Award

St George's Guildhall & Creative Hubs Main Contractor

BOROUGH COUNCIL OF KING'S LYNN & WEST NORFOLK

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

18 Nov 2025 at 10:05

Tender

11 Oct 2024 at 13:05

Planning

19 Aug 2024 at 15:05

Summary of the contracting process

The Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk, in partnership with the National Trust and Norfolk Museums Service, has embarked on a comprehensive redevelopment project for St George’s Guildhall and Creative Hubs in King’s Lynn, targeting the construction sector under CPV classification 45000000. The procurement process commenced with planning, followed by an active tender phase, and culminated in the award and contract stages by November 2025, with Messenger Construction Ltd identified as the main contractor. The Guildhall is recognised as the largest surviving medieval Guildhall in the UK and is poised to become a major cultural and educational hub. The project, categorized under 'works', is being pursued through a two-stage Restricted Procedure, ensuring the appointment of a single supplier to execute the work packages that include significant restoration and renovation tasks.

With a contract value of £20,327,463, this tender represents a substantial opportunity for businesses specialising in heritage construction, particularly those with experience in conserving historic and listed buildings. The redevelopment aims to transform the Guildhall into a thriving cultural and enterprise destination, making it an attractive proposition for entities engaged in construction logistics within constrained sites or having expertise in theatre and performing arts projects. SME contractors, especially those with past involvements in National Trust or English Heritage projects, could find promising growth avenues by participating in this project, as the site plans to integrate both innovative conservation techniques and sustainable redevelopment practices.

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Notice Title

St George's Guildhall & Creative Hubs Main Contractor

Notice Description

St George's Guildhall in Kings Lynn is the largest surviving medieval Guildhall in the UK and the oldest theatrical space in the UK still in use, with performances occurring every century since the 1400s. The Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk, the National Trust and Norfolk Museums Service are working in partnership with the Town Deal Board to redevelop the site. Upon completion, it will be operated by the St George's Guildhall and Creative Hub CIO, a charitable organisation established with the objective of preserving and conserving the historic Guildhall. The client is seeking a main contractor with: *considerable experience/ expertise in carrying out works on historic/ listed buildings, e.g. conservation packages *theatre/ performing arts project experience advantageous *National Trust/ English Heritage project experience advantageous *experience managing construction logistics in constrained sites. Construction works will include the following key packages: *concrete foundations & slabs *structural steelwork *structural carpentry *roofing - zinc sheet, clay pantile, corrugated steel *external walling - block/ brickwork *external walling - timber cladding *architectural metalwork *joinery *internal partitions & ceilings *internal finishes *internal doors *external windows & doors *curtain wall glazing *building services *theatre technical services including stage engineering *firestopping *sanitaryware *FFE *Signage *hard landscape & planting *asbestos removal works Contract terms to be JCT Standard Building Contract with Quantities

Lot Information

Lot 1

The Guildhall site is managed by the Borough Council of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk (BCKLWN), also the client body for the refurbishment project, and owned by the National Trust. BCKLWN intend to procure the works via the Open Market. The works are to be procured via a two stage Restricted Procedure (Selection Questionnaire and Tender). The design will be completed up to RIBA Stage 4 with minor areas specified as Contractors Design Portion. The works are to be awarded to a single supplier. The successful contractor will work in conjunction with the Client/Design Team to discharge all planning/listed building consent conditions as part of the contract award whilst also undertaking the role as Principal Designer for the duration of their appointment. St. George's Guildhall is a unique heritage asset with enormous potential to become a major visitor attraction and education resource, a landmark performance venue and a vibrant campus for culture, creativity, and local enterprise. As the largest surviving medieval Guildhall in the UK, the refurbishment project gives the opportunity to restore the historic and theatrical potency of this unique space. The ambition for the Guildhall site is to be a thriving heritage attraction by day, helping to tell the story of medieval Guilds in King's Lynn and beyond, and the theatrical history of the site including likely performances by Shakespeare and Robert Armin. The site will cater for self-directed visitors, guided tours and educational groups with a varied programme of events, workshops and festivals. By night, the main Guildhall becomes an intimate and distinctive performance space for drama, spoken word, comedy, music and more for audiences of over 300 people, as well as other private hire events. The Undercroft, Fermoy Gallery and White Barn can be used for exhibitions, workshops and performances for more informal shows such as comedy, cabaret, band nights, open-mic or stand-up events. The Creative Hub aims to establish a flourishing community of local creative enterprises, craftspeople, artists, makers and start-ups housed in a range of re-purposed historic warehouses and barns, stretching from King Street to the Great Ouse. The refurbished White Barn has the potential to become a nationally recognised gallery space for touring exhibitions as well as local shows. A new foyer at the heart of the site in the north range and Red Barn contains a cafe bar to animate the whole site by day and night. The Riverside restaurant is retained and refurbished with new level access. The entire site aims to be an exemplar of sustainable heritage redevelopment and regenerative design with landscaped courtyards, biodiverse gardens and low-carbon building service systems. The project has approved Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent. Details of the applications can be found at: https://online.west-norfolk.gov.uk/online-applications/simpleSearchResults.do?action=firstPage.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0491d6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074632-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Works
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Restricted procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work


CPV Codes

45000000 - Construction work

45212350 - Buildings of particular historical or architectural interest

45453000 - Overhaul and refurbishment work

45454000 - Restructuring work

45454100 - Restoration work

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£14,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
£14,000,000 £10M-£100M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£20,327,463 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Nov 20253 months ago
Submission Deadline
11 Nov 2024Expired
Future Notice Date
10 Oct 2024Expired
Award Date
29 Oct 20253 months ago
Contract Period
17 Jul 2025 - 29 Jan 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
BOROUGH COUNCIL OF KING'S LYNN & WEST NORFOLK
Additional Buyers

BOROUGH COUNCIL OF KING'S LYNN AND WEST NORFOLK

Contact Name
Jane Mitchell
Contact Email
procurementtenders@west-norfolk.gov.ukk
Contact Phone
+44 155361200

Buyer Location

Locality
KING'S LYNN
Postcode
PE30 1EX
Post Town
Peterborough
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH5 Norfolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH52 North and West Norfolk
Delivery Location
TLH16 North and West Norfolk

Local Authority
King's Lynn and West Norfolk
Electoral Ward
St. Margaret's with St. Nicholas
Westminster Constituency
North West Norfolk

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

MESSENGER CONSTRUCTION

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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