--- title: "Bishop's Transcripts - Licensing Opportunity" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-e725860e-6cb0-4d1a-bf88-557aad3ac641" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-e725860e-6cb0-4d1a-bf88-557aad3ac641" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-e725860e-6cb0-4d1a-bf88-557aad3ac641.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-e725860e-6cb0-4d1a-bf88-557aad3ac641.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2019-03-25" --- # Bishop's Transcripts - Licensing Opportunity Buyer: WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-b5fd17-e725860e-6cb0-4d1a-bf88-557aad3ac641 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-e725860e-6cb0-4d1a-bf88-557aad3ac641) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-e725860e-6cb0-4d1a-bf88-557aad3ac641.json) ## Summary Worcestershire County Council is currently seeking expressions of interest for a procurement process titled "Bishop's Transcripts - Licensing Opportunity." The project aims to digitise, transcribe, and publish online historical records from The Diocese of Worcester, covering the years 1598 to 1946. This procurement falls under the category of cultural services, specifically library and archive services. The tender period concludes on 15th April 2019, with the contract anticipated to commence on 23rd April 2019 and end on 1st May 2019. Interested parties should express their interest by contacting the council by the deadline. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in digitisation, archival services, and software development for online publishing. Companies that specialise in data preservation, digital imaging, or transcription would be particularly well-suited to compete for this project. Collaborating with Worcestershire County Council could offer a pathway to long-term partnerships, especially for those interested in expanding their services in cultural heritage and historical documentation. The project not only provides a chance for direct business growth but also contributes to enhancing public access to valuable historical records. ## Notice Worcestershire County Council is seeking expressions of interest from potential partners to digitise, transcribe and to publish online the records of The Diocese of Worcester Bishops Transcripts from 1598 to 1946. In 1597 Elizabeth I ordered that an annual transcript of that records of baptisms, marriages and burials recorded in parish registers should be copied onto a single sheet of parchment and sent to the diocesan registrar, i.e. the Bishop. These copies, prepared by the incumbent or the churchwardens, became known as 'Bishops' Transcripts'. The transcripts start in 1598 but very few survived before 1608. During the Commonwealth from 1646 to 1660 the office of Bishop was abolished and therefore there are no transcripts for this period. After 1837, when Civil Registration of births, marriages and deaths was introduced, marriage registers in particular were sent to the registrar rather than the Bishop. The importance of producing the Bishop's Transcripts gradually declined until they ceased to exist after 1946. The Bishop's Transcripts provide a valuable source as they may cover gaps in the original parish registers, be accessible where the registers are in a fragile condition and be understandable where there is difficulty in interpreting handwriting of registers as they may be written in a different hand to the registers. The contract award would include a commercial license to publish online digital images and associated transcription data. The Council has an inhouse digitisation service that could support the conservation and digital image capture. This Council is also considering the potential for the longer term licensing of its archive collection and how a partnership approach could provide a commercial return that can be reinvested into increasing access and furthering our conservation work. If this potential opportunity is of interest to you, please email us at procurement@worcestershire.gov.uk by 23rd April 2019. Additional information: Is a Recurrent Procurement Type? : No ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dd6397ed-00b9-4915-9870-2f83f70d17e0 | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Other - | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 25 Mar 2019 | | Submission deadline | 15 Apr 2019 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 22 Apr 2019 - 1 May 2019 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | WORCESTERSHIRE | | Post town | Worcester | | Postcode | WR5 2NP | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) | | ITL 2 | TLG1 Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | | ITL 3 | TLG12 Worcestershire CC | | Local authority | Worcester | | Electoral ward | Nunnery | | Westminster constituency | Worcester | | Delivery location | TLG West Midlands (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services ### Codes - 92500000 - Library, archives, museums and other cultural services - 92510000 - Library and archive services - 92512000 - Archive services ## Release History - 25 Mar 2019 at 12:34 - TenderAmendment - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dd6397ed-00b9-4915-9870-2f83f70d17e0 - 14 Mar 2019 at 16:43 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dd6397ed-00b9-4915-9870-2f83f70d17e0 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dd6397ed-00b9-4915-9870-2f83f70d17e0 25th March 2019 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder - https://in-tendhost.co.uk/worcestershire/aspx/ Additional information on how to apply for this contract ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-e725860e-6cb0-4d1a-bf88-557aad3ac641. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-e725860e-6cb0-4d1a-bf88-557aad3ac641.json.