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Collections Store Refurbishments - Logistics Hub - Principal Contractor

Natural History Museum

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

08 Oct 2026 at 15:58

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Natural History Museum plans to appoint a principal contractor for refurbishment and alteration of its Osteology Store in the basement of the Grade I listed Waterhouse Building, on the South Kensington estate in London. The store will first be converted into a temporary logistics hub to support collections moves, then used as a permanent store for heavy and large mineralogy and palaeontology specimens. Works include removing non-original partitions, raised floors and redundant services; building a security lobby; repairing floors and historic doors and partitions; installing secondary glazing and a powered external door; and installing new heating, ventilation and air conditioning, electrical, fire alarm, security, building management and controls systems. The contractor must protect historic features, maintain fire compartmentation and make good on completion.

The process is at planning: the Museum has described its intention to procure this initial works package, but has not yet invited tenders. It is also seeking market feedback through a supplier survey on appetite, capability and barriers to participation; the survey is due to close at 5pm on 14 October 2026. The planned contract period runs from 1 April to 30 September 2027. The estimated value is £1 million excluding VAT (£1.2 million including VAT). The wider refurbishment programme covers five collections-store locations, but this procurement is for the Osteology Store works only. The Museum expects to tender separately for refurbishment of the other four areas. No award criteria or procedure are stated at this planning stage.

This package is most relevant to principal contractors able to coordinate refurbishment in a complex museum building while working around significant historic fabric and maintaining fire safety. The scope calls for delivery of internal demolition and construction, repairs to historic features, security and door works, secondary glazing, pest-ingress prevention, and design and installation of several building-services systems. Suppliers will need the capacity to manage these disciplines as a coordinated works package, protect retained features, and complete work to support a sequenced collections move. The Museum says a light-touch approach is intended to minimise cost and impact on the building. Its market survey is intended to identify supplier capability, appetite and barriers, so businesses with relevant heritage-building and building-services delivery experience may wish to provide feedback as the plans develop.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Collections Store Refurbishments - Logistics Hub - Principal Contractor

Notice Description

The Collection Store Refurbishment (CSR) Project forms part of both the wider NHM Unlocked Programme and NHM 150th Anniversary Campaign Programme, which supports: -The internal moves of 11 million specimens -The moves of 28 million specimens to our new facility at Thames Valley Science Park -The 150th Anniversary Campaign to open previously closed galleries to the public -The sale of our South London Collections facility The NHM Unlocked Programme represents the largest ever move of natural history specimens worldwide. The wider CSR project has been tasked with refurbishing collections stores and rehousing five collections across five locations across the South Kensington Estate in suitable collections conditions. The business case for the NHM Unlocked Programme is predicated on limited space and historic, ageing buildings; meaning that globally important specimens are being kept in conditions that hamper access and sometimes fail to meet minimum environmental standards. Moreover, the insights locked up in the collection remain largely untapped. From tackling climate change and meeting the mineral needs of a net zero world, to restoring biodiversity and achieving food security, the collection offers insights into the planetary emergency and how we might realise a brighter future where both people and planet thrive. The CSR Project supports this endeavour. Initially we will be tendering for works on the Osteology Store, this will convert a collections store in the basement of the Grade I Listed Waterhouse Building into a temporary "Logistics Hub" and future end state store for heavy and large specimens coming from our South London Store. As a separate tender there will be a further opportunity to express an interest in tendering for the Main Works package which covers refurbishment works to the other four areas around the South Kensington Estate, including subsequent areas of the Waterhouse Basement (two locations), Darwin Centre Phase 1 and in the Palaeontology Building. This tender relates to the initial works package located in the Osteology Store. The works comprise: -refurbishment and alteration of Rooms B.03, B.07, B.07B-H, B.07J and BC05, -demolition of non-original partitions and raised floors, offices and removal of associated finishes and furnishings (excluding items retained on the eastern wall). -Internal works include the construction of a new security lobby with dry-lined partitions and a powered door, -repairs to damaged fabric and flooring, and measures to prevent pest ingress. -Window and door works including repairs and redecoration to historic partitions and doors, installation of secondary glazing to three north-facing windows, adaptations for building services, and a new powered external door, -Building services works include the removal and rebalancing of existing ventilation systems, strip-out of redundant electrical and data services, and the Stage 4 design and installation of new HVAC, electrical, fire alarm, security, BMS and controls systems. -All works will be undertaken in accordance with the fire strategy, maintaining the integrity of existing 120-minute compartment walls, and will include temporary protection of historic features, cleaning and making good on completion. This phase of the project will initially prioritise the early conversion of the existing basement Osteology Store to a 'Logistics Hub', supporting the sequencing of moves and works in other areas and to reduce programme risk. It is critical that the Logistics Hub is made available early to enable the decant of the Old General Herbarium, the former Origins Gallery, the moves to Thames Valley Science Park (TVSP) and the sale of the South London Collections Facility. Following completion of the decant activities, the Logistics Hub will transition to its permanent configuration and use as a collections store accommodating the Heavy and Large Objects of the Mineralogy and Palaeontology Material Collection. Wherever possible, a 'light-touch' approach has been adopted to support the programme, minimise cost and impact to the significant historic fabric.

Planning Information

We invite potential bidders to complete a short survey to understand suppliers’ appetite and capability for providing these services, and identify any risks or barriers to participation. Please follow this link to participate https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/VSnjQ6qURx The survey closes 5pm, Wednesday 14 October 2026.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-07841a
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095361-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work

92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

CPV Codes

45212300 - Construction work for art and cultural buildings

45212310 - Construction work for buildings relating to exhibitions

45212313 - Museum construction work

92500000 - Library, archives, museums and other cultural services

92521000 - Museum services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Oct 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 30 Sep 2027 6-12 months
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
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

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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