As the UK is an Associate of the ILL and a major contributor, the ILL tries to assist the UK in achieving a fair return on its’ investment through contracts placed with UK companies. STFC manages the subscription costs for the UK and as part of this the STFC Business Opportunities team act as the Purchasing Adviser for the UK (Purchasing Adviser is equivalent to an Industrial Liaison Officer). The team supports UK companies who are interested in working with the ILL.
How to access opportunities at the ILL
Selection of firms
The ILL is not subject to public procurement rules and opportunities are not advertised openly.
ILL technical and purchasing staff will propose suppliers for all opportunities, and it is therefore important for UK companies to build relationships with the technical and purchasing staff at the ILL and the STFC Business Opportunities team can assist with this.
The Purchasing Advisers for each Member State can also put forward additional companies to the ILL. The STFC Business Opportunities Team is the UK’s Purchasing Adviser, and opportunities are advertised via STFC’s Tender Opportunities service. To receive opportunities by sector please register here.
The procurement process
Sourcing requests
For purchases estimated to be above 50,000€, the ILL issues a Sourcing Request (PC) to the Purchasing Advisers appointed by each member country ahead of the call for tender. The Sourcing Request includes a brief description of the upcoming tender, and the Purchasing Advisers are able to propose additional companies to include in the tender. Only the Purchasing Advisers can suggest additional bidders; firms cannot propose themselves. The final decision on which companies to include is the ILL’s and they cannot always include all suggested companies.
Please register on the STFC Tender Opportunities service to be informed of these opportunities.
Calls for tender
Following the Sourcing Request, selected bidders will receive an invitation to tender; the invitation to tender is sent via email and provides a link for companies to access the tender documentation. The deadline to submit a bid is usually ~4 weeks from when the tender is issued. Please ensure you submit the information in the correct way as stipulated in the documentation.
If your firm is selected but you will not be bidding please ensure you inform ILL of your decision; this will help to ensure you are invited for future tenders.
Contracts are usually awarded on the basis of Best Value for Money.
For more information on the ILL tendering process please visit their procurement page.
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Tips for bidding at the ILL
- If you’re not sure, ask (us or ILL)
- Don’t make an assumption on what the ILL is asking for – ask
- Contact details for questions on technical aspects are included in the tender documents
- Contracts are usually awarded on the basis of Best Value for Money, and to the firm whose bid meets the technical, financial and delivery requirements
- Country of origin:
- Supplies = the country/ies of manufacture or last major transformation (including sub-assemblies and components)
- Services = the country/ies in which the contractor is established
- Pick your preferred currency: GBP or EUR
- Be prepared to make a competitive bid
- All tender documents should be available in English
- Acknowledge receipt of the tender documents
- Make sure you complete all documents and double check the number of references required
- Ensure you submit the information in the correct way as stipulated in the documentation
- Respect the deadlines
- A decline is better than no response if you don’t wish to bid so if your firm is selected but you will not be bidding please ensure you inform the ILL; this will help to ensure you are invited to future tenders
Download tips (PDF, 380 KB)
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Contacts and useful links
For more information please contact the UK’s Purchasing Adviser:
Laura Sewell
Tel: +44 (0)1793 442190
If you need help with export please contact:
Useful links
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