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Wonderlab Interactive Exhibit Makers (Group 2), The Science and Industry Museum

Science Museum Group

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

TenderCancellation

24 Sep 2026 at 10:46

UK12 - Procurement Termination Notice
Tender

10 Jul 2026 at 13:05

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

23 Jun 2026 at 15:04

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Science Museum Group sought suppliers to design and provide interactive science exhibits for the new permanent Wonderlab gallery at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. The exhibits cover six themed groups: heat and measurement; circuits, forces and simple machines; air, bubbles and motion; bridges, mazes and height; patterns, light and kaleidoscopes; and magnetism, plasma and sound. They are intended to engage visitors through playful experimentation, questioning and discovery, and to fit the gallery design overseen by its lead designer or architect. The exhibits must be intuitive to use and work without written instructions. This is a museum exhibition service, delivered for the museum’s gallery.

The buyer invited offers through an open procedure. The procurement was divided into six lots, covering different groups of exhibits, and was marked as suitable for small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises. The overall stated value was £392,500 excluding VAT (£471,000 including VAT); individual lot values ranged from £30,000 to £140,000 excluding VAT. The proposed contract period ran from 10 September 2026 to 9 September 2028. Questions were due by 24 July 2026 at 17:00, and offers by 7 August 2026 at 23:59. Evaluation weighted quality at 70% and price at 30%. The procurement was subsequently cancelled; no reason for cancellation is stated.

This opportunity suited exhibit makers and creative engineering or design teams able to turn science concepts into robust, hands-on museum experiences. Relevant capabilities include developing interactive installations that invite open-ended play and experimentation, communicate through use rather than written instructions, and work for a broad visitor audience. Suppliers also needed to create exhibits that align with a gallery-wide design led by another designer or architect. The six separate exhibit groups offered scope for suppliers with focused expertise in areas such as measurement, circuits and mechanics, airflow and bubbles, structures and mazes, visual patterns, or sound and magnetism. The buyer identified the lots as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs, making the opportunity relevant to smaller specialist firms as well as larger exhibition providers.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Wonderlab Interactive Exhibit Makers (Group 2), The Science and Industry Museum

Notice Description

The Science and Industry Museum's new Wonderlab gallery will be a vibrant, awe-inspiring spectacle at the heart of the world's first industrial city. Dynamic, social and multi-sensory, it will celebrate the wonder of science and invite everyone to unleash their inner inventor. As a core permanent gallery offer, the new space will be an integral part of the Science and Industry Museum's vision and Masterplan. The gallery floor and purpose-built spaces for live programme will create welcoming, playful and inspiring environment, creating the perfect backdrop for visitors to imagine, investigate and reflect. This tender invites suppliers to bid for Wonderlab interactives. These interactive exhibits will provide moments of joy, fun, surprise and wonder throughout the visitor journey. They should be in keeping with wider, gallery designs which will be overseen by the Lead Designer / Architect. Wonderlab interactive exhibits will be intuitive, easy to manipulate and importantly will not rely on written instructions to function. Exhibits will foster interaction in many different ways but will be based on the inquiry approach to science education, which allows for experimentation, questioning, reflection, open ended play and testing.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Heat Camera, Guess Time, Weight Measurement

Lot 2

Circuits, Forces Wheel, Simple Machine

Lot 3

Cloud Rings, Wind Table, Bubbles, Turn Table

Lot 4

Build a Bridge, Maze, Heightometer

Lot 5

Tesselation, Light Box, Kaleidoscope, Binary Patterns

Lot 6

Plasma Ball, Sound Tubes, Sound Waves, Magnetic Fluid, Floating Magnets

Planning Information

The Museum is seeking information on the feasibility of proposed interactive exhibits and their operation within the gallery setting. This engagement will take place online via Microsoft Teams. Suppliers interested in presenting interactive solutions to the Museum are invited to contact Rachel.Dargavel-Leafe@scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk for further information.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06bb43
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/090462-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK12 - Procurement Termination Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

CPV Codes

92521000 - Museum services

92521100 - Museum-exhibition services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£392,500 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£392,500 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
7 Aug 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
7 Jul 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
10 Sep 2026 - 9 Sep 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Science Museum Group
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 2DD
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
TLD North West (England)
Local Authority
Kensington and Chelsea
Electoral Ward
Brompton & Hans Town
Westminster Constituency
Kensington and Bayswater

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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