2@ed.ac.uk",
        "telephone": "+44 1316502759",
        "url": "https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/"
      },
      "details": {
        "buyerProfile": "https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00107",
        "classifications": [
          {
            "description": "Body governed by public law",
            "id": "BODY_PUBLIC",
            "scheme": "TED_CA_TYPE"
          },
          {
            "description": "Education",
            "id": "09",
            "scheme": "COFOG"
          }
        ],
        "url": "http://www.ed.ac.uk"
      },
      "id": "GB-FTS-2023",
      "identifier": {
        "legalName": "University Of Edinburgh"
      },
      "name": "University Of Edinburgh",
      "roles": [
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        "centralPurchasingBody"
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    },
    {
      "address": {
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "locality": "Edinburgh"
      },
      "id": "GB-FTS-1033",
      "identifier": {
        "legalName": "Edinburgh Sheriff Court"
      },
      "name": "Edinburgh Sheriff Court",
      "roles": [
        "reviewBody"
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    }
  ],
  "tag": [
    "tender"
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  "tender": {
    "classification": {
      "description": "Freezing equipment",
      "id": "42513100",
      "scheme": "CPV"
    },
    "contractTerms": {
      "electronicInvoicingPolicy": "allowed",
      "hasElectronicOrdering": true,
      "hasElectronicPayment": true,
      "performanceTerms": "The contract shall be negotiated with the bidders.\nThe expectation is that the supplier delivers in line with time, cost and quality expectations"
    },
    "coveredBy": [
      "GPA"
    ],
    "description": "The School of Physics and Astronomy  has a requirement for a \u2018High Pressure Vitreous Freezer\u2019 (HPVF); this is a device that freezes samples to extreme low temperature  at an exceptionally high rate to essentially \u2018freeze a sample in time\u2019.  If a sample is cooled at a slower rate ice may form within/on fragile samples (for example cells), which would swell/crystalise and destroy the nano/microstructure  of the sample.  Freezing at an exceptionally high rate freezes the sample faster than ice can form, avoiding this issue.\nThis machine will be used for experimental sample preparation.",
    "documents": [
      {
        "documentType": "economicSelectionCriteria",
        "id": "economic"
      },
      {
        "documentType": "technicalSelectionCriteria",
        "id": "technical"
      }
    ],
    "hasRecurrence": false,
    "id": "EC1055",
    "items": [
      {
        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "description": "Optical instruments",
            "id": "38600000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          },
          {
            "description": "Industrial machinery",
            "id": "42000000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          }
        ],
        "deliveryAddresses": [
          {
            "region": "UKM75"
          }
        ],
        "deliveryLocation": {
          "description": "City of Edinburgh"
        },
        "id": "1",
        "relatedLot": "1"
      }
    ],
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "32014L0024",
      "scheme": "CELEX"
    },
    "lots": [
      {
        "awardCriteria": {
          "criteria": [
            {
              "description": "50",
              "name": "Technical requirement",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "50",
              "name": "Total cost for initial term",
              "type": "cost"
            }
          ]
        },
        "contractPeriod": {
          "durationInDays": 2880
        },
        "description": "DETAILED SPECIFICATION\nESSENTIAL:\n- The ability to vitreously freeze small volumes (specimen carriers described later) of soft and liquid samples by using a combination of high pressures and liquid nitrogen\n- Must achieve a minimum cooling rate of 2000K/s\n- Must be able to exert pressures on the sample in the range of 1900 \u2013 2200 bar during the freezing process to inhibit ice nucleation\n- Use 3mm and 6mm diameter planchette specimen carriers to hold the sample during freezing\n- Output freezing parameters after the freezing process\n- Vitreously freeze non-biological and biological samples up to 200 \u00b5m thick\n- Use mains electricity in the lab and conform to UK/CE electrical safety standards.\n- Installation, commissioning and testing of the equipment.\n- User Training provided.\n- Access requirements for the lab: Fire exit width: 139cm. Lab door width: 130cm(W) * 210cm(H); Corridor: 159cm(min width); Weight: Passes through corridors with areas of possible max weight \u201cnot exceeding 580kg per square metre\u201d.\n- 1 year manufacturer\u2019s parts and labour warranty\n- Basic level of service contract(extended warranty) + Support helpline and troubleshooting for 3 years post initial warranty period.