Supply AFM Atomic Force Hi Resolution Scanning Probe Microscope

We invite tenders for a high resolution scanning probe microscope.

UK-Nottingham: Scanning probe microscopes

2013/S 102-174101

Contract notice

Supplies

Directive 2004/18/EC

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)

University of Nottingham
Kings Meadow Campus Lenton Lane
Contact point(s): https://www.in-tendhost.com/universityofnottingham/
For the attention of: PROC ITT/519
NG7 2NR Nottingham
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail: helen.forsythe@nottingham.ac.uk

Internet address(es):

General address of the contracting authority: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk

Address of the buyer profile: https://www.in-tendhost.com/universityofnottingham/

Further information can be obtained from: https://www.in-tendhost.com/universityofnottingham/
Contact point(s): https://www.in-tendhost.com/universityofnottingham/

Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: https://www.in-tendhost.com/universityofnottingham/
Contact point(s): https://www.in-tendhost.com/universityofnottingham/

Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: The above mentioned contact point(s)

I.2)Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

I.3)Main activity

Education

I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities

The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: no

Section II: Object of the contract

II.1)Description

II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:

AFM Atomic Force Hi Resolution Scanning Probe Microscope (ITT/515).

II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Supplies
Purchase
NUTS code UKF14

II.1.3)Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)

The notice involves a public contract

II.1.4)Information on framework agreement

II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

We invite tenders for a high resolution scanning probe microscope. The microscope will be used to acquire images of adsorbed layers of molecules and metal organic frameworks on inhomogeneous substrates such as graphene, gold and silicon dioxide. The imaging of surfaces of active regions of devices with areas on the order 1 micron is a complementary objective. The microscope should be operable in liquid or under ambient conditions and either include holders for variable temperature (0-100C) and electrochemical applications or have these available as retrofittable components. The microscope should complement our existing range of ambient SPMs, namely
2 x Asylum Research MFP 3D,
1 x Veeco Multimode AFM STM,
2 x Agilent/Molecular Imaging STMs
by enhancing the capability of our equipment pool in the following ways
Primary factor
1
increased resolution in non-contact mode AFM mode aiming for less than 1nm lateral resolution on adsorbed molecular films
Secondary factors
2
ease of alignment using optical microscopy to specific sites on the sample. Reproducible placement accuracy of probe tip to within equivalent to tilde symbol 5microns of site of interest is acceptable, but a lower value would be preferable.
3
ease of operation and time taken to acquire high resolution images.
4
the facility for imaging the same area in STM and AFM modes with minimal disruption due to tip exchange.
We stress that we require an enhancement in the capability of our instrument pool and that increase of capacity is not our aim. We will assess the performance of the new microscopes against our existing suite of instruments. A minimum requirement is that the new microscope demonstrates a significant increase of resolution in noncontact/tapping mode AFM using the test samples identified below. Tenders are welcome from companies who can meet a sub-set of the objectives identified above and will be considered in competition if a solution which solves all three objectives is not forthcoming. In this case AFM resolution will be used as the primary performance comparator.

II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

38514200

II.1.7)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): yes

II.1.8)Lots

This contract is divided into lots: no

II.1.9)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: yes

II.2)Quantity or scope of the contract

II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:

one system.

II.2.2)Information about options

II.2.3)Information about renewals

This contract is subject to renewal: no

II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion

Starting 27.9.2013. Completion 31.1.2014

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1)Conditions relating to the contract

III.1.1)Deposits and guarantees required:

Please see tender document.

III.1.2)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:

Please see tender document.

III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:

Please see tender document.

III.1.4)Other particular conditions

The performance of the contract is subject to particular conditions: yes
Description of particular conditions:

III.2)Conditions for participation

III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

III.2.2)Economic and financial ability

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Completion of Questionnaires and various other tender documents. Any supplier may be disqualified who is: a) bankrupt or is being wound up, whose affairs are being administered by the Court, who has entered into an arrangement with creditors or who is in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure under National Laws and Regulations b) is the subject of proceedings for a declaration of bankruptcy, for an order for compulsory winding-up or administration by the Court or for an arrangement with creditors or is the subject of any other similar proceedings under National Laws or Regulations c) has been convicted of an offence concerning his professional conduct by a judgement which has the force of res judicata d) has been guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which the contracting authorities can justify g) is guilty of serious misrepresentation in supplying the information required under the provisions of the Directive on the criteria for qualitative selection e) has not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which he is established or those of the country of the contracting authority f)has not fulfiled obligations relating to the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which he is established or those of the country of the contracting authority.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: As contained in the Questionnaires and various other tender documents.

III.2.3)Technical capacity

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
See tender document.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required:
See tender document.

III.2.4)Information about reserved contracts

III.3)Conditions specific to services contracts

III.3.1)Information about a particular profession

Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession: no

III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service

Legal persons should indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff responsible for the execution of the service: no

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Type of procedure

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

Open

IV.1.2)Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate

IV.1.3)Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue

Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated no

IV.2)Award criteria

IV.2.1)Award criteria

The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document

IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction will be used: no

IV.3)Administrative information

IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:

PROC HF ITT/519

IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document

Time limit for receipt of requests for documents or for accessing documents: 27.6.2013 – 12:00
Payable documents: no

IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

8.7.2013 – 12:00

IV.3.5)Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up

English.

IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

in days: 60 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders

Date: 27.6.2013 – 12:30
Place:

UoN offices Nottingham.

Persons authorised to be present at the opening of tenders: yes
Additional information about authorised persons and opening procedure: Authorised officers of UoN.

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: no

VI.2)Information about European Union funds

The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: yes
Reference to project(s) and/or programme(s): This Contract is part financed by European Regional Development Funded Project Name Chemistry Innovation Laboratory Project number EMX 06785 ERDF Programme 2007 to 2013.
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which is one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs.

VI.3)Additional information

All correspondence and expressions of interest relating to this project MUST be made through the University of Nottingham e-tendering website: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofnottingham/

Non compliant expressions of interest will not be considered or acknowledged.The UoN reserves the right to cancel the tender process at any stage.The UoN does not accept any liability for costs incurred in tendering.Variation will be accepted where adequately explained by the tenderer and provided that these variations comply with the standards specified in the selection and claims criteria of the the tender document.

VI.4)Procedures for appeal

VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures

SEE V1.4.2
UNITED KINGDOM

Body responsible for mediation procedures

n/a
UNITED KINGDOM

VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals

Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: The UoN will incorporate a standstill period at the point information on the award of the contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. The standstill period, which will be for a minimum of 10 calendar days, provides time for unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into The Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (SI 2006 No 5) provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland).

VI.4.3)Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained

N/A
UNITED KINGDOM
Internet address: https://www.in-tendhost.com/universityofnottingham/

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:27.5.2013