Provision of Broadband Ocean-Bottom Seismographs

Tender description

The Ocean-Bottom Instrumentation Facility (OBIF) has a successful track record of over 15 years of deploying a range of autonomous sensors on the seabed. OBIF is funded by the UK's Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and operated jointly by the Universities of Southampton and Durham to support researchers in a range of environmental science disciplines. We carry out deployments in water depths ranging between 10's of m and 5500 m, for periods lasting from a few days to more than a year, to measure parameters such as ground vibration, pressure, and electric and magnetic field strengths. OBIF currently have a fleet of 55 autonomous seabed instruments, with a physical platform (flotation, pressure tubes, acoustic releases) modified from an original Scripps Institution of Oceanography design, although the current generation of loggers are an internal OBIF design. For measuring vibrations, we currently use high-frequency sensors. We have been awarded NERC capital funding to extend our capability by purchasing a number of market-established broadband ocean-bottom seismographs. We wish to procure a number (5-10 depending on cost) of broadband ocean-bottom seismographs to assess their interoperability with our existing instrument pool, with a view to expansion of these numbers in the mid-to-longer term. They will be used primarily for solid Earth imaging using natural sources of seismic energy (e.g. earthquakes, ocean waves) but will also be used in experiments that use manmade controlled seismic sources (e.g. airguns). Please see the File 4 specification for full details. Additional information: The University is utilising an electronic tendering tool, In-Tend (https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofsouthampton/aspx/home) to manage this procurement and to communicate with potential suppliers and/or tenderers (as appropriate). All documentation in relation to this tender can be downloaded from In-Tend. Potential suppliers/tenderers are advised that there will be no hard copy documents issued and all communications with the University, including the submission of Selection Stage and/or Invitation to Tender responses will be conducted via In-Tend. Regular monitoring of the portal is the responsibility of the potential supplier/tenderer. If you are not already registered as a supplier with the University of Southampton, you will need to register in In-Tend in order to access the procurement documentation. Once you have logged in as a supplier: click on 'Tenders'; locate the relevant project; and click 'View Details'. Once you are in the project screen, you will be able to register your organisation against the project and access all documentation by clicking 'Express Interest'. Potential suppliers/tenderers are advised that formal expressions of interest in the project must be by way of completion and return of the relevant documents via In-Tend. To submit your return: 1. Log in 2. Click 'Tenders' 3. Locate the relevant project 4. View details 5. Click on the tab relating to the relevant project stage (e.g. 'Invitation to Tender') 6. Click on the 'Attach Documents' button and upload your return. 7. Check ALL your response documents are uploaded and displayed in the 'My Tender Return' panel. The system will only permit your organisation to make one return. 8. Click the red 'Submit Return' button. Please note, to preserve the integrity of the procurement, all communications with the University must be made via the correspondence function within In-Tend. Publication of Award Details: In accordance with Regulation 50, paragraph (2) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and subject to Article 5 and Annex 5, Part D (13) of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (if applicable), the University intends to publish the value of any resulting contract at the award stage, and reserves the right to do so. By submitting a response, potential suppliers/tenderers are consenting to publication of this information unless otherwise agreed in advance with the University. Costs and Expenses: Potential suppliers/tenderers are solely responsible for their costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation and submission of responses and participation in this and all future stages of this procurement. Under no circumstances will the University be liable for any costs or expenses borne by potential suppliers/tenderers or a