Home / Opportunities / Opportunity
PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

HiCrIS Full Design & Build

UK Fusion Energy Ltd. · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 25 Sept 2026, 11:42.

Opportunity overview

The following summary is not intended as a complete or definitive specification of the requirement. A purpose of this engagement is to seek information from the market to help refine our understanding and aid the development of a future specification. The Hi-CrIS project is being developed under the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme. STEP plasma will be confined by electromagnets based on high temperature superconductors (SC). These magnetic components will form a substantial part of the STEP Prototype Powerplant (SPP) and represent ~25% of the total cost. With such a substantial element of the SPP being represented by the magnetic components, it is critical to have confidence in the lifetime predictions of the down-selected magnets. To achieve this, investigations of down-selected superconductor (SC) material samples are required under operational conditions: i.e., when SCs are simultaneously irradiated with fusion spectrum neutrons and gammas whilst at their cryogenic operating temperatures, carrying its rated current, and subject to strain and high applied fields (“fusion in-situ conditions”). STEP has an implementation plan for characterising Rare-earth Barium Copper Oxide (REBCO) for use in its magnetic field coils. This plan involves several key activities which, together, will provide sufficient experimental data to thoroughly examine the properties of a REBCO Coated Conductor (CC) and allow its use in each of STEP’s magnetic field coils to be justified (or not). Running several CCs through this process will then identify which CCs constitute the best choices for each magnetic coil. STEPs Hi-CrIS Test Rig will enable REBCO CCs samples to be subjected to STEP relevant neutron fluences, at cryogenic temperatures, so that the evolution of their superconducting properties can be determined and evaluated. The data will then be used in conjunction with STEP’s other characterisation activities to allow predictions about STEP’s performance in fusion in-situ conditions to be made and judged based on STEP’s requirements in terms of magnetic lifetime. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: https://ukfe.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Abingdon:-Machines-and-apparatus-for-testing-and-measuring./88EJ65WYMH To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://ukfe.delta-esourcing.com/respond/88EJ65WYMH

Classification

  • CPV38540000 — Machines and apparatus for testing and measuring
  • CPV38970000 — Research, testing and scientific technical simulator
  • CPV71320000 — Engineering design services
  • CPV73120000 — Experimental development services
  • CPV73300000 — Design and execution of research and development

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
UKFE-TD-01
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
Yes
Status
planning

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
planning

Contract period

Starts
30 Apr 2027, 00:00
Ends
30 Apr 2028, 23:59

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
38540000
Description
Machines and apparatus for testing and measuring
Entry 2
Scheme
CPV
Id
38970000
Description
Research, testing and scientific technical simulator
Entry 3
Scheme
CPV
Id
71320000
Description
Engineering design services
Entry 4
Scheme
CPV
Id
73120000
Description
Experimental development services
Entry 5
Scheme
CPV
Id
73300000
Description
Design and execution of research and development

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UK
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Planning and budget

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Description
This PME Exercise aims to gather information from potential suppliers on solutions and capabilities in relation to the provision of HiCrIS Full Design & Build. This is not a request for quotation but a preliminary stage to assess the market. Suppliers responding to this PME Exercise will have the opportunity to contribute insights that may shape the final tender requirements. All answers and correspondence will be used for market sounding purposes only and will be treated confidentially. Any supplier that chooses to not respond to this PME Exercise will not exclude themselves from any subsequent procurement for this workstream. Information provided by suppliers during this engagement stage may be used by UKIFS for any or all of the PME purposes (as laid out in section 16 of the Procurement Act 2023). UKIFS does not seek to obtain confidential, sensitive or proprietary information at this stage, and it is up to suppliers to determine the information that they provide. Should an NDA or similar be required, please contact UKFE via the messaging function on Delta. Any estimated contract values and contract dates associated with the PME Exercise are indicative and do not represent a commitment by UKFE. Neither the Preliminary Market Engagement Notice nor this Preliminary Market Engagement Exercise constitutes a formal commitment to procure. This PME Exercise does not constitute a formal commitment to procure. UKFE reserves the right to cancel, amend, or delay this exercise, in whole or part, at any stage, without incurring any liability or obligation to any party. Participation in this PME Exercise is entirely voluntary, and participating is not intended to confer any advantage in any future procurement process. UKFE may invite interested suppliers to attend a Q&A/discussion session. Suppliers will need to confirm that they wish to participate by indicating this within the PME Questionnaire and submitting this via Delta as directed.
Due
25 Sept 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled

Documents

Entry 1
Id
080991-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Published
25 Aug 2026, 16:30
Format
text/html

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
UK Fusion Energy Ltd.
Id
GB-PPON-PCRM-7973-DCBL

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PCRM-7973-DCBL

Address

Street Address
Culham Science Centre
Locality
Abingdon
Postal Code
OX14 3DB
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKJ14

Contact

Name
Lachlan Bramley

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicUndertaking
Description
Public undertaking

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Abingdon · UKJ14 · OX14 3DB · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UK · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. 080991-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·