AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) has published a contract award notice naming SYCHEM LIMITED as the intended supplier for a double-door steam autoclave. The award remains pending, with a standstill period and a future signature milestone stated in the notice.
Published outcomePending award to SYCHEM LIMITED for lot 1.
Market significanceThis is a high-value above-threshold laboratory-equipment procurement with an award value of £658,161.83 excluding VAT (£789,794.20 including VAT).
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
SYCHEM LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £658,161.83 excluding VAT; £789,794.20 including VAT GBP · Pending award
View supporting evidence
Award 1 names SYCHEM LIMITED as its sole supplier. Supplier identity is verified by exact-name matching to Companies House number 04698955.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Published notice
99% confidenceContract award notice published 19 October 2026
View supporting evidence
Award document 098377-2026 is described as a Contract award notice on Find a Tender and dated 2026-10-19.
Award status
99% confidencePending
View supporting evidence
Award 1 has status "pending".
Standstill period
99% confidenceEnds 28 October 2026 at 23:59:59 UTC
View supporting evidence
Award 1 standstillPeriod.endDate is 2026-10-28T23:59:59Z.
Future signature milestone
98% confidenceScheduled for 30 October 2026
View supporting evidence
Award milestone type futureSignatureDate has dueDate 2026-10-30T23:59:59Z and status scheduled.
Contract period stated in award
98% confidence2 November 2026 to 2 November 2032
View supporting evidence
Award 1 contractPeriod specifies startDate 2026-11-02 and endDate 2032-11-02.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£658,161.83
View supporting evidence
Award 1 value.amount is 658161.83 GBP.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£789,794.20
View supporting evidence
Award 1 value.amountGross is 789794.2 GBP.
Published maximum tender value
90% confidence£500,000
View supporting evidence
Process value_max is 500000 GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Tender notice published
99% confidence4 August 2026
View supporting evidence
Release history records tender notice 073879-2026 dated 2026-08-04.
Submission deadline
99% confidence21 September 2026 at 17:00 BST
View supporting evidence
Process submission_deadline is 2026-09-21T17:00:00+01:00.
Award decision date
99% confidence12 October 2026
View supporting evidence
Award 1 date is 2026-10-12.
Assessment summaries sent
98% confidence16 October 2026
View supporting evidence
Award 1 assessmentSummariesDateSent is 2026-10-16.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceProvision of a double-door steam autoclave
View supporting evidence
Process and award title: "UKRI-6105 Double Door Steam Autoclave"; process description states UKRI wishes to establish a contract for a Double Door Steam Autoclave.
Procurement category
99% confidenceGoods
View supporting evidence
Process main_category and award mainProcurementCategory are goods.
Classification
99% confidenceCPV 33191110 — Autoclaves
View supporting evidence
Award item 1 additional classification is CPV 33191110, described as Autoclaves.
Delivery region
98% confidenceUKH12, United Kingdom
View supporting evidence
Award item 1 deliveryAddresses specifies region UKH12.
Option
99% confidenceOption to purchase one additional autoclave
View supporting evidence
Award 1 hasOptions is true and options.description states "Purchase one additional autoclave".
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceOpen competitive flexible procedure
View supporting evidence
Process procurement_method is open and procurement_method_details is Competitive flexible procedure.
Security gateway
99% confidenceTender-document access was conditional on passing a Security Gateway process
View supporting evidence
Process description states only suppliers satisfying Security Gateway requirements would receive tender documents.
Above threshold
99% confidenceYes
View supporting evidence
Award 1 aboveThreshold is true.
Competition information
98% confidenceNumber of bids and evaluation scores not supplied in the published notice data.
View supporting evidence
No bid-count or evaluation-score fields are provided.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Stated contract period
98% confidence2 November 2026 to 2 November 2032
View supporting evidence
Award 1 contractPeriod provides these dates.
Contract conclusion
99% confidenceNot evidenced as concluded or signed
View supporting evidence
The award is pending and the notice records a future signature milestone rather than a completed signature.
Extension terms
96% confidenceNot supplied
View supporting evidence
The source provides an option for an additional autoclave but no extension term.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Value comparison
99% confidenceThe stated award value excluding VAT (£658,161.83) exceeds the published tender maximum (£500,000).
View supporting evidence
Process value_max is £500,000; award value.amount is £658,161.83.
Commercial structure
94% confidenceThe notice provides a base award value and an option for one additional autoclave, but does not state whether the option is included in the award value.
View supporting evidence
Award 1 contains both the value and an option description, without a separate option value or inclusion statement.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Pending status
99% confidenceThe published award is pending, not evidence of a signed or active contract.
View supporting evidence
Award 1 status is pending; a future signature date is scheduled.
Value inconsistency requiring caution
99% confidenceThe award value exceeds the process-level published maximum; the notice data does not explain the difference.
View supporting evidence
Published maximum is £500,000, while the award amount excluding VAT is £658,161.83.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 is identified but has no published title, description or individual lot value.
View supporting evidence
Lot 1 has null title, description and value fields.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The award remains pending; the supplied data does not confirm contract signature, conclusion or commencement.
- The published award value excluding VAT exceeds the process-level maximum value, and no explanation is supplied.
- Information not supplied in the published notice includes bid count, bidder identities, evaluation scores, award rationale, pricing breakdown, lot title and lot-level value.
- The option to purchase one additional autoclave has no separately stated value or exercise conditions.
- The stated contract period is contained in a pending award and may be subject to completion of the procurement lifecycle.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
UKRI-6105double door steam autoclaveSYCHEM LIMITEDUK Research and Innovationautoclave tender awardlaboratory equipment procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who is named in the UKRI-6105 award notice?
SYCHEM LIMITED is named as the sole supplier for award 1.
Has the UKRI autoclave contract been signed?
The supplied notice does not evidence a signed contract. The award is marked pending and includes a future signature milestone.
What is the stated value of the award?
£658,161.83 excluding VAT and £789,794.20 including VAT.
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.