Supply, installation and support of an automated ultra-low temperature (-80°C) archive system for biological samples

UK Biobank intends to conduct a procurement for an automated ultra-low temperature (-80°C) archive system for biological samples as part of a programme of infrastructure replacement, following a funding announcement by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) (https://www.ukri.org/what-we-offer/creating-world-class-research-and-innovation-infrastructure/funded-infrastructure-projects/) and is issuing this PIN to seek market information to help develop and validate its proposed procurement strategy for its intended forthcoming procurement exercise.

UK Biobank's existing archive, based in Stockport, Greater Manchester in the North West of England, holds 10 million samples and is now approaching 15 years old. It is experiencing more frequent maintenance issues, and its speed of retrieval is insufficient to support interest in accessing samples for scientific assays across a whole cohort (i.e. retrieval of batches of ca. 500,000 samples). Furthermore, it has insufficient capacity to accommodate ongoing and future collections, and is energy inefficient (relying on liquid nitrogen as a primary coolant, with an electrical backup).

As part of the programme of infrastructure replacement, UK Biobank will be seeking to procure a new archive, to be installed in 2025 within a new facility being designed in the City of Manchester. The purpose of this PIN is to engage with the market to: • validate the current intended design of the facility (ensuring it is flexible enough to accommodate such archive systems); • validate the availability of suitable tube handling for UK Biobank legacy samples; • validate assumptions on energy consumption and efficiency within the draft business case for investment • test assumptions regarding the programme for installation; • identify any Health & Safety considerations; and • validate availability in the market of proposed solutions that might meet UK Biobank's requirements, and understand future technological innovations.

Additional information: To respond to this PIN please visit the myTenders website at http://www.mytenders.org to register your interest and access all documents related to this PIN. Completed questionnaires should be e-mailed to [email protected] If you have any questions please e-mail them to [email protected]

Following receipt of completed questionnaires, UK Biobank intends to offer pre-market engagement meetings to respondents. If offered, these will be conducted virtually and all interested parties will be allocated the same length of time for the meeting, with UK Biobank following a consistent agenda to be issued in advance. We anticipate holding these meetings in late November 2022.

Responses to this PIN will be reviewed internally by relevant UK Biobank staff and consultants engaged by UK Biobank to work on projects related to this PIN.

Interested parties should note that UK Biobank reserves the right to cancel or vary this pre-market engagement exercise and any potential resulting procurement process, or not conduct a procurement process whatsoever, at any point and will not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred by interested parties in responding to this pre-market engagement or any resulting procurement process. UK Biobank may also change the basis and/or deadlines in respect of this pre-market engagement.