medicines discovery catapult (mdc) is a national facility for collaborative r&d exploring and developing new approaches to the discovery and proof of well targeted medicines, diagnostics and biomarkers. funded by innovate uk, an agency of the uk government, mdc are an independent not-for-profit company bringing together a fragmented uk sector of industry, academia, charities, technologists, services, finance companies, smes and start-ups who together can turn good science into new, high value products. by sharing problems, rare expertise and assets we support the growth of this new community through a time of radical business and national change. mdc wishes to create a new cl3 facility for innovative diagnostics, biomarkers and complex medicines and develop the uk’s onshore diagnostic capability and capacity and the associated supply chain. the project will create a national facility for testing and validation of new diagnostics, biomarkers and innovative therapeutics for disease. the validation centre of excellence will enable innovators to set up new companies with confidence, driving regional growth in high-value jobs and a sector of urgent national and global need. the centre will build on the lighthouse brand, creating a hub for new diagnostic and therapeutic validation. this tender is for a floor standing ultracentrifuge, which will be used in the new facility.