UT takes the position that the contract can be directly awarded to Evident Europe GmbH due to the absence of competition for technical reasons, as stipulated in Article 2.32, paragraph 1, sub b, bullet 2 of the Dutch Public Procurement Act 2012. Furthermore, UT believes that no reasonable alternative or substitute exists, as referred to in Article 2.32, paragraph 3 of the Dutch Public Procurement Act 2012, that meets UT’s reasonable requirements, as outlined below. Optimized Optical Pathway: The LV200 employs a short focal-length imaging lens, minimizing the distance between the sample and detector. This design enhances light collection efficiency, crucial for capturing faint bioluminescent signals. Light-Tight Environmental Chamber: The system features a light-tight, inverted microscope specifically designed for long-term imaging of bioluminescent cells and tissues. Enhanced Sensitivity: The LV200's optics are specifically designed for luminescence, increasing the sensitivity of light detection remarkably and enabling high-resolution imaging of cells and tissues with standard CCD and EM-CCD cameras. Motorized x/y stage and focus drive for multi position long-term observation in bioluminescence experiments. Market Exclusivity As of now, the Olympus LV200 stands alone in its class, offering a combination of features specifically tailored for bioluminescence microscopy. Its unique design and capabilities make it the only system currently available that meets the requirements for high-sensitivity, low-light biological imaging UT has conducted its own market research and has concluded that only one supplier can meet these requirements. For the time being, competition is absent, as the market research indicates that other parties cannot fulfill these requirements.  Moreover, UT believes that the lack of competition is not the result of an artificial restriction of the procurement conditions. According to UT, these are reasonable requirements that it is entitled to impose on the contract, and they are explicitly not set with the intention of preventing competition. UT simply does not wish to enter into an agreement with a party that cannot meet these requirements.