(NU/1578) Supply, installation, and maintenance for two Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emissions Spectrometers (ICP-OES)

Newcastle University has long-running and successful research programmes investigating all aspects of the environment, including both fresh and saline waters, soils, and sediments, as well as development of treatment technologies to improve the environment.

The analysis of cationic species, especially metals, is central to that research effort. The main ICP-OES machine that we currently use is more than 10 years old, and is not sufficient on its own for current demand.

At the end of 2019 the University secured funding (from EPSRC and NERC) to buy two new ICP-OES machines, both to be housed in the Devonshire Building at the University (3rd floor laboratories). This invitation to tender is for two machines. Given the wide variety of samples that will require analysis we require somewhat different capabilities for each of the machines; one for low total dissolved solids (TDS) samples (e.g. river water and groundwater), and one for high TDS samples (e.g. brines, seawaters, digestates and other complex matrices). Further details are provided in this document.

The scope of this contract is for the supply, delivery and installation of equipment as detailed in the Invitation to Tender document to the University, with after-sales support for maintenance and method development, as well as a service contract for a minimum period of 3 years.