High Throughput Live-Cell Imaging System - Future Medicines Institute Procurement

Planning

260101 - Contract for Supply, Delivery, Installation & Commissioning and Maintenance of a High Throughput Live-Cell Imaging System

• Queen's University Belfast UK2: Preliminary market engagement notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-035418

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0685cf

Published 18 April 2026, 11:06pm

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Scope Engagement Participation Submission Contracting authority

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Scope

Reference

260101

Description

The Future Medicines Institute (FMI) requires a high throughput live-cell imaging system

to enable FMI scientists and collaborators to monitor live cell imaging in real time under

optimal conditions of cell growth in a properly maintained carbon dioxide and humidity

environment to enable the efficient capture of cellular changes as they happen in the

incubator.

The objective of procuring a live cell imaging system is to enhance FMI’s capacity to

monitor cells in real time, in an optimally controlled environment, to support and

strengthen its drug discovery capabilities.

The proposed system must:

• Be capable of multiplate/vessel imaging, up to a capacity of 6 plates/vessels and

including capacity to image 6 384 well plates, to meet the volume of analysis that the

centre is undertaking and support high throughput drug screening projects.

• Enable high resolution fluorescence and bright field images to be captured and recorded

in real time over hours, days, or weeks.

• Offer flexibility to enable users to observe and quantify complex biological changes over

time in cells and 3d structures such as spheroids and organoid models.

• Include a fully integrated image acquisition system to capture real-time insight into

morphological and phenotypic changes and allow multiple users the opportunity to

perform complex cellular assays.

• Offer versatile assay configurations, supporting various experimental formats such as 2d

cell systems and 3d spheroid, and organoid models.

The procurement of this live cell imaging system directly supports FMI’s broader goals of:

• Accelerating drug discovery through rapid identification and characterisation of

therapeutic candidates

• Providing screening capabilities in high-throughput format

• Facilitating translational research by bridging fundamental cellular studies with

therapeutic applications.

The procurement of a live cell imaging system will provide direct benefit to research

scientists within FMI, and wider stakeholders such as partner organisations and the wider

academic community in Queens University Belfast (QUB) by:

• Significantly enhance its cellular screening capabilities.

• Enhancing live cell imaging capabilities and data acquisition throughput in optimised

cellular conditions.

• Reducing time in setting up multiple vessels for multiple time point experiments.

• Reducing plasticware consumables and expensive reagents currently used in setting up

multiple time point experiments.

If funding becomes available to address future expansion needs the University reserves

the right to purchase additional Live-Cell Imaging Systems during the life of the contract.

Subject to the availability of funding, the University may optionally purchase additional

Live Cell Imaging Systems during the term of the contract. Any such additional purchases

shall be non guaranteed, limited to the optional items and maximum quantities and/or

values set out in the Pricing Schedule, and shall have been included in the estimated

contract value for the purposes of this procurement.

Contract dates (estimated)

• 29 June 2026 to 28 June 2029
• Possible extension to 27 June 2036
• 9 years, 11 months, 29 days

Main procurement category

Goods

CPV classifications

Detection and analysis apparatus

Microscopes

Imaging equipment for medical, dental and veterinary use

Contract locations

• UKN06 - Belfast

Engagement

Engagement deadline

13 March 2026

The engagement was carried out before this notice was published.

Engagement process description

Queen’s has conducted Preliminary Market Engagement with a number of suppliers in

order to:

• develop the understanding of our requirements and the proposed approach to the

procurement;

• gain a better understanding of what the market can offer and if the market was capable

of responding to a tender in relation to this requirement;

• identify potential suppliers for the requirement;

• understand potential lead times;

• gain an understanding of the commercial profile for the requirement;

• communicate sustainability targets and minimum requirements to confirm the market

has the capability to deliver on these.

• identify opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of the requirement.

The information gathered from PME will be used to shape any forthcoming procurement

strategy to ensure that requirements can be subject to reasonable competitive tension.

Participation in preliminary market engagement is not a prerequisite for any future tender

exercise

Participation

Particular suitability

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Submission

Publication date of tender notice (estimated)

19 April 2026

Contracting authority

Queen's University Belfast

• Charity Commission for Northern Ireland: 101788 University Rd

Belfast

BT7 1NN

United Kingdom

Email: procurement@qub.ac.uk

Region: UKN06 - Belfast

Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government

Devolved regulations that apply: Northern Ireland