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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

LUV01495 Procurement of Quad Systems C4 NMR Spectrometer and associated peripherals

University of Leicester · Contract details notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 15 Oct 2026, 12:16.

Opportunity overview

The University of Leicester, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, is expanding its capabilities to study the dynamics and structure of molecules using NMR spectroscopy. To support this, funding has been secured from the BBSRC to procure a highly specialised instrument: the Quad Systems C4 NMR spectrometer and associated peripherals. This instrument integrates cutting-edge technology into a single coherent system. The Quad Systems C4 NMR spectrometer will be installed at the University to support its research activities, particularly in areas involving nucleic acid-protein, protein-protein, and small-molecule-protein interactions. It includes a range of probeheads optimised for maximum sensitivity in biologically relevant solvent systems and integrated LED systems with a range of wavelengths (280, 390, 460, 490, 530 and 600nm) for photo-CIDNP applications. This comprises a fully integrated system which is required to maintain the scientific edge of our ongoing biophysical and molecular 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.

Quad Systems AG

No match
Published award value
£990k
Awarded
13 Sept 2026
Award ID
1
Status
active
Identifier
GB-PPON PRQJ-3638-VBGM
Location
Dietlikon, CH, 8305, Switzerland

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
LUV01495
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 Quad Systems C4 NMR spectrometer and associated peripherals (e.g., NMR probes), and the exclusive rights held by its manufacturer, Quad Systems AG. The unique elements are: •Bioprobes: non-cryogenic NMR probeheads with sensitivity greater than or equal to 400:1 S/N (standard sucrose sample at 150 mM ionic strength). The funded research programme requires high-sensitivity measurements of protein-nucleic acid interactions under physiological ionic-strength conditions. Equivalent sensitivity cannot be achieved using alternative commercially available non-cryogenic probe technologies. •Probes with integrated LEDs at a range of frequencies, which can be triggered by the pulse sequence generated by the NMR console, for photo-CIDNP applications. •All indirect probes have dual-tune channels enabling 1H and 19F observation, and all direct probes allow 1H-{19F}, 19F-{1H}, and 19F-X observation. These capabilities are protected by patents and are only available from Quad Systems AG (e.g., EP4341716A1, EP4291912A1 and EP3655790B1). The University has conducted a review of the current NMR market and is not aware of any commercially available alternative system capable of delivering all required features within a single integrated platform. No other commercially available instrument can provide this sensitivity with non-cryogenically cooled probeheads or incorporate LEDs directly into the probehead for streamlined data acquisition. Whilst certain individual capabilities may be available separately, the University has not identified any alternative supplier capable of providing the required combination of: •non-cryogenic probe sensitivity of at least 400:1 S/N; •integrated photo-CIDNP LED functionality within probeheads compatible with pulse-sequence triggering; •dual-tune 1H/19F indirect probe capability; and •fully integrated hardware, software and application support, within a single commercially available platform. These capabilities are protected by patents and are available exclusively from Quad Systems AG. While alternative NMR platforms exist, they do not provide the required combination of performance, integration and functionality necessary to support the University's funded research programme. Consequently, competition is absent for technical reasons, and the contract may only be performed by Quad Systems AG.

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Procedure reasons

Entry 1
Id
singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
complete

Published documents

Entry 1
Id
conflictOfInterest
Document Type
conflictOfInterest
Description
Not published

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
University of Leicester
Id
GB-PPON-PPNM-4297-VLCH

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PPNM-4297-VLCH

Address

Street Address
University Road
Locality
Leicester
Postal Code
LE1 7RH
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKF21

Contact

Name
Anthony Midgley
Telephone
0116 2522058

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment
Description
Public authority - sub-central government
Organisation 2
Name
Quad Systems AG
Id
GB-PPON-PRQJ-3638-VBGM

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PRQJ-3638-VBGM

Address

Street Address
Industriestrasse 31
Locality
Dietlikon
Postal Code
8305
Country
CH
Country Name
Switzerland
Region
CH

Contact

Roles

supplier

Details

Scale
sme
Vcse
No
Public Service Mission Organization
No
Sheltered Workshop
No

Award information

Award 1
Id
1
Status
active
Main Procurement Category
goods

Items

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
38433000
Description
Spectrometers

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKF22
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-PPON-PRQJ-3638-VBGM
Name
Quad Systems AG

Related lots

1

Contracts and changes

Entry 1
Id
1
Award ID
1
Status
active
Above Threshold
Yes
Date Signed
1 Oct 2026, 00:00

Period

Starts
2 Oct 2026, 00:00
Ends
2 Aug 2027, 23:59

Value

Including VAT
990,000
Currency
GBP

Documents

Entry 1
Id
097339-2026
Document Type
contractNotice
Notice Type
UK7
Description
Contract details notice on Find a Tender
Published
15 Oct 2026, 10:45
Format
text/html

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Leicester · UKF21 · LE1 7RH · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

3 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

3 VERSIONS
  1. 082215-2026Transparency notice on Find a Tender ·
  2. 087012-2026Contract award notice on Find a Tender ·
  3. 097339-2026Contract details notice on Find a Tender ·

PROCURAAXIS AWARD ANALYSIS

Award outcome intelligence

Evidence-bound analysis of the published award appears below the official tender and award information.

ANALYSIS PREVIEW

Award intelligence at a glance

The University of Leicester has awarded and signed a contract with Quad Systems AG for a Quad Systems C4 NMR spectrometer and associated peripherals supporting molecular and cell biology research.

Published outcome signals

  • Notice lifecycleContract details notice published; tender and lot marked complete; award and contract marked active.Evidence: Process display status is awarded; tender and lot status are complete; award 1 and contract 1 status are active; contract-details notice was published on 15 October 2026.
  • Contract signatureSigned on 1 October 2026.Evidence: Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-10-01.
  • Contract period2 October 2026 to 2 August 2027.Evidence: Contract 1 period startDate is 2026-10-02 and endDate is 2027-08-02.
98% approved-analysis confidence1 supplier record analysed3 source limitations

SOURCE AND FRESHNESS

Traceable procurement data

Source
Find a Tender
Notice reference
097339-2026
OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ee9f
First published
14 Sept 2026
Last checked
15 Oct 2026, 12:16
Notice versions reviewed
3
View Find a Tender notice ↗

HOW THIS WAS PREPARED

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.

Analysis status
Approved for publication
Analysed
15 Oct 2026
Read the analysis methodology →