Earlier this year F4E launched the Industry Portal providing information on the status of ITER procurements for European companies. At the meeting the European Domestic Agency reported phase 2 of the Portal's development with the opening of the ITER supplier database for companies to register their interest in supplying to the ITER project. So far over 450 companies have registered. UK companies need to register in this database to receive news directly from F4E at https://industryportal.f4e.europa.eu/default.aspx.

The first phase of ITER site preparations is complete. The second phase is now beginning covering construction of the vacuum vessel, tokamak and site buildings; an information meeting for industry is planned during Q3, 2010 in Cadarache.

After preparing several big contracts in 2009, this year will see a surge in further procurements. Readers may have noticed the recent increase in e-news announcements and more will follow especially as F4E has over 840 M Euros to commit or spend this calender year.

Presentations from the F4E Information Day on ITER Blanket / First Wall held on 19 May are available on the F4E web site can be downloaded here.

To date SMEs have been awarded 20% of small contracts for projects such as spares for the high voltage Power Supply for the European Electron cyclotron facility and Quality Assurance Inspection Support. For the next round of contracts, when reasonably feasible, F4E may request that a share is sub-contracted to SMEs who have been pre-qualified.

 Fusion and Industry manager, Dan Mistry, welcomed Phase 2 of the F4E Industry Portal, “F4E is using the portal proactively to manage its news and procurement interface with industry. So it's important that UK companies register immediately if they have not already done so”.