Liverpool Telescope Upgrade Programme
Planned
Key facts
- Closing date
- Not stated by the buyer
- Buyer's estimated value
- £500,000 (excl. VAT) The buyer's own estimate, not income to you.
- Contract period
- 1 Jan 2027 to 31 Aug 2028
- Procedure
- Not stated
- Notice type
- Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
- Suitable for SMEs (per buyer)
- Yes
Decision brief
Taken from the buyer's published notice (shown as written, shortened where long). Tenderpatch has not added to or interpreted it. Always read the official documents before bidding.
- How bids will be scored
- Not stated in the notice.
- Conditions of participation (what you must show)
- None published in the notice. They may be in the tender documents.
- Contract length and extensions
- 1 Jan 2027 to 31 Aug 2028.
- How to submit
- Not stated in the notice.
- Tender documents
- No document links in the notice. Use the official notice link.
New to public tenders? Plain-English guide to this page
- Framework
- An agreement that sets terms for work the buyer may order later, often from several suppliers. The value shown usually covers the whole agreement, not one job.
- Open for bids / closing date
- You must submit by the closing date and time, normally through the buyer's own online portal. Late bids are normally refused.
- Clarification questions
- A deadline for asking the buyer questions about the tender. It is earlier than the closing date.
- Conditions of participation
- What the buyer asks suppliers to show before they can be considered, such as experience, insurance or accreditations.
- Bids are scored on
- How the buyer will compare bids, usually a split between price and quality. A 60/40 split in favour of quality means the cheapest bid will not necessarily win.
- Lots
- A tender can be split into parts. You can often bid for only the lots that suit you.
- Area (ITL)
- The buyer names an official statistical area for where the work is, not a street address. Check the tender documents for the actual sites.
- UK4 and other notice codes
- Official codes for the type of notice. A "tender notice" means bids are being invited.
General explanations written by Tenderpatch, not part of this notice.
Description
LJMU is conducting a pre-market engagement exercise to gauge the capabilities of the market for our requirement. This is not a call for competition/ ITT. This process enables LJMU to fully understand the market to assist us in drafting our tender documentation / determining next steps.
Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), through its Astrophysics Research Institute (ARI), is undertaking a pre-market engagement exercise relating to the planned upgrade of the Liverpool Telescope (LT), a fully robotic 2-metre astronomical observatory located at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma, Spain.
The Liverpool Telescope has operated successfully for over twenty years and is a key scientific facility supporting UK-led astronomical research. LJMU is exploring options to modernise the telescope's control systems and associated infrastructure to extend operational life, improve reliability, reduce maintenance burden and enhance scientific performance.
The current scope under consideration includes:
• Replacement and modernisation of the Telescope Control System;
• Replacement of azimuth, altitude and Cassegrain axis drive systems;
• Modernisation of enclosure control systems (PLCs software and control cards);
• Replacement or redesign of selected optical and mechanism control systems;
• Associated control system networking, timing and safety interfaces;
• Design, manufacture, installation, testing, commissioning and post-upgrade support service;
• Knowledge transfer, documentation and training.