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NHM150 Western Galleries - Base Build Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health

Natural History Museum

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

18 Sep 2026 at 10:08

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

09 Jun 2026 at 12:08

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

26 May 2026 at 11:20

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Natural History Museum commissioned mechanical, electrical, public health and acoustics consultancy services for the base-build transformation of its Western Galleries in London. The works cover the Dinosaur Gallery, Origins Gallery, Old General Herbarium, Botany Library and Swing Space, with the fit-out procured separately. The appointed consultant is responsible for developing MEPH designs across RIBA stages 2 to 7, working with other consultants and Museum stakeholders. The scope includes conservation and repair of gallery spaces, removal and replacement of building services, new heating, cooling and ventilation, plant rooms, structural works, lifts, staircases, toilets, cafés and retail areas. It also covers decanting and relocation of contents, offices, shops and existing services, together with associated building works. The services category includes mechanical and electrical building engineering, public health, acoustics and related engineering advice.

This procurement is complete and has been awarded through an open procedure. One lot was evaluated using quality at 50%, social value at 10% and price at 40%; 13 bids were received and five reached the final stage. The tender deadline was 14 July 2026 at 12:00, enquiries closed on 16 June 2026 at 12:00, and the award period ended on 11 September 2026. The estimated value was £2,000,000 excluding VAT and £2,400,000 including VAT. Building Design Partnership Limited was awarded the contract on 18 September 2026 for £719,568.75 excluding VAT and £863,482.50 including VAT. The contract period runs from 12 October 2026 to 31 March 2032. The lot was identified as suitable for SMEs, and electronic submissions in English were allowed.

This award demonstrates substantial demand from the Natural History Museum for an integrated building-engineering consultancy capable of delivering complex services design in occupied or operational heritage and cultural buildings. Relevant competitors would need credible mechanical, electrical and public health engineering expertise, acoustics capability, and the capacity to develop coordinated designs through RIBA stages 2 to 7. Experience managing conservation, structural interfaces, plant rooms, heating, cooling, ventilation, public health systems, vertical circulation, cafés, retail areas and temporary relocations would be valuable. The requirement also favours firms able to collaborate with multidisciplinary consultants, Museum stakeholders, contractors and building users across a long, phased gallery transformation. Social value formed part of the evaluation, so bidders would need a clear, deliverable approach to social-value outcomes alongside technical quality and competitive pricing.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

NHM150 Western Galleries - Base Build Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health

Notice Description

The Natural History Museum has announced important transformations of its internal spaces ahead of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the South Kensington site, occurring in 2031. As part of these transformations, the popular Dinosaur Gallery will be restored, and the Origins Gallery, the Old General Herbarium and the Swing Space, currently closed to the public, will be reopened and returned to public use. These galleries are identified collectively as the' Western Galleries'. The works in each gallery will be articulated in two phases: base build, which is the object of this tender, and fit out, which will be tendered separately. The first works to commence will be the Swing Space in Autumn 2027 (base build) for an opening in 2028, followed shortly after by the Botany Library and the Old General Herbarium, due in 2029, Dinosaur Gallery, opening in 2030, and Origins Gallery that will be completed in 2031. A Feasibility Study has just been completed both for base build and fit-out leading to the identification of a set of recommended options for the base build and a set of design principles for the fit-out. The base build works for all the galleries in scope will encompass design and works for (high-level scope, including but not limited to): - Conservation of the gallery spaces - Making good of the fabric of the building - Removal of redundant services - New ventilation and heating / cooling system and associated Building Works in Connection (BWIC) - Mechanical, electrical and public health systems - Creation of new plant rooms to support the increased needs of the spaces - Required structural works Additional works (including but not limited to): - Clearance of existing spaces - Dismantling and removal of Dinosaur Gallery walkway, with relocation of connected existing service. - Decant and recant of Botany Library contents - Temporary relocation of Dino Shop - Decant and relocation of offices to make room for the new circulation core - Conservation of existing fixtures and finishes (e.g. cabinets and bookcases) in Old General Herbarium and Botany Library - Removal of existing Dino shop and dog leg corridor in the Swing Space - Creation of 2 new vertical circulation cores (lifts and staircase), with all the related M&E works - Creation of new toilets and ancillary spaces, with all the related MEPH works - Relocation and enlargement of ground floor cafe and MEP service provision for it - Creation of new cafe on the first floor and MEP service provision for it - Fit out of new Dino Shop and the two cafes. The appointed consultants will be asked to act as Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health (MEPH) and Acoustics consultant, developing the MEPH design for the galleries and ancillary spaces across RIBA stages 2-7, working with the other consultants and Museum stakeholders to ensure the appropriate solutions are identified and developed. In order to access the documents for the tender exercise, all tenderers must complete the NDA available in the SQ stage document library. The NDA must be signed by an appropriate representative of the tendering company and returned to the Museum for countersignature. Once the NDA has been completed by both parties, it will be sent to tenderers for record keeping. The tenderer will then be added to the Tenderbox stage. Once bidders have been added to the Tenderbox they will receive an automated e-mail from Delta.

Planning Information

Bidders are invited to an online Bidder Briefing Session and Q&A (to be held on Microsoft Teams) at 9am, Wednesday 3rd June 2026. In order to register for this session bidders should sign the NDA which is available in the SQ stage document library. This must be returned by 3pm, Tuesday 2nd June. The NDA must be signed by an appropriate representative of the tendering company and returned to the Museum for countersignature. To access the SQ stage, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/6W773NBM42 Once the NDA has been completed by both parties, it will be sent to tenderers for record keeping. The tenderer will then be invited to the briefing session. The date and time of the session will be confirmed shortly, and the invite will be sent out Tuesday 2 June. The session will be recorded and circulated to all bidders, including those who were unable to attend. All bidders who have completed the NDA will be given access to the tender documents, which are currently expected to be available from the 11th May 2026 (this date is subject to change).

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06a2f4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088506-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

CPV Codes

71313200 - Sound insulation and room acoustics consultancy services

71318000 - Advisory and consultative engineering services

71321000 - Engineering design services for mechanical and electrical installations for buildings

71333000 - Mechanical engineering services

71334000 - Mechanical and electrical engineering services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£2,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£2,000,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
£719,568 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
14 Jul 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
18 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
12 Oct 2026 - 31 Mar 2032 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Natural History Museum
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW7 5BD
Postcode Area
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
TLI London
Local Authority
Kensington and Chelsea
Electoral Ward
Brompton & Hans Town
Westminster Constituency
Kensington and Bayswater

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

BUILDING DESIGN PARTNERSHIP LIMITED

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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