---
title: "Library Archives Services: Collection reconfiguration, storage and retrieval"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04890c"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04890c"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04890c.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04890c.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA"
published: "2024-08-08"
---

# Library Archives Services: Collection reconfiguration, storage and retrieval

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04890c

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## Summary

The University of East Anglia (UEA) has completed the procurement process for a contract with Archive Vault Limited to provide library archive services, including collection reconfiguration, storage, and retrieval. This contract, valued at £312,500 and signed on 1st August 2024, extends over a five-year term and encompasses the Norwich region (UKH15). The procurement method was a limited award procedure without prior publication due to the specialised nature of the services required, particularly since Archive Vault has been servicing UEA Library since July 2018. The primary industry category is library and archive services, with the core procurement stage being the award stage.

This contract offers substantial business growth opportunities for companies involved in bespoke library and archive services, especially those capable of providing tailored logistics solutions, advanced cataloguing, and off-site storage with high retrieval efficiency. Businesses well-suited for this tender include those with expertise in academic library services, particularly those with capabilities in bespoke software solutions and a strong track record of maintaining service continuity in complex environments. The strategic use of a local company ensures operational sustainability and cost-efficiency, offering an excellent model for similar projects aiming to enhance library facilities while avoiding service disruption.

## Notice

UEA Library intends to enter into a contract with Archive Vault in respect of the services described below. The proposed contract has a term of 5 years. "Library and archives services: collection reconfiguration, storage and retrieval " is an expansion of an existing service used by UEA Library for its ongoing Library collections reconfiguration project. The service is essential as it provides bespoke services that enable the Library to "right size" its physical collections and maximize the space available for study over a planned project timescale.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

"Library and archive services" covers bespoke academic library collections cataloguing, classification, moving, storage, retrieval, scanning, archiving and disposal service and is the existing service used by UEA Library for its ongoing Library collections project. The contract involves the scaling up of the existing custom logistics solution based on existing bespoke workflows and bespoke software. The solution has been engineered to minimize disruption to library users whilst maximising the return on investment from having set up a bespoke solution in which all the above services are interrelated.

### Procurement Information

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed Below: 32(2)(b) "where the works, supplies or services can be supplied only by a particular economic operator for any of the following reasons":- (ii) competition is absent for technical reasons Explanation: This award is lawful in accordance with the regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) because the competition is absent for technical reasons. UEA Library has used the bespoke services of Archive Vault since July 2018, and the system is an essential component of the Library's collection management infrastructure such that any splitting up of the services would have a detrimental effect on the day to day running of the Library's current and future services. Academic Libraries like UEA are increasingly using off site storage options for their collections. What makes this project more complex than simply off site storage is that UEA Library is also combining this off site storage move with a bespoke collections "right-sizing" project requiring selective de-accessioning, withdrawal and disposal of stock. This requires consultancy, specialist knowledge of the UEA collections, appropriately trained staff, the ability to keep track of stored and withdrawn materials, the ability to return or scan material in high demand, and adherence to ISO standards for quality and security. At the present time it would be impossible for UEA Library to procure an alternative economic operator to provide this service as all the current and future stock needs to be managed using the same retrieval software under its bespoke configuration, otherwise the existing stored collections would have to be de-accessioned at great cost and re-catalogued to fit with another service providers cataloging schedules which are unlikely to be suitable for library specific stock. A change of service provider would dramatically increase the risks of stock loss and disruption of existing retrieval services would be high and the Library services could not cease for the duration of such a transfer of services. This would also mean we were unable to keep to our project timescales. The cataloguing of the UEA material is bespoke and has been devised through consultancy between UEA and Archive Vault. The current solution has also been devised to maximise the sustainability of the solution, ensuing a local company to keep transport costs as low as possible, and bespoke scanning services where possible to avoid unnecessary journeys. It is key that stability of provision is ensured over the next few years to allow proper consideration of the above mentioned aspects. No other economic provider would be able to provide this bespoke service at this time and in the timeframes required.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025087-2024 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 8 Aug 2024 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 31 Jul 2024 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £312,500 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA |
| Locality | NORWICH |
| Post town | Norwich |
| Postcode | NR4 7TJ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH5 Norfolk |
| ITL 3 | TLH51 Norwich and East Norfolk |
| Local authority | Norwich |
| Electoral ward | University |
| Westminster constituency | Norwich South |
| Delivery location | TLH15 Norwich and East Norfolk |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | ARCHIVE VAULT |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

### Codes

- 92510000 - Library and archive services

## Release History

- 8 Aug 2024 at 14:45 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025087-2024

## Notice URLs

- http://www.uea.ac.uk

## 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-04890c. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04890c.json.