TESCAN FIB-SEM systems (SOLARIS and AMBER X) Service Agreement and Upgrade

Tyndall National Institute, UCC, Cork is seeking to put in place Service Agreement and Upgrades for two existing TESCAN FIB-SEM systems, to ensure continued optimal performance of these advanced instruments and prevent any disruption to critical research workflows, Tyndall intends to enter into a direct two-year service agreement with TESCAN-UK …

CPV: 38000000 Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
Place of execution:
TESCAN FIB-SEM systems (SOLARIS and AMBER X) Service Agreement and Upgrade
Awarding body:
University College Cork
Award number:
UCC-VEAT-2025-02

1. Buyer

1.1 Buyer

Official name : University College Cork
Legal type of the buyer : Body governed by public law
Activity of the contracting authority : Education

2. Procedure

2.1 Procedure

Title : TESCAN FIB-SEM systems (SOLARIS and AMBER X) Service Agreement and Upgrade
Description : Tyndall National Institute, UCC, Cork is seeking to put in place Service Agreement and Upgrades for two existing TESCAN FIB-SEM systems, to ensure continued optimal performance of these advanced instruments and prevent any disruption to critical research workflows, Tyndall intends to enter into a direct two-year service agreement with TESCAN-UK Ltd. The service contract includes: Comprehensive preventive and corrective maintenance on the FIB tools as well as on the peripheral 3rd party systems installed. All necessary travel, labour, and spare parts Services delivered exclusively by certified TESCAN service engineers One LMIS source and apertures, excluding deposition GIS e.g. C, Pt etc, per machine, per year In parallel, a significant upgrade of the SOLARIS FIB-SEM system is proposed. This includes TESCAN AURA Gentle Ion Beam Polisher, GIB A fully integrated argon ion polishing tool for ultra-fine, low-damage final polishing of Transmission Electron Microscopy ,TEM, samples. TESCAN OptiLift Nanomanipulator A precision-controlled tool for vibration-free TEM lamella lift-out, enabling automated, repeatable workflows. TEM AutoPrep Pro Software An AI-driven, fully automated solution for preparing high-quality TEM lamellae, streamlining operations and reducing user dependency.
Procedure identifier : 54d32e61-dd00-47ad-8c27-13e8952ee740
Type of procedure : Negotiated without prior call for competition

2.1.1 Purpose

Main nature of the contract : Supplies
Main classification ( cpv ): 38000000 Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

2.1.4 General information

Legal basis :
Directive 2014/24/EU

5. Lot

5.1 Lot technical ID : LOT-0001

Title : UCC-VEAT-2025-02 TESCAN FIB-SEM systems (SOLARIS and AMBER X) Service Agreement and Upgrade
Description : Tyndall National Institute, UCC, Cork is seeking to put in place Service Agreement and Upgrades for two existing TESCAN FIB-SEM systems, to ensure continued optimal performance of these advanced instruments and prevent any disruption to critical research workflows, Tyndall intends to enter into a direct two-year service agreement with TESCAN-UK Ltd. The service contract includes: Comprehensive preventive and corrective maintenance on the FIB tools as well as on the peripheral 3rd party systems installed. All necessary travel, labour, and spare parts Services delivered exclusively by certified TESCAN service engineers One LMIS source and apertures, excluding deposition GIS e.g. C, Pt etc, per machine, per year In parallel, a significant upgrade of the SOLARIS FIB-SEM system is proposed. This includes: TESCAN AURA Gentle Ion Beam Polisher, GIB A fully integrated argon ion polishing tool for ultra-fine, low-damage final polishing of Transmission Electron Microscopy ,TEM, samples. TESCAN OptiLift Nanomanipulator A precision-controlled tool for vibration-free TEM lamella lift-out, enabling automated, repeatable workflows. TEM AutoPrep Pro Software An AI-driven, fully automated solution for preparing high-quality TEM lamellae, streamlining operations and reducing user dependency.
Internal identifier : UCC-VEAT-2025-02

