AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
NPL Management Limited has announced a pending award to IBS PRECISION ENGINEERING BV for the Stage 1 design study for a 1D measurement beam. The notice does not evidence a signed or active contract.
Published outcomeOne pending award, valued at £39,945 excluding VAT (£47,934 including VAT), is recorded for IBS PRECISION ENGINEERING BV.
Market significanceThis is a specialist precision-motion and dimensional-metrology requirement. Stage 1 is a short design study; any later Stage 2 procurement or supply award is not confirmed by this notice.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
IBS PRECISION ENGINEERING BV
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 39945 GBP · Pending award
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Award 1 names IBS PRECISION ENGINEERING BV as supplier and states a £39,945 value excluding VAT.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Procurement status
98% confidenceComplete procurement record; award status pending
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Tender and lot are marked complete, while award 1 is marked pending.
Award announcement
99% confidencePublished 19 October 2026
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Award notice 098714-2026 was published on 19 October 2026.
Award decision date
98% confidence19 October 2026
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Award 1 has date 19 October 2026.
Standstill period
98% confidenceScheduled to end 29 October 2026
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Award 1 records a standstill end date of 29 October 2026 at 23:59:59 UTC.
Future signature milestone
99% confidenceScheduled for 2 November 2026
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Award milestone is labelled futureSignatureDate and scheduled for 2 November 2026.
Planned contract period
95% confidence2 November 2026 to 14 December 2026
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Award 1 records this contract period, but the award remains pending.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£39,945
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Award 1 value amount is GBP 39,945; the accompanying gross amount is GBP 47,934.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£47,934
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Award 1 records amountGross of GBP 47,934.
Tender value maximum
85% confidence£300,000
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The process record gives a maximum value of GBP 300,000, without a stated basis.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Preliminary market engagement notice
99% confidence30 April 2026
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Release history records notice 039680-2026 on this date.
Planned procurement notice
99% confidence2 June 2026
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Release history records notice 051962-2026 on this date.
Tender notice published
99% confidence24 August 2026
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Release history records notice 080350-2026 on this date.
Submission deadline
99% confidence21 September 2026, 17:00 BST
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Process record states this submission deadline.
Award notice published
99% confidence19 October 2026
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Award notice 098714-2026 has this publication date.
Planned design-study end
95% confidence14 December 2026
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Pending award 1 records this planned contract-period end date.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceStage 1 design study for a 1D measurement beam
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Award title is “1D Measurement Beam - Stage 1 Design”.
Core equipment concept
98% confidenceHigh-precision motion-control stage mounted on a structural beam, with two integrated carriages and an operating envelope exceeding 2.3 metres
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Tender description specifies the beam, stage, two carriages and operating-envelope requirement.
Technical context
97% confidenceDimensional-metrology instrument integration, including control system, installation support, physical interfacing and design analysis
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Tender description states the system will form part of a dimensional metrology instrument and requires these supporting activities.
Key stated performance requirements
96% confidence1 nanometre RMS in-position noise, 1 nanometre encoder resolution, incremental movement of 1 micron or less, and payload expectation of 10 kg per carriage
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These specifications are listed in the tender description.
Compliance and interface requirements
96% confidenceThe intended final instrument is to be UKCA marked; technical-file sharing, applicable standards compliance and LabVIEW control interface are specified.
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Tender description states these requirements for the final instrument and system controller.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceOpen procedure
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Process data states procurementMethod as open.
Procedure detail
99% confidenceCompetitive flexible procedure
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Process data states procurementMethodDetails as Competitive flexible procedure.
Procurement structure
99% confidenceTwo-stage procurement with separate evaluations
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Tender description explicitly describes two distinct stages evaluated separately.
Stage 1 intended award approach
98% confidenceNPL reserved the right to award Stage 1 design studies to up to two suppliers
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Tender description states this intention; the published award data records one pending award.
Competition data
99% confidenceNumber of bids, evaluation scores and award rationale not supplied in the published notice.
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No bid-count, scoring or evaluation-result data is included in the supplied record.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Awarded activity
99% confidenceStage 1 design study
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Award 1 title identifies the activity as Stage 1 Design.
Planned duration
93% confidenceApproximately six weeks
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The pending award’s recorded period runs from 2 November to 14 December 2026.
Delivery location
95% confidenceUKI6 region, United Kingdom
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Award item delivery address is recorded as UKI6, GB.
Contract conclusion status
99% confidenceNot evidenced as signed, concluded or active
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Award status is pending and the record contains only a future signature milestone.
Extensions or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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No extension or renewal terms are supplied.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Awarded value versus stated tender maximum
90% confidenceThe pending Stage 1 award value (£39,945 excluding VAT) is below the process maximum (£300,000), but the record does not state whether the maximum covered both stages or another scope basis.
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Process maximum is £300,000 and award 1 amount is £39,945; no value basis is supplied.
Integration capability
97% confidenceThe published requirement emphasises an integrated mechanical, encoder and control solution, with installation and instrument-integration support.
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Tender description requires the beam, motion stages, control system, cable management, LabVIEW interface and integration support.
Long-life design expectation
96% confidenceThe final system is expected to have a minimum 20-year life; this is a requirement for the final system rather than evidence that Stage 1 has delivered it.
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Tender description states the final system is expected to have a minimum 20-year life.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Pending award status
99% confidenceThe notice is an award announcement with a pending award and a future signature date; it does not demonstrate a concluded, signed or active contract.
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Award 1 status is pending and its milestone is futureSignatureDate scheduled for 2 November 2026.
Stage allocation ambiguity
97% confidenceThe procurement anticipated up to two Stage 1 suppliers, but the supplied award data records one pending award only. The notice does not explain whether another Stage 1 award was not made or is reported separately.
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Tender description allows up to two Stage 1 awards; supplied awards array contains one entry.
Lot information
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or individual lot value.
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Lot 1 title, description and value fields are null.
Information not supplied in the published notice
99% confidenceBid count, evaluation methodology and scores, detailed pricing, award rationale, contract signature confirmation, extension terms and Stage 2 outcome are not supplied.
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These fields or records are absent from the supplied data.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The published record announces a pending award rather than evidencing a signed, concluded or active contract.
- The procurement allowed up to two Stage 1 design-study awards, but only one pending award is present in the supplied data; the position of any second supplier is unknown.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- Information not supplied in the published notice includes bid count, evaluation scores, award rationale, detailed pricing, extension terms and any Stage 2 award outcome.
- The £300,000 process maximum has no stated value basis, so it cannot safely be compared as a like-for-like final contract value.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
NPL Management LimitedIBS PRECISION ENGINEERING BV1D Measurement Beamprecision motion controldimensional metrologyStage 1 design studyFind a Tender
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who received the NPL 1D Measurement Beam Stage 1 award?
The pending award names IBS PRECISION ENGINEERING BV.
What is the value of the pending award?
The award value is £39,945 excluding VAT, with £47,934 recorded including VAT.
Is the NPL contract signed?
No signed contract is evidenced in the supplied notice. The award is pending and a future signature date of 2 November 2026 is scheduled.
What does the Stage 1 award cover?
It covers a design study for a high-precision motion-control measurement beam for use in a dimensional-metrology instrument.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.