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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

C-Trap Dymo 400. Optical Tweezers-Fluorescence Microscope

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM · Transparency notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 30 Sept 2026, 05:58.

Opportunity overview

The University of Birmingham, within the College of Medicine and Health, is expanding its capabilities for advanced single-molecule biophysics research. This expansion includes the acquisition of a highly specialised instrument: the C-Trap® Dymo 400, manufactured by LUMICKS B.V. This instrument integrates cutting-edge optical trapping, confocal fluorescence microscopy, and laminar flow microfluidics into a single, coherent system. The C-Trap® Dymo 400 will be installed at the University to support high-precision, real-time studies of molecular interactions, particularly in areas involving DNA-protein complexes, RNA structures, ubiquitin structures and cytoskeletal filament dynamics. It includes multi-colour confocal fluorescence (488, 561, 638 nm), dual force detection (x,y), short tether capabilities, microfluidics, and full system integration with proprietary Bluelake software, all required to maintain the scientific edge of our ongoing biophysical and molecular biology research.

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

Lumicks B.V.

Match pending…
Published award value
£650k
Awarded
Not supplied
Award ID
1
Status
pending
Identifier
GB-COH 60187263
Location
Amsterdam, NL, 1105AG, Netherlands

Classification

No classification was supplied.

Lots

  • Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
SC14161/25
Status
complete
Procurement Method
direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Why this procedure was chosen
This procurement is being undertaken via a single-source route due to the unique technical capabilities of the C-Trap® Dymo 400 and the exclusive rights held by its manufacturer, LUMICKS B.V. the unique elements of this are: • Multi-trap continuous-wave optical tweezers, • Multi-colour confocal fluorescence microscopy, and • Multi-channel laminar flow microfluidics. These technologies are protected by several granted patents, including: US9952421, EP3256254B1 (optical traps), US9766180, EP3004848B1 (fluorescence imaging), S11156513B2 (optical force measurement) and EP3737756B1 (DNA supercoiling). No other commercially available instrument can provide simultaneous, correlated force-distance-fluorescence measurements with the required resolution and sensitivity. Key performance features exclusive to the C-Trap include: • Force resolution < 0.1 pN and drift stability < 0.3 pN over 2 minutes • Confocal localisation precision < 15 nm • Real-time imaging of single molecules under physiological flow conditions • Escape force > 1000 pN, allowing for broad biological applicability • Integrated hardware/software for fast setup and automated experimental workflows. Additionally, the system includes a complete service and application support package, exclusive training kits, and proprietary components that are not available from any other provider.

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Procedure reasons

Entry 1
Id
singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons
Entry 2
Id
urgency

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
complete

Suitability

Sme
Yes

Published documents

Entry 1
Id
conflictOfInterest
Description
Not published
Document Type
conflictOfInterest

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-COH-RC000645
Name
THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UKG31
Country
GB
Locality
Birmingham
Postal Code
B15 2TT
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
Edgbaston

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Description
Public authority - sub-central government

Identifier

Id
RC000645
Scheme
GB-COH

Contact

Additional Identifiers

Entry 1
Id
PHCQ-3464-LVTM
Scheme
GB-PPON
Organisation 2
Id
GB-COH-60187263
Name
Lumicks B.V.

Roles

supplier

Address

Region
NL
Country
NL
Locality
Amsterdam
Postal Code
1105AG
Country Name
Netherlands
Street Address
Paalbergweg 3

Details

Vcse
No
Scale
large

Identifier

Id
60187263
Scheme
GB-COH

Contact

Award information

Award 1
Id
1
Status
pending
Above Threshold
Yes
Main Procurement Category
goods

Items

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UK
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
33100000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Medical equipments
Entry 2
Id
45214630
Scheme
CPV
Description
Scientific installations

Value

Amount
650,000
Currency
GBP
Including VAT
650,000

Documents

Entry 1
Id
039280-2025
Format
text/html
Notice Type
UK5
Description
Transparency notice on Find a Tender
Document Type
awardNotice
Published
11 Jul 2025, 13:47

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-COH-60187263
Name
Lumicks B.V.

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
1
Type
futureSignatureDate
Status
scheduled
Due
12 Jul 2025, 23:59

Related lots

1

Contract period

Ends
31 Jul 2025, 23:59
Starts
12 Jul 2025, 00:00

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Birmingham · UKG31 · B15 2TT · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-055daa-2025-07-11T13:47:58+01:00Transparency notice on Find a Tender ·