5.1.1 Purpose

Main nature of the contract : Supplies
Main classification ( cpv ): 38000000 Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

5.1.6 General information

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

5.1.7 Strategic procurement

Aim of strategic procurement : No strategic procurement

5.1.10 Award criteria

Description of the method to be used if weighting cannot be expressed by criteria : VEAT -Direct Award
Justification for not indicating the weighting of the award criteria : VEAT -Direct Award

5.1.16 Further information, mediation and review

Review organisation : The High Court of Ireland -
Organisation signing the contract : University College Cork

6. Results

Value of all contracts awarded in this notice : 499 950 Euro
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 : Tyndall National Institute, UCC, Cork is seeking to put in place Service Agreement and Upgrades to two existing TESCAN FIB-SEM systems, purchased via a competitive tender process in 2023. The systems are presently under the manufacturers two-year warranty, which is due to expire on 17 July 2025. Technical Reasons for Award without Prior Publication. The justification is as follows Original Equipment Manufacturer, OEM, Service Dependency The FIB-SEMs in question were originally supplied by TESCAN in 2023 through an open tender. The service and maintenance of these instruments require proprietary diagnostic tools, firmware access, and OEM-certified engineers. There is no third-party provider authorised or equipped to offer the same level of technical support without jeopardising system performance or voiding compliance with warranties. Hardware and Software Compatibility and Integration The upgrade components AURA GIB, OptiLift, and AutoPrep Pro are TESCAN-designed and fully integrated into the proprietary TESCAN Essence GUI. These components are not available from alternative suppliers and cannot be retrofitted independently of the OEM without major performance and compatibility risks. Full System Integration the upgrade technologies are uniquely capable of delivering an end-to-end automated TEM sample preparation workflow. The seamless interplay between hardware GIB and OptiLift and software AutoPrepPro ensures reproducibility, user safety, and significant reduction in operational overhead are benefits not replicable by any other vendor. Continuity and Risk Mitigation Switching supplier for maintenance or attempting third-party upgrades could introduce unacceptable risk, including system failures, sample damage, or interruption to research activities. The service contract and upgrades proposed ensure continuity, equipment integrity, and sustained operational capacity.

6.1 Result lot ldentifier : LOT-0001

6.1.2 Information about winners

8. Organisations

8.1 ORG-0001

Official name : University College Cork
Registration number : IE0006286E
Postal address : University College Cork, 6 Elderwood, College Road
Town : Cork
Postcode : T12 VH39
Country subdivision (NUTS) : South-West ( IE053 )
Country : Ireland
Telephone : +353 21 4903514
Internet address : https://www.ucc.ie
Buyer profile : https://www.ucc.ie
Roles of this organisation :
Buyer
Organisation signing the contract

8.1 ORG-0002

Official name : The High Court of Ireland
Registration number : The High Court of Ireland
Department : The High Court of Ireland
Postal address : Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin 7
Town : Dublin
Postcode : D07 WDX8
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Dublin ( IE061 )
Country : Ireland
Telephone : +353 1 8886000
Roles of this organisation :
Review organisation

8.1 ORG-0003

Official name : European Dynamics S.A.
Registration number : 002024901000
Department : European Dynamics S.A.
Town : Athens
Postcode : 15125
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Βόρειος Τομέας Αθηνών ( EL301 )
Country : Greece
Telephone : +30 2108094500
Roles of this organisation :
TED eSender

8.1 ORG-0004

Official name : TESCAN-UK Ltd
Town : Huntingdon
Postcode : PE28 9ET
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Norwich and East Norfolk ( UKH15 )
Country : United Kingdom
Roles of this organisation :
Tenderer
Notice information
Notice identifier/version : e5825c5b-266b-4fcc-8617-b30db83e2e98 - 01
Form type : Direct award preannouncement
Notice type : Voluntary ex-ante transparency notice
Notice dispatch date : 13/06/2025 15:31 +01:00
Languages in which this notice is officially available : English
Notice publication number : 00390209-2025
OJ S issue number : 114/2025
Publication date : 17/06/2025