How to win: Detailed design and build of a scaled down Fast Acting Low Conductance (FALCON)

About this contract

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 to win contracts like this

• ✓Answer against the marking scheme, not the question text — United Kingdom Fusion Energy Ltd scores each response, so map your evidence to the published criteria and weightings.
• ✓At £200,000, expect quality and social value to carry a large share of the score — price alone rarely wins services work.
• ✓Show recent, comparable delivery: name similar services contracts you've delivered for public bodies, with measurable outcomes.
• ✓Start early: it closes 4 December 2026 and a strong bid takes iteration.

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