1.1.
Buyer
Official name
:
Aalborg Universitet
Annonce
Fakta om udbudet
EU-nr
Offentliggjort
10.12.2025
Udbudstype
Andre
Udbyder
Aalborg Universitet
Environmental scanning electron microscope with nanoindentation capabilities
Aalborg Universitet
819407-2025 - Direct award preannouncement
See the notice on TED website 
819407-2025 - Direct award preannouncement
Denmark – Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses) – Environmental scanning electron microscope with nanoindentation capabilities
OJ S 238/2025 10/12/2025
Voluntary ex-ante transparency notice
Supplies
1.
Buyer
2.
Procedure
2.1.
Procedure
Title
:
Environmental scanning electron microscope with nanoindentation capabilities
Description
:
Following a market survey of environmental scanning electron microscopy as well as nanoindenters, we have found the described procurement to be the only product fulfilling our minimum requirements, that is a combination of state-of-the-art environmental electron microscopy imaging capabilities, very high strain-rate indentation testing, and a unique indentation load range with an extremely low stress noise floor. In combination, this instrument enables measurements of both hard and soft materials under realistic atmospheric and mechanical conditions. Specifically, the following parts of the instrument are unique to this product: Scanning electron microscope equipped with environmental capabilities in combination with a field emission gun. The Thermo Fisher Quattro S system is a state-of-the-art environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM), which combines the ability to achieve high vacuum (<6⋅10-4 Pa) with the ability to reach unprecedentedly high water vapor pressures up to 4000 Pa within the same ESEM chamber. Such high-water vapor is a unique feature of the Thermo Fisher Quattro system and will allow the measurements of biologically relevant samples without risk of drying them out. Furthermore, the Quattro system is the only scanning electron miscroscope system on the market which combine a high-water vapour pressures (≥1000 Pa H2O) with a field emission gun, thereby achieving unprecedented high resolution (down to 1.3 nm resolution under ESEM conditions) together with environmental capabilities in a single instrument. Ultra-low-load and very high strain rate nanoindentation. As a part of the Thermo Fisher Quattro S system, two pieces of nanoindentation equipment will be supplied to the ESEM solution. Both are directly capable of being installed within the acquired ESEM solution. These pieces are a Femtotools FT-NMT04 nanoindenter (FT) and an Alemnis Standard Assembly (ASA), respectively, each representing unique parts of the total instrument, consisting of the ESEM together with the nanoindentation capabilities. In detail, the FT device has displacement control in a unique force range from 0.5⋅10-9 to 2 N load allowed by the unique microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) indentation chip. This allows the exploration of both hard (e.g. inorganic glasses) as well as soft materials with displacement noise floors of <50 ⋅10-12 m in the entire load range. Further, the FT device’s load cell has a unique high mechanical stiffness with an internal resonance greatly exceeding 1000 Hz, thereby eliminating interference problems when performing dynamical loading procedures (oscillating forces superimposed onto a linear loading procedure). The combined setup will also feature an Alemnis Standard Assembly (ASA) system equipped with a large force range with capabilities of reaching loads up to 4 N. Furthermore, the ASA setup exceeds the maximum strain-rate capabilities of any other vendor on the market, enabling tests from quasistatic conditions (<0.001 s⁻¹) up to 1,000 s⁻¹, and dynamic frequency up to 1000 Hz. This allows mimicking real-world impact which is critical e.g. in our inorganic glass research. Further, the ASA setup has a wide range of capabilities of operating both in the vacuum and high-water vapour pressure in the ESEM, in ambient environments with equipped microscopy features, as well as in various beamline setups, including nanodiffraction and tomography, with vendor-equipped additions and the support for tips from external manufacturers as the tip is separated from the load cell. In combination, the nanoindenter-equipped ESEM offers the ability to reach a unique combination of extreme environmental conditions (up to 4000 Pa of water vapour ), very high resolution as enabled Page 3 of 4 by the field emission gun, an extremely large force range (from 0.5⋅10-9 to 4 N), and an extremely high strain rate (up to 1000 s-1), thereby being the only instrument available fulfilling our minimum requirement
Procedure identifier
:
322edbc3-b2fb-41e0-b661-ca6ea3fd347f
Internal identifier
:
58843654-c873-411e-b539-e5438d61946e
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)
2.1.2.
