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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

VEAT for Sequencing Consumables and Servicing

University Of Edinburgh · award, contract

Tender information last checkedLast checked 3 Oct 2026, 04:37.

Opportunity overview

The University of Edinburgh intends to award a contract to Oxford Nanopore Technologies due to competition being absent for technical reasons for the provision on sequencing consumables and servicing of equipment.

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.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Matched by normalised name
Contract value
£3.9m
Awarded
Not supplied
Contract signed
26 Mar 2026
Award ID
031424-2026-1
Status
active
Location
Oxford, UK, OX4 4DQ, United Kingdom

Classification

  • CPV33140000 — Medical consumables

Lots

  • The University of Edinburgh intends to award a contract to Oxford Nanopore Technologies due to competition being absent for technical reasons. The University has selected Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) as the supplier for a sequencing program of work as they are the only supplier who can meet the project target of sequencing long DNA sequences of varying lengths while detecting native modifications, allowing like-for-like variant and DNA methylation comparison against saliva DNA controls from equivalent European genetic ancestry, by extending a previous successful pilot study with processes leading to more rapid sample results such as terminating sequencing once desired coverage is achieved, and doing so with sufficiently high throughput that is required within the timescale of the project which is 1 year. The contract is specifically for the purchase of consumables and the 12-month servicing of equipment and the specific justification is as follows: Oxford Nanopore Technologies is the sole manufacturer and patent holder of the nanopore sequencing technology used in the PromethION platform. Consumables: The PromethION flow cells and auxiliary reagents are uniquely engineered to interface with the PromethION hardware and integrated software. No third-party consumables are currently validated or chemically compatible with the proprietary sensor arrays within the device. Use of non-ONT consumables would result in immediate loss of data integrity and system failure. Service & Maintenance: The PromethION system is a highly specialised piece of diagnostic/research equipment. Maintenance requires access to proprietary diagnostic software, firmware updates, and specialised components that are not made available to third-party service providers. Oxford Nanopore Technologies does not authorise third-party distributors or service agents for these specific products and services. Consequently, ONT is the sole economic operator capable of fulfilling the requirement.Value not stated

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
ocds-h6vhtk-065c84
Status
complete
Main Procurement Category
goods
Procurement Method
limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Why this procedure was chosen
The University of Edinburgh intends to award this contract without prior publication due to a lack of competition for technical reasons, as there is only one supplier who can meet the requirements listed in the description.

Legal basis

Id
32014L0024
Scheme
CELEX

Classification

Scheme
CPV
Id
33140000
Description
Medical consumables

Covered By

GPA

Procedure reasons

Entry 1
Scheme
TED_PT_AWARD_CONTRACT_WITHOUT_CALL
Id
D_OUTSIDE_SCOPE
Description
The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Description
The University of Edinburgh intends to award a contract to Oxford Nanopore Technologies due to competition being absent for technical reasons. The University has selected Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) as the supplier for a sequencing program of work as they are the only supplier who can meet the project target of sequencing long DNA sequences of varying lengths while detecting native modifications, allowing like-for-like variant and DNA methylation comparison against saliva DNA controls from equivalent European genetic ancestry, by extending a previous successful pilot study with processes leading to more rapid sample results such as terminating sequencing once desired coverage is achieved, and doing so with sufficiently high throughput that is required within the timescale of the project which is 1 year. The contract is specifically for the purchase of consumables and the 12-month servicing of equipment and the specific justification is as follows: Oxford Nanopore Technologies is the sole manufacturer and patent holder of the nanopore sequencing technology used in the PromethION platform. Consumables: The PromethION flow cells and auxiliary reagents are uniquely engineered to interface with the PromethION hardware and integrated software. No third-party consumables are currently validated or chemically compatible with the proprietary sensor arrays within the device. Use of non-ONT consumables would result in immediate loss of data integrity and system failure. Service & Maintenance: The PromethION system is a highly specialised piece of diagnostic/research equipment. Maintenance requires access to proprietary diagnostic software, firmware updates, and specialised components that are not made available to third-party service providers. Oxford Nanopore Technologies does not authorise third-party distributors or service agents for these specific products and services. Consequently, ONT is the sole economic operator capable of fulfilling the requirement.
Has Options
No
Status
cancelled

Award criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Type
price

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
33140000
Description
Medical consumables

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKM75

Delivery Location

Description
University of Edinburgh

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
University Of Edinburgh
Id
GB-FTS-2023

Identifier

Legal Name
University Of Edinburgh

Address

Street Address
Charles Stewart House, 9-16 Chambers Street
Locality
Edinburgh
Region
UKM75
Postal Code
EH1 1HT
Country Name
United Kingdom

Contact

Telephone
+44 1316502759

Roles

buyer
centralPurchasingBody

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
TED_CA_TYPE
Id
BODY_PUBLIC
Description
Body governed by public law
Entry 2
Scheme
COFOG
Id
09
Description
Education
Organisation 2
Name
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Id
GB-FTS-175443

Identifier

Legal Name
Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Address

Street Address
Gosling Building, Edmund Halley Road, Oxford Science Park
Locality
Oxford
Region
UK
Postal Code
OX4 4DQ
Country Name
United Kingdom

Roles

supplier

Details

Scale
sme
Organisation 3
Name
Edinburgh Sherriff Court
Id
GB-FTS-21538

Identifier

Legal Name
Edinburgh Sherriff Court

Address

Locality
Edinburgh
Country Name
United Kingdom

Roles

reviewBody

Award information

Award 1
Id
031424-2026-1
Status
active

Related lots

1

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-FTS-175443
Name
Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Contracts and changes

Entry 1
Id
031424-2026-1
Award ID
031424-2026-1
Status
active
Date Signed
26 Mar 2026, 00:00

Value

Amount
3,949,952.4
Currency
GBP

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Edinburgh · UKM75 · EH1 1HT · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKM75

Notice and amendment history

3 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

3 VERSIONS
  1. 017072-2026award, contract ·
  2. 019987-2026tenderUpdate ·
  3. 031424-2026award, contract ·