---
title: "Purchase of The Balfour Collection (Archive of the Balfour family of Whittingehame, East Lothian, Earls of Balfour)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-032a90"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-032a90"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-032a90.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-032a90.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NATIONAL RECORDS OF SCOTLAND"
published: "2022-04-06"
---

# Purchase of The Balfour Collection (Archive of the Balfour family of Whittingehame, East Lothian, Earls of Balfour)

Buyer: NATIONAL RECORDS OF SCOTLAND  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-032a90

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## Summary

The National Records of Scotland conducted a tender for the purchase of The Balfour Collection, an archive of significant historical value associated with the Balfour family from Whittingehame, East Lothian. This procurement process, classified under the goods category, was executed through a limited method without prior publication of a call for competition, culminating in the contract award on 21 March 2022, with a total contract value of £501,650. The process is now complete, having encountered one bid from a foreign supplier, Christie's, who acted as the selling agent on behalf of the collection's owners.

This tender presents a unique opportunity for businesses engaged in historical, archival, or cultural heritage services, particularly those with expertise in art valuation or auction services. The choice of a limited procurement method suggests a focus on specialised providers capable of handling significant collections with exclusive rights. Companies positioned in the art and historical documentation sectors, particularly those with a track record in similar acquisitions, will find opportunities for growth by collaborating with or supplying to key institutions like the National Records of Scotland to deliver on future projects related to cultural preservation.

## Notice

Purchase of The Balfour Collection (Archive of the Balfour family of Whittingehame, East Lothian, Earls of Balfour)

### Lot Information

Lot 1

NRS have directly awarded the purchase of The Balfour Collection from Christie's. The purchase has been made to preserve and produce information about Scotland's people and history and make it available to inform current and future generations.

### Procurement Information

The collection owners informed NRS that they wished to sell The Balfour Collection to NRS as a private treaty sale and advised that Christie's were working as agents for the owners. NRS contracted for an independent valuation of the collection and established that the offer price is reasonable. HMRC are aware and have given the necessary approvals. This was a rare opportunity to purchase a collection which NRS staff regard as one of the "crown jewels" amongst the deposited collections of which we are custodians, being of both national and international significance. The NRS valuation report confirms that the collection is one of pre-eminent importance on a local, national and international level. The purchase has been made to preserve and produce information about Scotland's people and history and make it available to inform current and future generations.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009205-2022 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 6 Apr 2022 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 21 Mar 2022 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £501,650 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NATIONAL RECORDS OF SCOTLAND |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Post town | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH12 7TF |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM1 East Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM13 City of Edinburgh |
| Local authority | City of Edinburgh |
| Electoral ward | Corstorphine/Murrayfield |
| Westminster constituency | Edinburgh West |
| Delivery location | TLM75 City of Edinburgh |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CHRISTIE'S |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment

### Codes

- 32353100 - Records

## Release History

- 6 Apr 2022 at 09:26 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009205-2022

## Notice URLs

- http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00474

## 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-h6vhtk-032a90. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-032a90.json.