New Lab Start-Up Program

New Lab Startup

Bring your lab to life with Avantor®

Your next innovation has the potential to solve some of the world’s most complex challenges. We’d like to help.

That’s why we focus on helping you meet your laboratory and productivity goals – whether through innovative laboratory design or optimizing scientific operations and workflows. Our team of experts are ready to assist you with the services and products you need, all backed by the industry leading global supply chain Avantor provides.

Start-up your new lab (or renovate an existing lab) with support from Avantor’s new lab start-up program. We offer an intuitive, comprehensive program to guide you through the entire lab start-up process – from project planning to completion.

Maximize your lab productivity so you can focus on what you do best. Our 2024 lab start-up guide can help! You can also explore a wide range of money saving opportunities on lab products and laboratory equipment in the guide.

How to Start a Lab

Are you setting up a lab? Find all the resources you need in our guide. Request your FREE copy of the Lab Start-Up Guide.

Select offers

Review our premium offers and save on select items for your new lab

All Offers

Browse through all our offers for great ways to save on the items you need when setting up your lab.

Setting up a laboratory

Don't forget a thing! Save time by ensuring you have all the furniture, equipment, and supplies you need from the start.

What do you need to start a new laboratory? 

Starting a lab business requires extensive research and planning. The first thing to determine when starting up a new lab is what type of laboratory work you’ll be focusing on. Then you’ll consider what specific equipment you’ll need, and where you’re going to obtain it.

Early key steps include:

  • Exploring/defining the lab space and planned layout
  • Identifying equipment and furniture requirements
  • Reviewing regulatory compliance

General needs for a laboratory include:

  • Furniture
  • Sinks
  • Benchtop areas, 
  • Utilities (gas, tap and distilled water, electrical power, and vacuum)
  • Storage (dry, refrigerated, chemical, media, and glassware), and
  • Space for equipment like an autoclave, hoods (fume and/or laminar flow), and incubators

Find inspiration for the design and configuration of your lab through one of our expansive lab lookbooks, or save time by partnering with an Avantor Furniture Specialist who can help you choose one of our pre-configured laboratory designs.

Lab setup guide

Are you setting up a lab? Find all the resources you need in our 2024 lab start-up guide. 

Ensure your lab is set up, stocked, and optimized for productivity when you arrive. Save on laboratory furniture, equipment, instruments, chemicals, life science products, and other supplies.

Our guide includes numerous money-saving offers from leading brands. Get started today and request your FREE copy of the 2024 Avantor Lab Set-Up Guide.

Save on laboratory equipment and products

Review our special offers and save on select items for your new lab from high quality chemicals and reagents, to imaging systems to general lab necessities, explore a wide range of money saving opportunities on lab products and laboratory equipment.

Checklists for Lab Products and Laboratory Equipment

Don't forget a thing! Save time by ensuring you have all the furniture, equipment, and supplies you need from the start.

Use these categorized laboratory checklists to help ensure you have all the essentials for your lab.

Laboratory Product Checklists:

 Lab Furniture

 Equipment

 Instruments

 Life Science

 Lab Chemicals

 Glassware and Plasticware

 Liquid handling

 Lab Supplies

Laboratory Checklists:

 Cell Culture

 Genomics

 Microbiology

 Proteomics

 Chemicals/Petrochemicals

 Cleanroom/Controlled Environments

 Microscopy

 Chromatography

 Clinical

 Histology/Pathology

 Safety & Industrial Supplies

How to set up a new laboratory  

Setting up a laboratory requires investments in physical infrastructure, equipment, supplies, reagents and human resources. Estimating operating costs and allocating sufficient funds are also critical for establishing and maintaining a laboratory.

Take the time to research equipment suppliers offering your choice of equipment at competitive rates—while being careful not to compromise on equipment quality based on price.  

It’s important to be very mindful of your budget, but also to purchase wisely with long-term benefits in mind.  A “spending now to save later” approach is about identifying the right product that will provide the safest, best suited and longest lasting benefits to your lab. 

It’s common that higher up-front equipment cost will provide greater cost benefits through reduced need for maintenance or possible replacement in the near future.  

Higher performing and higher quality equipment, products and services provide greater safety, productivity and economic outcomes. While evaluating potential equipment purchases, keep in mind that industry certified and regulatory compliant products are designed and tested for safety and performance. Being safe and productive in any type of lab is imperative. 

Brand and quality 

Before buying a particular type of equipment for your lab, do a detailed evaluation of your desired technical specifications and features. Compare the features of different models or brands and pick the one that can best serve your requirements. Avantor’s wide range of high-quality equipment choices can make this step easier. 

Ease of Use 

Prioritize your search for equipment that matches the skill set of you and your team. Equipment with too many complex features will also complicate your work. Go for user-friendly equipment that more easily supports the procedures you conduct in the lab. Consider the size of your lab too – is it spacious enough for the kind of equipment you want to buy? Some bench-top models can save on space while performing as efficiently as a larger-sized version. 

Warranty and after-purchase care 

Reach out to Avantor or your equipment provider to learn about the warranty period and the kind of support provided post-purchase. A good product warranty (and aftercare) for your lab equipment is critically important to the reliability and steady performance of your lab.

Benefits of VWR’s New Lab Startup Program

From scientific discovery to scale-up and commercial delivery, you need mission-critical products, services and solutions on a global scale. Avantor® offers global access to our own portfolio of trusted, quality brands and critical products. 

Choice is important, which is why Avantor® offers customers over 6 million quality products, including our own trusted brands available through VWR® Our specialists are all up to date on the latest trends, regulations and developments in science — ready to partner with you, make recommendations, and develop a practical path toward your lab goals. Our global customer channel allows us to serve more than 225,000 customer locations in over 180 countries around the world through both our global sales force and our e-commerce platform, VWR.com

All of this helps move science forward – fast.   

Learn how Avantor can help you set up a new or existing lab by requesting a free copy of our lab set up guide here!

The Avantor Lab Set-Up Program begins with dedicated support from your Avantor Sales Representative, who understands how to support your unique research goals with a fully outfitted lab. Working with our furniture and services teams, our sales representatives ensure the right decisions are made for your new lab and your budget.

Savings
Your new lab represents a new start. We can help you realize outstanding savings as you begin your new scientific venture. Connect with your Avantor Sales Representative today to start planning your new lab.
 

Request your FREE copy of the Lab Set-Up Guide