Place of performance
Postal address
:
Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H
Town
:
Aalborg Øst
Postcode
:
9220
Country subdivision (NUTS)
:
Nordjylland
(
DK050
)
Country
:
Denmark
2.1.4.
General information
Legal basis
:
Directive 2014/24/EU
5.
Lot
5.1.
Lot
:
LOT-0000
Title
:
Environmental scanning electron microscope with nanoindentation capabilities
Description
:
Following a market survey of environmental scanning electron microscopy as well as nanoindenters, we have found the described procurement to be the only product fulfilling our minimum requirements, that is a combination of state-of-the-art environmental electron microscopy imaging capabilities, very high strain-rate indentation testing, and a unique indentation load range with an extremely low stress noise floor. In combination, this instrument enables measurements of both hard and soft materials under realistic atmospheric and mechanical conditions. Specifically, the following parts of the instrument are unique to this product: Scanning electron microscope equipped with environmental capabilities in combination with a field emission gun. The Thermo Fisher Quattro S system is a state-of-the-art environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM), which combines the ability to achieve high vacuum (<6⋅10-4 Pa) with the ability to reach unprecedentedly high water vapor pressures up to 4000 Pa within the same ESEM chamber. Such high-water vapor is a unique feature of the Thermo Fisher Quattro system and will allow the measurements of biologically relevant samples without risk of drying them out. Furthermore, the Quattro system is the only scanning electron miscroscope system on the market which combine a high-water vapour pressures (≥1000 Pa H2O) with a field emission gun, thereby achieving unprecedented high resolution (down to 1.3 nm resolution under ESEM conditions) together with environmental capabilities in a single instrument. Ultra-low-load and very high strain rate nanoindentation. As a part of the Thermo Fisher Quattro S system, two pieces of nanoindentation equipment will be supplied to the ESEM solution. Both are directly capable of being installed within the acquired ESEM solution. These pieces are a Femtotools FT-NMT04 nanoindenter (FT) and an Alemnis Standard Assembly (ASA), respectively, each representing unique parts of the total instrument, consisting of the ESEM together with the nanoindentation capabilities. In detail, the FT device has displacement control in a unique force range from 0.5⋅10-9 to 2 N load allowed by the unique microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) indentation chip. This allows the exploration of both hard (e.g. inorganic glasses) as well as soft materials with displacement noise floors of <50 ⋅10-12 m in the entire load range. Further, the FT device’s load cell has a unique high mechanical stiffness with an internal resonance greatly exceeding 1000 Hz, thereby eliminating interference problems when performing dynamical loading procedures (oscillating forces superimposed onto a linear loading procedure). The combined setup will also feature an Alemnis Standard Assembly (ASA) system equipped with a large force range with capabilities of reaching loads up to 4 N. Furthermore, the ASA setup exceeds the maximum strain-rate capabilities of any other vendor on the market, enabling tests from quasistatic conditions (<0.001 s⁻¹) up to 1,000 s⁻¹, and dynamic frequency up to 1000 Hz. This allows mimicking real-world impact which is critical e.g. in our inorganic glass research. Further, the ASA setup has a wide range of capabilities of operating both in the vacuum and high-water vapour pressure in the ESEM, in ambient environments with equipped microscopy features, as well as in various beamline setups, including nanodiffraction and tomography, with vendor-equipped additions and the support for tips from external manufacturers as the tip is separated from the load cell. In combination, the nanoindenter-equipped ESEM offers the ability to reach a unique combination of extreme environmental conditions (up to 4000 Pa of water vapour ), very high resolution as enabled Page 3 of 4 by the field emission gun, an extremely large force range (from 0.5⋅10-9 to 4 N), and an extremely high strain rate (up to 1000 s-1), thereby being the only instrument available fulfilling our minimum requirement
Internal identifier
:
737bb503-e1ed-4bcf-9050-d76884439410
5.1.1.
