Deformable Mirror

Leiden Observatory is developing a new adaptive optics testbed for future exoplanet imaging instruments. Direct imaging of exoplanets is technological challenging and requires extremely well understood instrument components. The most important component in any adaptive optics testbed is the deformable mirror. This publication is to indicate our intention to award …

CPV: 38630000 Astronomical and optical instruments, 38636000 Specialist optical instruments
Place of execution:
Deformable Mirror
Awarding body:
Universiteit Leiden
Award number:
4b6083a5-8905-4d6a-a0f2-6fd5f8e46783

1. Buyer

1.1 Buyer

Official name : Universiteit Leiden
Legal type of the buyer : Body governed by public law
Activity of the contracting authority : Education

2. Procedure

2.1 Procedure

Title : Deformable Mirror
Description : Leiden Observatory is developing a new adaptive optics testbed for future exoplanet imaging instruments. Direct imaging of exoplanets is technological challenging and requires extremely well understood instrument components. The most important component in any adaptive optics testbed is the deformable mirror. This publication is to indicate our intention to award the contract to Boston Micromachines Corporation for technical reasons.
Procedure identifier : 079eac5e-7195-4fdf-a4db-69331399de59
Internal identifier : 4b6083a5-8905-4d6a-a0f2-6fd5f8e46783
Type of procedure : Negotiated without prior call for competition

2.1.1 Purpose

Main nature of the contract : Supplies
Main classification ( cpv ): 38630000 Astronomical and optical instruments
Additional classification ( cpv ): 38636000 Specialist optical instruments

2.1.2 Place of performance

Town : Leiden
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Agglomeratie Leiden en Bollenstreek ( NL363 )
Country : Netherlands
Additional information : Zie documentatie

2.1.4 General information

Legal basis :
Directive 2014/24/EU

5. Lot

5.1 Lot technical ID : LOT-0000

Title : Deformable Mirror
Description : Leiden Observatory is developing a new adaptive optics testbed for future exoplanet imaging instruments. Direct imaging of exoplanets is technological challenging and requires extremely well understood instrument components. The most important component in any adaptive optics testbed is the deformable mirror. This publication is to indicate our intention to award the contract to Boston Micromachines Corporation for technical reasons.
Internal identifier : 3b0d608e-5645-4266-8198-423352c576cf

5.1.1 Purpose

Main nature of the contract : Supplies
Main classification ( cpv ): 38630000 Astronomical and optical instruments
Additional classification ( cpv ): 38636000 Specialist optical instruments

5.1.2 Place of performance

Town : Leiden
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Agglomeratie Leiden en Bollenstreek ( NL363 )
Country : Netherlands
Additional information : Zie documentatie

5.1.6 General information

Procurement Project not financed with EU Funds.
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) : yes

5.1.10 Award criteria

Criterion :
Type : Price
Name : Price
Description : Price
Category of award threshold criterion : Weight (percentage, exact)
Award criterion number : 100

5.1.15 Techniques

Framework agreement :
No framework agreement
Information about the dynamic purchasing system :
No dynamic purchase system

5.1.16 Further information, mediation and review

Review organisation : Rechtbank Den Haag
Information about review deadlines : Representations have to be made within 20 days after this publication. If no representations are received, the contract will be awarded.
Organisation whose budget is used to pay for the contract : Universiteit Leiden
Organisation executing the payment : Universiteit Leiden
Organisation signing the contract : Universiteit Leiden

6. Results

Value of all contracts awarded in this notice : 300 500 US dollar
Direct award :
Justification for direct award : The contract can be provided only by a particular economic operator because of an absence of competition for technical reasons
Other justification : Leiden Observatory is developing a new adaptive optics testbed for future exoplanet imaging instruments. Direct imaging of exoplanets is technological challenging and requires extremely well understood instrument components. The most important component in any adaptive optics testbed is the deformable mirror (DM). Our exoplanet imaging R&D program leads to stringent requirements on the performance of the DM. The adaptive optics testbed in Leiden will be used for extremely high-speed and high-order wavefront sensing and control algorithm development. Furthermore, this DM must be able to fit within our opto-mechanical design of the testbed and software environment. The required DM will: • posses a high actuator density with an actuator pitch equal to or smaller than 400 µm. • operate above 3 kHz. • have a continuous reflective deformable membrane with astronomy-grade reflective coating (Protected Silver). • have an optical quality surface figure (<30 nm RMS) and high fill factor (>99%) • have minimal hysteresis to maintain stability over long periods • need to have previously demonstrated better contrast than 1e-8 in <2% spectral bandwidth. • have sub-nanometer surface figure accuracy • be fully compatible with our opto-mechanical and software interfaces. Based on this, Boston Micromachines Corporation is the sole manufacturer of MEMS-based deformable mirrors that meet the strict performance and integration requirements of our application. An extensive market analysis and review of alternative deformable mirror technologies (e.g., piezoelectric, magnetic, or bimorph-based DMs) has confirmed that: Competing technologies either lack the necessary actuator density, speed, optical quality or prior performance demonstrations and integration with existing hardware/software would require significant redesign, risking delays.

6.1 Result lot ldentifier : LOT-0000

6.1.2 Information about winners

Winner :
Official name : Boston Micromachines Corporation
Tender :
Tender identifier : T168107
Identifier of lot or group of lots : LOT-0000
Value of the tender : 300 500 US dollar
The tender was ranked : no
Subcontracting : No
Contract information :
Identifier of the contract : T168107
Title : Contract
Date on which the winner was chosen : 18/08/2025
Organisation signing the contract : Universiteit Leiden

8. Organisations

8.1 ORG-0001

Official name : Universiteit Leiden
Registration number : 27368929
Postal address : Kolffpad 1
Town : Leiden
Postcode : 2333BN
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Agglomeratie Leiden en Bollenstreek ( NL363 )
Country : Netherlands
Contact point : Govert Schipperheijn
Telephone : +31715273304
Roles of this organisation :
Buyer
Organisation signing the contract
Organisation whose budget is used to pay for the contract
Organisation executing the payment

8.1 ORG-0002

Official name : Rechtbank Den Haag
Registration number : 82946175
Department : Civiel
Postal address : Postbus 20303
Town : Den Haag
Postcode : 2500 EH
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Agglomeratie ’s-Gravenhage ( NL361 )
Country : Netherlands
Contact point : Informatie
Telephone : +31883622200
Roles of this organisation :
Review organisation

8.1 ORG-0003

Official name : Boston Micromachines Corporation
Size of the economic operator : Medium
Postal address : 30 Spinelli Place, Suite 103
Town : Cambridge MA
Postcode : 02138
Country : United States
Roles of this organisation :
Tenderer
Winner of these lots : LOT-0000

Notice information

Notice identifier/version : 51aa2289-130f-491d-942f-bd534337e4b3 - 01
Form type : Direct award preannouncement
Notice type : Voluntary ex-ante transparency notice
Notice dispatch date : 19/08/2025 11:08 +00:00
Notice dispatch date (eSender) : 19/08/2025 11:09 +00:00
Languages in which this notice is officially available : English
Notice publication number : 00543253-2025
OJ S issue number : 158/2025
Publication date : 20/08/2025