See the notice on TED website
1. Buyer
1.1.
Buyer
Official name: Universiteit Leiden
2. Procedure
2.1.
Procedure
Title: Micro-electrode array
Description: The Drukker-Schröter group in the division of Cell Systems and Drug Safety at the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research intends to purchase a multi-electrode array system for the assessment of electrical activity in specialized cell types differentiated from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. Research in our group is focused on the development of multicellular microphysiological models for target identification, drug discovery and safety testing. We develop these systems through the differentiation of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells towards specialized cell types such as cardiomyocytes, neurons, and glia. An important aspect in our work is the molecular and functional characterisation of the cells that we differentiate. In the context of electrically active cell types, measurements of action potentials form an important aspect of this functional characterization. Multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) represent an accessible and scalable method to perform such functional characterisations, since they allow recording of electrical activity from several cells in a culture simultaneously, without laborious single cell-based interventions characteristic of more traditional electrophysiological assessment. This feature makes MEAs particularly suitable in the context of drug discovery and safety testing, where multiple conditions and cells need to be tested in parallel. This publication is to indicate our intention to award the contract to Maxwell Biosystems AG. If no representations are received within 20 days, we intend to award the contract.
Procedure identifier: 9b5c48ff-53a6-4ce0-8741-e5fcf37e0e7a
Internal identifier: 67b3dd39-c049-4b66-b389-10fd17b0819a
Type of procedure: Negotiated without prior call for competition
2.1.1.
Purpose
Main nature of the contract: Supplies
Main classification (cpv): 38434540 Biomedical equipment
Additional classification (cpv): 38000000 Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses), 38300000 Measuring instruments
2.1.2.
Place of performance
Country: Netherlands
Anywhere in the given country
Additional information: See documentation
2.1.4.
General information
Legal basis:
Directive 2014/24/EU
5. Lot
5.1.
Lot: LOT-0000
Title: Micro-electrode array
Description: The Drukker-Schröter group in the division of Cell Systems and Drug Safety at the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research intends to purchase a multi-electrode array system for the assessment of electrical activity in specialized cell types differentiated from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. Research in our group is focused on the development of multicellular microphysiological models for target identification, drug discovery and safety testing. We develop these systems through the differentiation of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells towards specialized cell types such as cardiomyocytes, neurons, and glia. An important aspect in our work is the molecular and functional characterisation of the cells that we differentiate. In the context of electrically active cell types, measurements of action potentials form an important aspect of this functional characterization. Multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) represent an accessible and scalable method to perform such functional characterisations, since they allow recording of electrical activity from several cells in a culture simultaneously, without laborious single cell-based interventions characteristic of more traditional electrophysiological assessment. This feature makes MEAs particularly suitable in the context of drug discovery and safety testing, where multiple conditions and cells need to be tested in parallel. This publication is to indicate our intention to award the contract to Maxwell Biosystems AG. If no representations are received within 20 days, we intend to award the contract.
Internal identifier: 83c54bee-3129-4c78-b1c4-1fc74458fed4
5.1.1.
Purpose
Main nature of the contract: Supplies
Main classification (cpv): 38434540 Biomedical equipment
Additional classification (cpv): 38000000 Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses), 38300000 Measuring instruments
5.1.2.
Place of performance
Country: Netherlands
Anywhere in the given country
Additional information: See documentation
5.1.6.
General information
Procurement Project not financed with EU Funds.
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): yes
5.1.10.
Award criteria
Criterion:
Type: Price
Name: Price
Description: Price
Category of award weight criterion: Weight (percentage, exact)
Award criterion number: 100
5.1.15.
Techniques
Framework agreement:
No framework agreement
Information about the dynamic purchasing system:
No dynamic purchase system
5.1.16.
Further information, mediation and review
Review organisation: Rechtbank Den Haag
Information about review deadlines: Within 20 days after this publication.
