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National Centre for Retrofitting Traditional Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

17 Aug 2026 at 01:00

PCS Notice - Website Contract Award Notice
Tender

23 Feb 2026 at 00:00

PCS Notice - Website Contract Notice
Planning

26 Sep 2025 at 01:00

PCS Notice - Website Prior Information Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Historic Environment Scotland planned construction of a national Retrofit Lab beside The Engine Shed, its National Conservation Centre in Stirling. The works were intended to create the Scottish National Centre for Retrofitting Traditional Buildings, supporting knowledge transfer through welcome facilities, learning space, exhibitions, lectures, workshops, demonstrations and an equipment library. The building was to demonstrate low-carbon and circular construction, including Scottish engineered timber, natural insulation, modular off-site construction, airtightness, insulation, solar control, air-source heat pumps, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, LED lighting, solar photovoltaic panels, battery storage and responsive local controls. This was a building works requirement for a complete building solution, bought by Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with Built Environment–Smarter Transformation.

The procurement was run as a single-lot open procedure for building works under CPV 45000000. The estimated value was £710,000 and the planned contract duration was 210 days. Bids were due by 24 March 2026 at 5pm, with bid opening at the same time; bids were to remain valid for 150 days. The process was discontinued and the award was unsuccessful, so no supplier was selected. The requirement included electronic submission in English and did not allow variants. Evaluation included an economic selection requirement for professional risk indemnity of £1 million, employers’ liability insurance of £10 million and public liability insurance of £5 million. Bidders also had to provide staff names and qualifications.

This requirement indicates demand from Historic Environment Scotland for contractors able to deliver complete, technically coordinated building solutions for heritage retrofit and low-carbon construction. A credible future competitor would need experience combining architectural, structural and building-services delivery, with practical understanding of traditional buildings and energy-efficiency improvements. Relevant capability includes engineered timber construction, natural insulation, circular and modular design, airtight and well-insulated building fabric, renewable generation, battery storage, heat pumps, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and building controls. Firms would also need to coordinate educational, exhibition and demonstration facilities rather than deliver a conventional building alone. Appropriate insurance capacity and the ability to identify suitably qualified project staff would be important when a comparable requirement returns.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

National Centre for Retrofitting Traditional Buildings

Notice Description

National Centre for Retrofitting Traditional Buildings

Lot Information

Lot 1

This notice relates to a contract opportunity relating to the building of the Retrofit Lab, which is to be Historic Environment Scotland's new Scottish National Centre for Retrofit of Traditional Buildings. The new building is to be located next to and operated from The Engine Shed, Historic Environment Scotland's National Conservation Centre, in Stirling. HES has been awarded funding from Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) through their Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) Fund to establish the Retrofit Lab, a centre for innovation in the retrofit of traditional buildings and the use of low carbon retrofit materials. This project is being developed in partnership with Built Environment - Smarter Transformation (BE-ST). BE-ST is Scotland's national innovation centre for the built environment, working to accelerate the sector's just transition to zero carbon. BE-ST collaborates with industry, academia, the public sector, and communities to drive research, innovation, and commercialisation, through the adoption of advanced construction materials, products, and technologies. As part of this mission, BE-ST has launched the Mass Timber Centre of Excellence: a dedicated facility to advance the use of homegrown engineered timber in construction, strengthen the supply chain, and promote Scotland as a leader in sustainable building solutions. Project Objectives: The primary role for the Retrofit Lab is 'Knowledge Transfer' and will comprise of the following key components: 1. Welcome: Facilities to support the activities of the building and complement those at The Engine Shed. 2. Learning Space: Focus on improving the energy efficiency of traditional buildings through education, training, promoting best practice and demonstrating practical technical solutions. 3. Equipment Library: Train and educate on how to use scientific equipment associated with retrofit and provide equipment that can be used in other locations to inform understanding of buildings and success of interventions. Therefore, the primary Retrofit Lab activity will include: - Lectures, presentations, classroom learning; - Display, exhibition; and - Demonstration, workshops, interaction with equipment. Project Opportunities: The Retrofit Lab project is to be a demonstrator for 1. Embodied Carbon: - Prioritisation of local and low carbon material specification, in particular: home-grown Scottish engineered timber structure, Scottish timber internal linings and external cladding, Scottish natural insulation products and floor finishes. - Prioritisation of circular economy design and specification: reduce, reuse, recycle; and - Modular off-site construction: prefabrication, designed for disassembly, demountable for reuse, minimum waste. 2. Operational Carbon: - Fabric first approach: High levels of airtightness and insulation, control of solar gains; - Highly efficient technologies utilising low-carbon energy: Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP), Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR), LED Lighting; - On-site renewables: PV solar panels; - Provision of battery storage to align the use of solar energy generation to suit demand; and - Responsive Local Controls HES is seeking a supplier experienced in developing and delivering complete building solutions to achieve the project objectives and realise the project opportunities.. HES was granted Planning Permission for the Retrofit Lab by Stirling Council on 16th May 2025, Ref: 25/00141/FUL

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000811294
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG562420
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
PCS Notice - Website Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Works
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work

CPV Codes

45000000 - Construction work

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£710,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£710,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
24 Mar 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
21 Nov 2025Expired
Award Date
17 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Historic Environment Scotland
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EDINBURGH
Postcode
EH9 1SH
Postcode Area
Edinburgh
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM1 East Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM13 City of Edinburgh
Delivery Location
TLM77 Perth and Kinross, and Stirling
Local Authority
City of Edinburgh
Electoral Ward
Southside/Newington
Westminster Constituency
Edinburgh South

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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