Contracting Authorities

Contracting authority:

UK Fusion Energy Ltd

Public Procurement Organisation Number:

PCRM-7973-DCBL

Address:

Culham Science Centre, Abingdon
Abingdon
OX14 3DB
UK

Contact name:

Operational Procurement

Email:

operationalprocurement.step@ukifs.uk

Telephone:

Not provided

Website:

Not provided

Organisation type:

BODY_PUBLIC

Devolved regulations that apply:

None

Procedure

Procedure type:

Open procedure

Preliminary market engagement conducted:

Yes

Special regime:

None

Scope

Title:

Corrosion Testing Framework for STEP

Reference number:

PP-UKIFS-447

Main procurement category:

SERVICES

Description:

The purpose of this procurement is to establish a framework agreement with a number of pre-qualified, specialist corrosion testing providers to deliver corrosion testing services for the UKFE STEP programme over the next two years. The framework will enable efficient and compliant call-off contracts for testing of high-temperature coolants, carrier gases, and breeder materials against STEP coolant-facing alloys and candidate tritium breeding materials as requirements arise.

The framework is intended to streamline procurement and contract management, reduce the need for repeated tender exercises, improve consistency in quality and supplier performance, and enable faster delivery of future testing requirements through simplified call-off procedures.

The procurement also aims to establish long-term working relationships with expert testing organisations, promote innovation and market engagement, support a broad specialist supplier base (including SMEs), and ensure compliance with the Procurement Act 2023 through transparent, competitive, and value-for-money procurement.

Framework appointments are intended only for organisations that can undertake the testing directly. The testing will generate mechanistic understanding of corrosion interactions between high-temperature coolants (including light and heavy water, supercritical CO2 and helium), carrier gases (helium), STEP coolant-facing alloys, and candidate tritium breeding materials (including lithium ceramics and liquid metals), to quantify corrosion effects, identify mitigation strategies, and support the extension of component service life.

Total value (estimated):

GBP 6,000,000 excluding VAT

GBP 7,200,000 including VAT

Maximum number of lots a supplier can bid for:

Not provided

Maximum number of lots a supplier can be awarded:

Not provided

Description of how multiple lots may be awarded:

Not provided

Contract value:

GBP 7,200,000 including VAT

Contract Details

Contract 1

Title:

Light (H2O) and heavy (D2O) water exposure.

Reference number:

Lot 1

Contract value:

GBP 2,400,000 including VAT

Below the relevant threshold:

No

Award decision date:

13/10/2026

Earliest date the contract will be signed:

26/10/2026

Contract dates (estimated):

02/11/2026 to 02/11/2028

Main procurement category:

SERVICES

CPV classifications:

71632000 - Technical testing services.

71610000 - Composition and purity testing and analysis services.

73100000 - Research and experimental development services.

71900000 - Laboratory services.

Delivery regions:

UK - UNITED KINGDOM

Assessment summaries sent:

13/10/2026

Supplier

Supplier:

Lucideon Group Limited

Companies House:

PJTZ-5811-NHQD

Address:

Lucideon Ltd, Brooms Rd, Stone Business Park
Stone
ST15 0SH
UK

Email:

Ismail.aldean@uk.lucideon.com

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

No

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Supplier:

Studsvik Nuclear AB

Companies House:

PXCT-2125-RNHZ

Address:

Studsvik Nuclear AB Atomvägen 17
Nyköping
611 82
SE

Email:

joakim.lundstrom@studsvik.com

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

No

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Supplier:

The University of Manchester

Companies House:

PHDN-5322-MMHL

Address:

Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
UK

Email:

Fabio.scenini@manchester.ac.uk

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

No

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Supplier:

Amentum Clean Energy Limited

Companies House:

PBDC-7744-BTPG

Address:

601 Faraday Street Birchwood Park Cheshire
England
WA3 6GN
UK

Email:

Mike.lynch@global.amentum.com

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

No

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Supplier:

University of Birmingham

Companies House:

PHCQ-3464-LVTM

Address:

Edbaston United Kingdom
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Email:

r.slater.1@bham.ac.uk

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

No

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Contract 2

Title:

CO2, supercritical CO2 exposures & Helium – applicable to lot 2

Reference number:

Lot 2

Contract value:

GBP 2,400,000 including VAT

Below the relevant threshold:

No

Award decision date:

13/10/2026

Earliest date the contract will be signed:

26/10/2026

Contract dates (estimated):

02/11/2026 to 02/11/2028

Main procurement category:

SERVICES

CPV classifications:

71610000 - Composition and purity testing and analysis services.

71621000 - Technical analysis or consultancy services.

71632000 - Technical testing services.

71900000 - Laboratory services.

73111000 - Research laboratory services.

Delivery regions:

UK - UNITED KINGDOM

Assessment summaries sent:

13/10/2026

Supplier

Supplier:

Lucideon Group Limited

Companies House:

PJTZ-5811-NHQD

Address:

Lucideon Ltd, Brooms Rd, Stone Business Park
Stone
ST15 0SH
UK

Email:

Ismail.aldean@uk.lucideon.com

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

No

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Supplier:

The University of Manchester

Companies House:

PHDN-5322-MMHL

Address:

Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
UK

Email:

Fabio.scenini@manchester.ac.uk

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

No

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Supplier:

Amentum Clean Energy Limited

Companies House:

PBDC-7744-BTPG

Address:

601 Faraday Street Birchwood Park Cheshire
England
WA3 6GN
UK

Email:

Mike.lynch@global.amentum.com

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

No

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Supplier:

University of Birmingham

Companies House:

PHCQ-3464-LVTM

Address:

Edbaston United Kingdom
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Email:

r.slater.1@bham.ac.uk

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

No

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Supplier:

Oxford Sigma Limited

Companies House:

PTXB-2792-JVCV

Address:

Summertown Pavilion, 18-24 Middle Way
Oxford
OX2 7LG
UK

Email:

commercial@oxfordsigma.com

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

Yes

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Contract 3

Title:

Liquid metals – applicable to lots 3

Reference number:

Lot 3

Contract value:

GBP 2,400,000 including VAT

Below the relevant threshold:

No

Award decision date:

13/10/2026

Earliest date the contract will be signed:

26/10/2026

Contract dates (estimated):

02/11/2026 to 02/11/2026

Main procurement category:

SERVICES

CPV classifications:

71610000 - Composition and purity testing and analysis services.

71620000 - Analysis services.

71632000 - Technical testing services.

71900000 - Laboratory services.

73100000 - Research and experimental development services.

73111000 - Research laboratory services.

Delivery regions:

UK - UNITED KINGDOM

Assessment summaries sent:

13/10/2026

Supplier

Supplier:

Amentum Clean Energy Limited

Companies House:

PBDC-7744-BTPG

Address:

601 Faraday Street Birchwood Park Cheshire
England
WA3 6GN
UK

Email:

Mike.lynch@global.amentum.com

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

No

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Supplier:

Oxford Sigma Limited

Companies House:

PTXB-2792-JVCV

Address:

Summertown Pavilion, 18-24 Middle Way
Oxford
OX2 7LG
UK

Email:

commercial@oxfordsigma.com

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

Yes

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

---

Supplier:

Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd

Companies House:

PDZX-3628-XLQJ

Address:

Distribution A Building, AW1-S, Tokyo Ryutsu Center, 6-1-1 Heiwajima, Ota-ku
Tokyo
143-0006
JP

Email:

y.nozoe@kyotofusioneering.com

Telephone:

Not provided

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME):

No

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE):

No

Supported employment provider:

No

Public service mutual:

No

Other organisations

Not provided