Official name: Aarhus Universitet
National registration number: 31119103
Postal address: Nordre Ringgade 1
Town: Aarhus C
NUTS code: DK04 Midtjylland
Postal code: 8000
Country: Denmark
Contact person: Ann Sophie Steffensen
E-mail: asst@au.dk
Telephone: +45 23382421
Internet address(es):
Main address: https://www.au.dk/

Body governed by public law

Education

Pulsed laser system

38000000 Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

Supplies

The Department of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Molecular Biology at Aarhus University wish to purchase a pulsed laser system for the investigation of the properties and dynamics of light-induced cross-linking of various protein molecules to RNA in living cells. For such investigations we aim for a laser system capable of delivering a train of fs pulses at high repetition rate.

This contract is divided into lots: no

Value excluding VAT: 1 940 000.00 DKK

NUTS code: DK042 Østjylland

Cross-linking of protein to RNA in cells addresses a fundamental process in all living organisms: How do RNA binding proteins impact the function of RNAs, which are the active transcriptional blueprint of the cell’s DNA. Researchers have for many years used light-induced cross-linking to gain insight into such processes in a controlled fashion. Traditionally, light from commercial UV-lamps has been applied, but due to the low instantaneous light intensity from such lamps the cross-linking rate has generally been very low and time-resolved studies have been impossible. The application of pulsed laser light sources with the right properties, however, can enable such dynamical studies. Since the light-induced cross-linking processes are typically non-linear, and hence rely on at least two photon processes, it is important to have intense laser pulses of the right wavelengths and duration for specific cross-linking scenarios. Based on results from first experiments on cross-linking using laser pulses and specific spatial constraints, the laser system must satisfy the following requirements:

1) The laser system must by a user interface be capable of delivering pulses at a variable repetition rate ranging from a single shot up to 10 kHz with pulse durations of about 100 fs.

2) Independent on the choice repetition rate, the individual pulses must have energies of at least 15 J in the whole wavelength range from 250 nm to at 1000 nm

3) The laser system must provide a user interface which makes it possible to continuously scan the central wavelength over the entire 250 nm-1000 nm range without having to readjust mechanical parts within the housings of the laser(s) and frequency conversion units.

4) The spectral bandwidth of the individual pulses must be narrower than 300 cm-1 in the whole wavelength range.

5) The variation of the pulse energies must be less than 2% within a minute, and the average power output stability over a working day (8 hours) must as well be better than 2%.

6) The laser system must incorporate an integrated spectrometer for monitoring the central wavelength of pulses within the wavelength interval 250 nm 1000 nm with a readout by the user interface

7) The footprint of the full laser system must not exceed 600 x 2000 mm

Options: no

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union in the cases listed below

Explanation:

Several commercial laser manufactures can provide laser systems meeting some of the requirements stated above. However, after carrying out a wide search for companies being able to meet all the requirements above, only the manufacture Light Conversion, Vilnius, Lithuania, seems to have the capability to provide laser system meeting all our requests, including the needed narrow footprint and broad tuning of the pulse repletion rate from single shots to 10 kHz.

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: yes

26/08/2022

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: no

Official name: Light Conversion
Town: Vilnius
NUTS code: LT Lietuva
Country: Lithuania

The contractor/concessionaire will be an SME: no

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: 1 940 000.00 DKK

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: 1 940 000.00 DKK

Official name: Klagenævnet for udbud
Postal address: Toldboden 2
Town: Viborg
Postal code: 8800
Country: Denmark
E-mail: klfu@naevneneshus.dk
Telephone: +45 72405708
Internet address: https://erhvervsstyrelsen.dk/klagenaevnet-for-udbud

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:

Please contact Aarhus University, if you have a comment about this notice - udbud@au.dk

Following the notification, a standstill period of 10 calendar days will be held in accordance to paragraph 3 of Act No. 593 of 2 June 2016 on the Danish Act on the Complaints Board for public Procurement. This implies that the Contracting Authority cannot sign the Contract with the winning Tenderer before the standstill period has expired.

In case of complaints about tenders or decisions, e.g. award of contracts covered by Section II or III in the Danish Public Procurement Act must be submitted to the Complaints Board for Public Procurement (Klagenævnet for Udbud) within 45 calendar days from the day after the contractor published a notice in the Official Journal on the conclusion of a contract. At the latest concurrently with submission of an appeal to the Complaints Board for Public Procurement, the complainant must inform the Contracting Authority of the alleged infringement, and whether the appeal is to be referred to the board.

Official name: Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen
Postal address: Carl Jacobsens Vej 35
Town: Valby
Postal code: 2500
Country: Denmark
E-mail: kfst@kfst.dk
Telephone: +45 41715000
Internet address: www.kfst.dk

26/08/2022