---
title: "Towards A National Collection - Digitisation Capability Pilot for N-RICH Prototype"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-060817"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-060817"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060817.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060817.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND"
published: "2026-05-29"
---

# Towards A National Collection - Digitisation Capability Pilot for N-RICH Prototype

Buyer: HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-060817

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## Summary

The procurement process titled "Towards A National Collection – Digitisation Capability Pilot for N-RICH Prototype" is conducted by Historic Environment Scotland, based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. It falls under the industry category of research and development services and related consultancy services. This contracting process has moved from the tender stage initiated on 16th January 2026 to an award stage, with the contract being awarded on 21st May 2026 to Oxford University Innovation Limited for a contract value of £265,275. The procurement method used is an open procedure, ensuring that all interested suppliers have the opportunity to participate. The main aim of the project is to enhance the digitisation capability for cultural heritage collections to support advanced research and interoperability, with activities focusing on creating computation-ready digital collections data. The project is associated with the UKM75 region.

This procurement opportunity is significant for businesses specializing in digital consultancy, research and development, and those involved in cultural heritage and GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) sectors. Businesses with expertise in developing scalable digital solutions and standards for data interoperability and computational access will find this tender particularly attractive. Given the emphasis on innovative digitisation standards and collaboration with partner institutions, companies with strong capabilities in AI-enabled methods and rich data creation processes can leverage this project to establish their expertise in a growing digital heritage domain, thereby creating avenues for organisational growth and further project engagements.

## Notice

Towards A National Collection - Digitisation Capability Pilot for N-RICH Prototype

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The Digitisation Capability Pilot is one of the two core work packages delivered through the N-RICH Prototype, alongside the Digital Research Infrastructure Prototype. Its role is to address the supply-side constraints that currently limit the use of cultural heritage collections in computational and data-driven research. While digitisation activity across the UK GLAM sector has expanded access to collections, it has not consistently produced data that is structured, documented and interoperable enough to support large-scale analysis, AI-enabled methods or cross-collection research. The Pilot responds to this gap by focusing on the creation of computation-ready digital collections data, providing a foundation for subsequent infrastructure development and research use. The objectives of the Digitisation Capability Pilot are to: - Define a shared, open and scalable digitisation standard for priority GLAM collection types, specifying baseline, enhanced and aspirational levels of practice; - Ensure the standard is oriented towards interoperability, computational access and reuse, embedding FAIR and CARE principles; - Support data creation, augmentation and computational readiness, including standards for rapid, rich and non-destructive digitisation appropriate to different collection types and research purposes; - Design the standard to be modular and incrementally adoptable by institutions of differing scale, capacity and resource; - Test and refine the standard through limited application with partner GLAM institutions; - Generate evidence on cost, skills and organisational implications to inform future investment decisions; - Publish the standard openly and propose an appropriate model for its future stewardship and evolution.

Options: Historic Environment Scotland reserves the right to request additional deliveries by the Successful Tenderer, either intended as partial replacement of services or as extensions of existing services. Historic Environment Scotland may at it's sole discretion exercise this option.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050619-2026 |
| Notice type | Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 29 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 27 Feb 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 20 May 2026 |
| Contract period | 10 May 2026 - 27 Nov 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £225,000 |
| Lots value | £225,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £265,275 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Post town | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH9 1SH |
| 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 | Southside/Newington |
| Westminster constituency | Edinburgh South |
| Delivery location | TLM75 City of Edinburgh |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | OXFORD UNIVERSITY INNOVATION |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

## Release History

- 29 May 2026 at 08:54 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050619-2026
- 16 Jan 2026 at 17:39 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004095-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://historicenvironment.scot
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000820927
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00164

## 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-060817. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060817.json.