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1894 Building Switch Room Architectural Design Phase 2

UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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08 Oct 2026 at 08:59

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

UK Research & Innovation commissioned architectural design services for Phase 2 of the central heating and plant building at the Royal Observatory on Blackford Hill, Edinburgh. The scope is to complete the site with a single-storey building, incorporating and roofing over the Phase 1 open-air enclosure and its packaged plant units. It also covers building-services distribution routes across the site. The appointment is limited to the central plant building and its service routes; it does not cover work to the existing buildings. The requirement is architectural design for a specialist plant-building project at the Observatory, rather than a general refurbishment of the wider site.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to CB3 Design Associates Ltd. UKRI used a below-threshold limited competition. There was one lot, covering the Phase 2 architectural design appointment. The contract was signed on 1 October 2026 and runs from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. Its stated value is £56,250 excluding VAT and £67,500 including VAT. The award is recorded as active and the contract as active. The procurement data does not set out evaluation criteria, so the basis on which competing proposals were assessed cannot be described here.

This award shows that UKRI procures focused architectural design services for specialist plant infrastructure at the Royal Observatory, using limited competition for a below-threshold requirement. A credible competitor for comparable work would need architectural capability suited to designing a single-storey plant building and integrating it with an existing plant enclosure, including roofing over that structure. Experience coordinating building-services distribution routes across a site would also be relevant. Suppliers should be able to work to an established design direction and proposals, while keeping the scope focused on the central plant building and its services rather than assuming responsibility for alterations to surrounding buildings. CB3 Design Associates Ltd, the selected supplier, is an SME, demonstrating that this scale of appointment has been delivered by a small business.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

1894 Building Switch Room Architectural Design Phase 2

Notice Description

Central heating/plant building, Phase 2, at the Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh. Design and construction of the central plant building is proposed to be split into 2 phases. Phase 1 to be an open-to-air enclosure with packaged plant units as per LDN Architects 2024 proposals. Phase 2 (this Appointment) to be completion of site with single storey building as per Collective Architecture Pre-Application Planning proposals dated 26.08.26. Phase to include incorporation of, and roofing over, Phase 1 structure. This Appointment provides for the central plant building plus building services site distribution routes only; it does not include for any works to each of the existing buildings.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-07834e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095005-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - limited competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

CPV Codes

71220000 - Architectural design services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£56,250 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Oct 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
SWINDON, WILTSHIRE
Postcode
SN2 1FL
Postcode Area
Swindon
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK71 Swindon
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Swindon
Electoral Ward
Rodbourne Cheney
Westminster Constituency
Swindon North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

CB3 Design Associates Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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