Purpose
Main nature of the contract
:
Supplies
Main classification
(
cpv
):
38000000
Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
5.1.2.
Place of performance
Postal address
:
Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H
Town
:
Aalborg Øst
Postcode
:
9220
Country subdivision (NUTS)
:
Nordjylland
(
DK050
)
Country
:
Denmark
5.1.6.
General information
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
:
yes
5.1.15.
Techniques
Framework agreement
:
No framework agreement
Information about the dynamic purchasing system
:
No dynamic purchase system
5.1.16.
Further information, mediation and review
Review organisation
:
Klagenævnet for Udbud
Organisation providing more information on the review procedures
:
Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen
Organisation whose budget is used to pay for the contract
:
Aalborg Universitet
Organisation executing the payment
:
Aalborg Universitet
6.
Results
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
:
Following a market survey of environmental scanning electron microscopy as well as nanoindenters, we have found the described procurement to be the only product fulfilling our minimum requirements, that is a combination of state-of-the-art environmental electron microscopy imaging capabilities, very high strain-rate indentation testing, and a unique indentation load range with an extremely low stress noise floor. In combination, this instrument enables measurements of both hard and soft materials under realistic atmospheric and mechanical conditions. Specifically, the following parts of the instrument are unique to this product: Scanning electron microscope equipped with environmental capabilities in combination with a field emission gun. The Thermo Fisher Quattro S system is a state-of-the-art environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM), which combines the ability to achieve high vacuum (<6⋅10-4 Pa) with the ability to reach unprecedentedly high water vapor pressures up to 4000 Pa within the same ESEM chamber. Such high-water vapor is a unique feature of the Thermo Fisher Quattro system and will allow the measurements of biologically relevant samples without risk of drying them out. Furthermore, the Quattro system is the only scanning electron miscroscope system on the market which combine a high-water vapour pressures (≥1000 Pa H2O) with a field emission gun, thereby achieving unprecedented high resolution (down to 1.3 nm resolution under ESEM conditions) together with environmental capabilities in a single instrument. Ultra-low-load and very high strain rate nanoindentation. As a part of the Thermo Fisher Quattro S system, two pieces of nanoindentation equipment will be supplied to the ESEM solution. Both are directly capable of being installed within the acquired ESEM solution. These pieces are a Femtotools FT-NMT04 nanoindenter (FT) and an Alemnis Standard Assembly (ASA), respectively, each representing unique parts of the total instrument, consisting of the ESEM together with the nanoindentation capabilities. In detail, the FT device has displacement control in a unique force range from 0.5⋅10-9 to 2 N load allowed by the unique microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) indentation chip. This allows the exploration of both hard (e.g. inorganic glasses) as well as soft materials with displacement noise floors of <50 ⋅10-12 m in the entire load range. Further, the FT device’s load cell has a unique high mechanical stiffness with an internal resonance greatly exceeding 1000 Hz, thereby eliminating interference problems when performing dynamical loading procedures (oscillating forces superimposed onto a linear loading procedure). The combined setup will also feature an Alemnis Standard Assembly (ASA) system equipped with a large force range with capabilities of reaching loads up to 4 N. Furthermore, the ASA setup exceeds the maximum strain-rate capabilities of any other vendor on the market, enabling tests from quasistatic conditions (<0.001 s⁻¹) up to 1,000 s⁻¹, and dynamic frequency up to 1000 Hz. This allows mimicking real-world impact which is critical e.g. in our inorganic glass research. Further, the ASA setup has a wide range of capabilities of operating both in the vacuum and high-water vapour pressure in the ESEM, in ambient environments with equipped microscopy features, as well as in various beamline setups, including nanodiffraction and tomography, with vendor-equipped additions and the support for tips from external manufacturers as the tip is separated from the load cell. In combination, the nanoindenter-equipped ESEM offers the ability to reach a unique combination of extreme environmental conditions (up to 4000 Pa of water vapour ), very high resolution as enabled Page 3 of 4 by the field emission gun, an extremely large force range (from 0.5⋅10-9 to 4 N), and an extremely high strain rate (up to 1000 s-1), thereby being the only instrument available fulfilling our minimum requirement
6.1.