\n- Device should be reliable and have a long supported life (ideally not less than 10 years)\n- Product must fit within available lab space; floor plan max area 2m x 2m\nOPTIONAL/DESIRABLE:\n- The ability to also use other types of \u201cstandard\u201d HPF specimen carriers, such as copper tubes (0.4-0.9 mm diameter), sapphire disks, other, etc.\n- Able to fit into or Retrofittable into a Correlative Light-Electron Microscopy (CLEM) workflow and/or employ the \u201cWaffle\u201d method for a cryo on-grid thinning workflow.  Live cell imaging is not needed (freezing sample seconds after an \u201cevent\u201d) as part of the initial requirement. In the future we may want to freeze a sample and observe it with light and electron microscopy but freezing the sample at a specific time is likely not needed.\n- Reliable stock of consumables/specimen carriers for purchase\nAWARD\nThe University anticipates initially awarding for;\n-\tDevice manufactured, delivered into the lab, installed, commissioned and tested by supplier; to be in a fully operable state\n-\tUser training\n-\t1 year full parts and labour warranty\n-\tParts and labour extended service for 3 years post warranty\nThe University welcomes suppliers providing details of their enhanced service offerings for comparison.\nINSTALLATION SURVEY:\n-\tInitial measurements have been provided for entrance ways and available floor space above but these are approximations\n-\tThe University will take no liability if a supplier subsequently discovers they cannot deliver or install their solution without changes to the building fabric; in such circumstances the University may at its discretion cancel the award and award to the next-ranked supplier\n-\tGiving reasonable notice (and subject to any submission deadline) suppliers may request the opportunity to conduct a single site survey prior to submitting their bid and/or finalising the contract post-award, providing the University and Supplier can agree a mutually convenient date and time.  We encourage suppliers to take this opportunity.\nMANUFACTURING DEADLINE\nUnless otherwise agreed or offered by the University suppliers must meet a deadline to manufacture and deliver the winning machine, and install+ commission it, by no later than end June 2026.",
        "hasOptions": true,
        "hasRenewal": true,
        "id": "1",
        "options": {
          "description": "Purchase of sundries, additional service and machine extensions may be undertaken with the winning bidder via the Negotiated Procedure Without Prior Call For Competition"
        },
        "renewal": {
          "description": "Duration estimate reflects; Initial term consisting of 1 year warranty and 3 years extended service (4 years) + the option to extend service for a further 4 years, to give a total potential term of approximately 8 years post-device delivery"
        },
        "secondStage": {
          "maximumCandidates": 3,
          "minimumCandidates": 3
        },
        "selectionCriteria": {
          "description": "We are utilising our right to have a procedure where the number of candidates may be reduced phase by phase.  The requirement, questions to answer and scoring methodology will be set out in the procurement documentation for each phase.\nThis process consists of a PQQ, a two-stage ITT, and a negotiation.  This notice constitutes an invitation for interested suppliers to Pre-qualify AND submit their Invitation to Tender Bid for ITT stage 1 simultaneously.\nThe first ITT stage is intentionally light-touch to quickly confirm Tenderers who meet the requirement and cost envelope the University is seeking.  ITT stage two may be more detailed, commensurate with a normal ITT process.  The University at its discretion may elect to not undertake a second ITT stage but proceed immediately to negotiation with down-selected suppliers.\nSubmissions should be via the PCST system.  For avoidance of doubt, the \u2018Qualification\u2019 envelope shall be a Tenderers qualification stage, and the \u2018Technical\u2019 and \u2018Commercial\u2019 stage shall be their ITT stage 1.\nIn the event a Tenderer does not pass Qualification the University may not review their ITT Stage 1 bid and may reject their tender.\nThe details and terms of ITT Stage 1 are set out in the procurement documentation."
        },
        "status": "active",
        "submissionTerms": {
          "variantPolicy": "notAllowed"
        },
        "value": {
          "amount": 361000,
          "currency": "GBP"
        }
      }
    ],
    "mainProcurementCategory": "goods",
    "procurementMethod": "selective",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Competitive procedure with negotiation",
    "secondStage": {
      "invitationDate": "2025-07-25T00:00:00+01:00",
      "noNegotiationNecessary": true,
      "successiveReduction": true
    },
    "status": "active",
    "submissionMethod": [
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    ],
    "submissionMethodDetails": "https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/",
    "submissionTerms": {
      "bidValidityPeriod": {
        "durationInDays": 120
      },
      "languages": [
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      ]
    },
    "tenderPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2025-07-07T16:00:00+01:00"
    },
    "title": "High Pressure Vitreous Freezer",
    "value": {
      "amount": 361000,
      "currency": "GBP"
    }
  }
}