Detailed design and build of a scaled down Fast Acting Low Conductance (FALCON)

What the buyer is asking for

The scope of this work is to provide the detailed design and manufacture of a scaled down Fast Acting Low Conductance valve (FALCON) prototype which will be used to safeguard the proposed exhaust vacuum pumping technology against Disruption mitigation or sudden massive air ingress events for the STEP Prototype Powerplant (SPP). The scope of work includes the detail design and build of a scaled down prototype, which includes everything within the Vacuum Gate/Isolation valve casing (including the casing itself), mainly the actuation mechanism and the seals required to maintain both the operation of the isolation valve and the vacuum integrity of the process gas line. The fast-acting nature of the valve requires it to reach its defined ‘close’ position within 37.5 ms.

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 60%qualityTechnical
• 30%priceCommerical
• 10%qualitySocial Value

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 75 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice publishedyesterday

   9 Nov 2026, 15:16 GMT
2. Clarification questions byin 17 days

   27 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
3. Submission deadlinein 24 days

   4 Dec 2026, 17:00 GMT
4. Award decision expected byin 38 days

   18 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender

1. Tender notice9 Nov 2026, 15:16 GMT106331-2026

Documents

• Tender notice on Find a Tender