Public laboratory tenders for next-generation molecular analysis equipment
A major lab project is sourcing chromatographs, PCR systems and flow cytometers, reflecting a wider public-sector push into genomic and molecular research.
A major lab project is sourcing chromatographs, PCR systems and flow cytometers, reflecting a wider public-sector push into genomic and molecular research.
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A new laboratory project is set to bring high-spec chromatographs, PCR systems and flow cytometers into a single research platform, strengthening capacity for DNA testing, pathogen detection and wider molecular analysis. The equipment list and insistence on precise technical specifications show how public-sector buyers are sharpening their demands as they build next-generation life-science infrastructure.
On 6th February 2026, PBF Zagreb published the contract notice Equipment Procurement for NEXT GEN-PBF. The notice sketches out a comprehensive package of advanced scientific instruments for the NEXT GEN-PBF project, centred on liquid chromatographs, PCR devices, flow cytometers and related systems. This combination points to a platform capable of handling complex biological samples, from nucleic acids through to whole cells.
The contracting authority highlights that specifications will pay “specific attention to the use of technical terms”. In practice, that means performance and functional requirements are likely to be framed in the language of analytical chemistry and molecular biology rather than generic equipment lists. For high-end tools such as liquid chromatographs or flow cytometers, small differences in terminology can translate into major shifts in sensitivity, throughput or compatibility with standard methods.
Taken together, the chosen instrument families support a broad spread of scientific tasks. PCR devices underpin DNA and RNA analysis, including applications in genetic testing and infectious disease work. Flow cytometers enable detailed characterisation of cells and particles, essential for immunological and many clinical and research assays. Liquid chromatographs, meanwhile, sit at the heart of chemical and biochemical separation, feeding into everything from quality control to advanced bioanalysis.
By bundling these technologies into a single project, PBF Zagreb is positioning NEXT GEN-PBF as a multi-purpose laboratory hub rather than a narrowly defined test facility. The emphasis on precise technical language in the specification suggests the buyer is seeking research-grade performance, with clear expectations on sensitivity, reproducibility and safety. That will shape the field for suppliers, who will need to demonstrate not only headline specifications but credible fit with demanding workflows.
The NEXT GEN-PBF procurement lands in the middle of a broader wave of public contracts for genomic, molecular and bioanalytical equipment. Across universities, research institutes and health services, recent notices show a similar appetite for PCR systems, sequencing platforms, chromatography and advanced detection technologies.
In August 2025, the Dirección General de Planificación Económica issued the Acquisition of Genomic Equipment contract for the Extremadura Health Service. That tender combined a Real-Time PCR system, a digital PCR system, automatic electrophoresis equipment and an NGS sequencer, aimed at expanding the service’s genomic portfolio. It illustrates how health authorities are building full pipelines, from nucleic acid amplification through to sequence-level analysis.
In December 2025, Latvijas Universitāte moved in a similar direction with its Laboratory Equipment for Genomics procurement. There, the focus was on genetic analysis systems, real-time and digital PCR devices and associated tools to establish a dedicated genomics platform. The mix echoes the genomic core of the Spanish health-service project, but in an academic setting.
Romanian research institutions are also reshaping their laboratory capabilities. In December 2025, Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie "Carol Davila" launched the Genomic Research Equipment Supply contract to support the “Development of Genomic Research in Romania” project, centred on spectrometry, imaging and related equipment. Later that month, the INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE followed with a Supply of Scientific Equipment notice covering proteomics, metabolomics, genomics and bioanalysis. That package spans chromatography systems, thermogravimetric analysis equipment, a genetic analyser and microbial identification systems, together with installation, training and technical support.
Clinical laboratories are expanding too. In August 2025, Specjalistyczny Szpital im. dra Alfreda Sokołowskiego published a Molecular Research Equipment Delivery notice to enhance the scientific potential of OnkoCWBK, funded under a National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The list there includes laboratory equipment and accessories specifically for molecular research. In December 2025, Spitalul Clinic Judetean de Urgenta Craiova tendered for Medical Equipment Procurement that brings together a portable sequencing system, fluorometer, thermal cycler, centrifuge, pipettes, ELISA analyser, optical microscope, ultrasonic homogeniser and immunology and biochemistry analyser.
Specialist public laboratories mirror this trend. In November 2025, the Państwowy Instytut Weterynaryjny - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy sought a package of instruments through its Laboratory Equipment Procurement notice, covering microbiological, virological and chemical research. The contract combines a liquid chromatograph, a cryogenic grinder and a real-time PCR apparatus, again tying together advanced separation and molecular detection. A few weeks earlier, Wojewódzka Stacja Sanitarno-Epidemiologiczna w Olsztynie issued its own Supply of Laboratory Equipment call, listing mass spectrometers, chromatographs and PCR systems, and explicitly allowing equivalent solutions and partial offers.
