Planning

Natural History Museum - Bulk Storage Solution

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

09 Dec 2025 at 19:05

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Natural History Museum, located in South Kensington, United Kingdom, is engaging in a procurement process to develop a modern, cloud-aligned Bulk Data Storage and Lifecycle Management Solution aimed at supporting over 300 scientists engaged in diverse research domains like CT scanning, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and imaging analysis. As part of its digital transformation strategy, the museum is in the planning stage of this procurement, with a focus on conducting preliminary market engagements to validate requirements and explore innovative solutions. This initiative falls under the 'services' category within the data services industry, and interested parties are encouraged to participate in the engagement by 12th January 2026. The procurement exercise is anticipated to begin in 2026, with plans for the contract period spanning from 1st July 2026 to 30th June 2031 with possible renewals.

This procurement presents a promising opportunity for businesses specialising in data services, particularly those with experience in cloud solutions and managed services certified to ISO27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus. Vendors can leverage this engagement to propose competitive, outcome-based service models and secure long-term relationships through the provision of robust, scalable storage solutions. Companies with innovative approaches to cloud-native object storage, intelligent on-premise caching, and comprehensive maintenance services for bulk storage infrastructures would be well-positioned to meet the Natural History Museum's needs for a flexible and efficient data lifecycle management solution. This opportunity allows businesses to contribute to significant scientific research and digital progression at a premier public authority, potentially influencing extended collaborations and further procurement opportunities.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Natural History Museum - Bulk Storage Solution

Notice Description

The Natural History Museum ("NHM") intends to initiate a procurement exercise in 2026 for a modern, cloud-aligned Bulk Data Storage and Lifecycle Management Solution to deliver scalable capacity that meets growing research demand and aligns with the Museum's digital transformation strategy. The solution is anticipated to be the primary bulk storage infrastructure supporting over 300 scientists across multiple research domains including CT scanning, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and imaging analysis. We envisage (based on the museums current cloud strategy) , a hybrid architecture with intelligent on-premise caching and cloud-native object storage and archive in AWS, delivered as a fully managed service with multi-tier data lifecycle management and robust access control. The NHM currently intends to undertake a single procurement utilising an outcome-based functional requirements approach. The procurement will seek a comprehensive managed service encompassing both the storage platform infrastructure and ongoing operational support, with the supplier assuming responsibility for 24/7 monitoring, capacity planning, security patching, backup and disaster recovery, and service delivery under contractual Experience Level Agreements (XLAs). Any supplier would need to be certified to ISO27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus. This Preliminary Market Engagement Notice relates to the development of the solution as a unified managed service procurement. The NHM is seeking supplier engagement to validate requirements, explore innovative approaches to outcome-based service delivery, and inform commercial models including consumption-based pricing, XLAs and meaningful KPIs, and leased equipment options. This notice is solely for the purpose of engaging the market to gather information. It does not constitute a call for competition or form part of a competitive process. Participation in this engagement will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement, nor will it bind the NHM to proceed with any specific course or action. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-South-Kensington:-Data-services./YBHX95RYZ2 To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/YBHX95RYZ2

Planning Information

The engagement will take place via collection of information via a questionnaire accessible via an e-tendering portal. The NHM is seeking supplier engagement to validate requirements, explore innovative approaches to outcome-based service delivery, and inform commercial models including consumption-based pricing, XLAs and meaningful KPIs, and leased equipment options. This notice is solely for the purpose of engaging the market to gather information. It does not constitute a call for competition or form part of a competitive process. Participation in this engagement will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement, nor will it bind the NHM to proceed with any specific course or action.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f247
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081263-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72300000 - Data services

72317000 - Data storage services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Dec 20252 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
12 Jan 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
s-ts-procurement-forms@nhm.ac.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
SOUTH KENSINGTON
Postcode
SW7 5BD
Post Town
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI33 Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Kensington and Chelsea
Electoral Ward
Brompton & Hans Town
Westminster Constituency
Kensington and Bayswater

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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