Result lot identifier
:
LOT-0000
6.1.2.
Information about winners
Winner
:
Official name
:
Thermo Fisher, FEI Europe BV Branch Denmark
Tender
:
Tender identifier
:
Thermo Fisher, FEI Europe BV. Branch Denmark
Identifier of lot or group of lots
:
LOT-0000
Value of the tender
:
7 933 851,00
DKK
The tender was ranked
:
no
Contract information
:
Identifier of the contract
:
Environmental scanning electron microscope with nanoindentation capabilities
8.
Organisations
8.1.
ORG-0001
Official name
:
Aalborg Universitet
Registration number
:
29102384
Postal address
:
Fredrik Bajers Vej 7K
Town
:
Aalborg Øst
Postcode
:
9220
Country subdivision (NUTS)
:
Nordjylland
(
DK050
)
Country
:
Denmark
Contact point
:
Alexander Herskind Rasmussen
Telephone
:
22505186
Roles of this organisation
:
Buyer
Organisation whose budget is used to pay for the contract
Organisation executing the payment
8.1.
ORG-0002
Official name
:
Klagenævnet for Udbud
Registration number
:
37795526
Postal address
:
Toldboden 2
Town
:
Viborg
Postcode
:
8800
Country subdivision (NUTS)
:
Vestjylland
(
DK041
)
Country
:
Denmark
Contact point
:
Klagenævnet for Udbud
Telephone
:
+45 72405600
Roles of this organisation
:
Review organisation
8.1.
ORG-0003
Official name
:
Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen
Registration number
:
10294819
Postal address
:
Carl Jacobsens Vej 35
Town
:
Valby
Postcode
:
2500
Country subdivision (NUTS)
:
Byen København
(
DK011
)
Country
:
Denmark
Contact point
:
Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen
Telephone
:
+45 41715000
Roles of this organisation
:
Organisation providing more information on the review procedures
8.1.
ORG-0004
Official name
:
Thermo Fisher, FEI Europe BV Branch Denmark
Town
:
Copenhagen
Postcode
:
1561
Country subdivision (NUTS)
:
Byen København
(
DK011
)
Country
:
Denmark
Roles of this organisation
:
Tenderer
Winner of these lots
:
LOT-0000
8.1.
ORG-0005
Official name
:
Mercell Holding ASA
Registration number
:
980921565
Postal address
:
Askekroken 11
Town
:
Oslo
Postcode
:
0277
Country subdivision (NUTS)
:
Oslo
(
NO081
)
Country
:
Norway
Contact point
:
eSender
Telephone
:
+47 21018800
Fax
:
+47 21018801
Roles of this organisation
:
TED eSender
Notice information
Notice identifier/version
:
93f61662-8e31-474d-8708-cad3935fe8d0
-
01
Form type
:
Direct award preannouncement
Notice type
:
Voluntary ex-ante transparency notice
Notice subtype
:
25
Notice dispatch date
:
09/12/2025
07:27:59 (UTC+00:00) Western European Time, GMT
Notice dispatch date (eSender)
:
09/12/2025
07:30:16 (UTC+00:00) Western European Time, GMT
Languages in which this notice is officially available
:
English
Notice publication number
:
819407-2025
OJ S issue number
:
238/2025
Publication date
:
10/12/2025
Annonce
Annonce
BREAKING