Strategy for the procurement of electronics for the LHC experiments

At its meeting on 14 March 2001 the Finance Committee requested the preparation of a document outlining the strategy for future procurement of electronics for the LHC experiments. The bulk of the electronics for the LHC experiments is based on custom-developed designs, the manufacturing of which will be contracted out to industry using the CERN purchasing procedures to ensure competitive prices. Analysis of on-going procurement activities for the electronics for the LHC experiments shows that in almost all cases the application of the CERN purchasing procedures has resulted in bids from a sufficient number of qualified companies to ensure competitive prices and a reasonable distribution of returns between CERN Member States. There is no reason to expect that this pattern will change significantly for the electronics that still remains to be purchased to complete the construction of the LHC experiments.