SparkFund - Provision of equipment and consultancy services

Tender description

SparkFund is an ERDF funded grants programme available to Small & Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), located in either the Humber of York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas. The total value of the programme is £17.8m and it is in receipt of £9.8m of ERDF grant funding. SparkFund is led and managed by the University of Hull and a dedicated SparkFund Team has been established to act as the direct interface with eligible SMEs and to support them to scope, design and successfully procure goods and/or services. The grant recipient, Additive-X Ltd wish to enhance their facilities and service offering at their main site in Ripon. The facility and technologies will provide manufacture of parts as well as tools, prototypes, jigs and fittings and will be able to print in materials suitable for a wide range of industries and applications. This is a low-carbon R&D project requiring energy-efficient additive manufacturing of end-use parts at scale, with the least possible waste. In order to achieve their aims Additive-X wish to purchase equipment which is the very latest cutting-edge technology to help future-proof the project. Lot 1: Large build volume, fast Fused Filament Fibre 3D printer capable of printing with continuous fibre reinforcement. This 3D printer must be easy to use, cutting-edge technology capable of high speed, high quality prints and strong parts suitable for demanding applications. Lot 2: SLS 3D printing system safe to use in a workshop environment, capable of printing with Nylon 11 CF, with maximum powder recycling. Easy to use powder technology 3D printer, fast printing with large build volume for lower cost and energy use per part, plus printing with 100% recycled material. Lot 3: Handheld 3D scanner Handheld 3D scanner with reverse engineering solution including turntable and software.