Organisation whose budget is used to pay for the contract: Universiteit Leiden
Organisation executing the payment: Universiteit Leiden
Organisation signing the contract: Universiteit Leiden
6. Results
Direct award:
Justification for direct award: The contract can be provided only by a particular economic operator because of an absence of competition for technical reasons
Other justification: The Drukker-Schröter group in the division of Cell Systems and Drug Safety at the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research intends to purchase a multi-electrode array system for the assessment of electrical activity in specialized cell types differentiated from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. Research in our group is focused on the development of multicellular microphysiological models for target identification, drug discovery and safety testing. We develop these systems through the differentiation of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells towards specialized cell types such as cardiomyocytes, neurons, and glia. An important aspect in our work is the molecular and functional characterisation of the cells that we differentiate. In the context of electrically active cell types, measurements of action potentials form an important aspect of this functional characterization. Multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) represent an accessible and scalable method to perform such functional characterisations, since they allow recording of electrical activity from several cells in a culture simultaneously, without laborious single cell-based interventions characteristic of more traditional electrophysiological assessment. This feature makes MEAs particularly suitable in the context of drug discovery and safety testing, where multiple conditions and cells need to be tested in parallel. The cells that we differentiate are often immature at the critical early stages of our experiments, meaning that electrical signals are initially weak. To reliably detect these weak signals, a MEA system with ultra-low noise levels (<4 µVrms) is essential. In addition, stem cell-based differentiations are inherently heterogeneous, containing mixtures of neuronal and non-neuronal cell types as well as multiple neuronal subtypes. Resolving such heterogeneity requires subcellular spatial resolution and very high electrode density, enabling discrimination of individual cells based on their electrophysiological signatures. Furthermore, a central aim of our research is the systematic comparison of multiple experimental perturbations. This requires a system with true multiwell capability (minimum 24 wells) and identical performance across wells, allowing parallel acquisition under standardized conditions. In addition, our experimental readouts critically depend on the ability to assess action potential propagation and axonal conduction dynamics, which requires integrated analysis tools capable of tracking signal propagation across cellular networks without additional labeling or custom post-processing pipelines. Taken together, the intended research imposes an essential combination of technical requirements, namely: • ultra-low noise for detection of weak signals • ultra-high electrode density with subcellular resolution • large active sensing area per well • true multiwell parallelization with consistent performance • simultaneous stimulation and recording flexibility • integrated axonal signal propagation analysis A review of commercially available MEA platforms shows that the MaxWell Biosystems MaxTwo High-Density Microelectrode Array (HD-MEA) platform is, to the best of our knowledge, the only commercially available system that meets all of these essential technical requirements simultaneously. Alternative systems currently available on the market either lack the required sensitivity, do not provide sufficient spatial resolution, do not support true multiwell operation with consistent performance, or do not offer integrated functionality for axonal signal propagation analysis.
6.1.
Result lot identifier: LOT-0000
6.1.2.
Information about winners
Winner:
Official name: MaxWell Biosystems AG
Tender:
Tender identifier: T203559
Identifier of lot or group of lots: LOT-0000
Value of the tender: 265 074,00 EUR
The tender was ranked: no
Contract information:
Identifier of the contract: MXW-39077-3
Title: Quotation
Date on which the winner was chosen: 19/03/2026
Organisation signing the contract: Universiteit Leiden
8. Organisations
8.1.
ORG-0001
Official name: Universiteit Leiden
Registration number: 27368929
Postal address: Kolffpad 1
Town: Leiden
Postcode: 2333BN
Country subdivision (NUTS): Agglomeratie Leiden en Bollenstreek (NL363)
Country: Netherlands
Contact point: Govert Schipperheijn
Telephone: +31715273304
Roles of this organisation:
Buyer
Organisation signing the contract
Organisation whose budget is used to pay for the contract
Organisation executing the payment
8.1.
ORG-0002
Official name: Rechtbank Den Haag
Registration number: 82946175
Department: Civiel
Postal address: Postbus 20303
Town: Den Haag
Postcode: 2500 EH
Country subdivision (NUTS): Agglomeratie ’s-Gravenhage (NL361)
Country: Netherlands
Contact point: Informatie
Telephone: +31883622200
Roles of this organisation:
Review organisation
8.1.
ORG-0003
Official name: MaxWell Biosystems AG
Size of the economic operator: Micro, small, or medium
Registration number: CH-270.3.015.401-3
Postal address: Albisriederstrasse 253
Town: Zürich
Postcode: 8047
Country subdivision (NUTS): Zürich (CH040)
Country: Switzerland
Roles of this organisation:
Tenderer
Winner of these lots: LOT-0000
Notice information
Notice identifier/version: 47afa95d-ac1b-4658-8dcc-582d099eb0c8 - 01
Form type: Direct award preannouncement
Notice type: Voluntary ex-ante transparency notice
Notice subtype: 25
Notice dispatch date: 19/03/2026 13:47:28 (UTC+00:00) Western European Time, GMT
Notice dispatch date (eSender): 19/03/2026 13:58:52 (UTC+00:00) Western European Time, GMT
Languages in which this notice is officially available: English
Notice publication number: 199129-2026
OJ S issue number: 57/2026
Publication date: 23/03/2026