Across these examples, a common pattern emerges: public buyers are acquiring families of instruments that collectively support DNA testing, pathogen-focused microbiology and virology, and sophisticated chemical characterisation. The NEXT GEN-PBF specification, combining PCR, flow cytometry and chromatography, fits squarely into that pattern. It suggests that PBF Zagreb is aiming to anchor the project in the same ecosystem of genomics, molecular diagnostics and advanced bioanalysis that other institutions are building around Europe.
The current procurement wave is not limited to genomics. High-end chemistry and protein-focused platforms are also in demand, and they rely on many of the same building blocks that appear in the NEXT GEN-PBF project.
In January 2026, Instituto Superior Técnico opened a Chromatography and Spectrometry Equipment Acquisition procedure covering HPLC, gas chromatography, an ultra-efficient liquid chromatograph with mass detector and a plasma atomic emission spectrometer. In September 2025, the Secretaria Regional de Agricultura, Pescas e Ambiente sought laboratory systems for chromatography and microscopy, including gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, high-efficiency liquid chromatography and a bench-top scanning electron microscope through its Acquisition of Laboratory Systems notice. These contracts underline how chromatographic and spectrometric techniques are becoming standard across environmental, agricultural and chemical research as well as life sciences.
The interface between genomics and protein science is visible too. On 16th January 2026, Instytut Biologii Medycznej PAN launched the Cell-Free Protein Production Platform procurement, calling for a comprehensive platform that includes equipment for nucleic acid isolation, in vitro screening and other essential laboratory functions. The notice shows how cutting-edge protein production now depends on robust nucleic acid workflows and automation, echoing the multi-technology design seen in many genomics projects.
Even within Zagreb, there are signs of sustained investment in advanced instrumentation. On 2nd January 2026, Sveučilište u Zagrebu Farmaceutsko-biokemijski fakultet advertised a Scientific Research Equipment Procurement divided into four groups, including devices for biomolecular applications, a benchtop NMR spectrometer, a microfluidisation system for nanoparticles and a compact TLC-MS analysis system. That mix of biomolecular, nanotechnology and analytical tools further illustrates how local institutions are building layered capabilities, from structural analysis to formulation.
Against this backdrop, the liquid chromatographs in the NEXT GEN-PBF tender sit not just as standalone instruments but as part of a wider analytical backbone. They link the project into a network of facilities where chromatography, spectrometry, PCR and advanced imaging are becoming routine. That, in turn, makes it easier for researchers to move samples, methods and collaborations between institutions without having to redesign protocols from scratch.
Alongside the choice of instruments, recent notices underline how public buyers are using technical requirements, lot structures and service provisions to shape the laboratory equipment market.
In August 2025, the INSTITUT PO MOLEKULYARNA BIOLOGIYA "AKADEMIK RUMEN TSANEV" published a Laboratory Equipment Delivery tender split across 22 lots, including PCR machines, microscopes and centrifuges, all required to meet specific technical requirements and safety standards. A few days earlier, МЕДИЦИНСКИ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ - ПЛОВДИВ had launched its own six-lot Laboratory Equipment Delivery notice for items such as multichannel peristaltic pumps, low-temperature freezers and a vortex-type homogeniser. Breaking procurement into multiple lots allows buyers to match specialised products with specialist suppliers while still coordinating delivery into a coherent lab set-up.
Other authorities stress installation, training and maintenance alongside hardware. The December 2025 Laboratory Equipment Delivery notice from УНИВЕРСИТЕТ "ПРОФЕСОР Д-Р АСЕН ЗЛАТАРОВ" БУРГАС explicitly includes delivery, installation, commissioning and training of personnel for a centre of excellence. In January 2026, МЕДИЦИНСКИ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ’s Pharmaceutical and Laboratory Equipment Procurement specified installation, training and warranty maintenance for four lots of scientific equipment. The Romanian proteomics and genomics tender from INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE likewise builds long-term technical support into its scope.
The Olsztyn sanitary-epidemiological station’s decision to allow equivalent solutions and partial offers shows another lever. It opens the door for competing technologies that meet functional requirements even if they differ in brand or detailed design, while letting smaller suppliers bid for only those lots that match their portfolio. For suppliers of niche instruments, such design choices can be the difference between participating or sitting out.
Against this landscape, PBF Zagreb’s focus on the precise use of technical terms in the NEXT GEN-PBF specification is significant. While the notice does not spell out lot structures or service arrangements, the language points to a tightly defined technical envelope. Observers will be watching how detailed annexes and subsequent clarifications translate that into performance parameters, compatibility requirements and expectations around installation and user training.
The NEXT GEN-PBF equipment procurement will be worth tracking as it moves from specification to contract award and delivery. Its combination of chromatographs, PCR systems and flow cytometers aligns with a broader public-sector shift towards integrated genomic and molecular analysis platforms. How PBF Zagreb balances strict technical demands with openness to different technologies will help signal where the next generation of public research and diagnostic laboratories is heading.
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