---
title: "Supply, Delivery, Installation & On-Site Maintenance of Digitisation Scanning Equipment"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06afd7"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06afd7"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06afd7.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06afd7.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "UK HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE"
published: "2026-06-08"
---

# Supply, Delivery, Installation & On-Site Maintenance of Digitisation Scanning Equipment

Buyer: UK HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06afd7

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## Summary

The UK Hydrographic Office is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process for the supply, delivery, installation, and on-site maintenance of digitisation scanning equipment. The contract title is "Supply, Delivery, Installation & On-Site Maintenance of Digitisation Scanning Equipment," set within the goods category, specifically for scanners under CPV code 38520000. The project is located in Taunton, South West England, with key dates including a planned engagement milestone for 15th June 2026. Interested suppliers are encouraged to contact procurement@ukho.gov.uk for further details. The contract period is anticipated to start on 1st August 2026 and conclude on 1st July 2027, with an estimated value of up to £96,000. The procurement method is not above the threshold and aims to promote small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs).

This tender offers significant business growth opportunities for companies specialising in high-quality digitisation equipment and software. It is particularly well-suited to firms offering innovative scanning solutions capable of handling a variety of archival and heritage materials. Businesses with expertise in producing high-resolution, precision imaging systems that meet conservation and archival standards are most likely to benefit. The requirement for onsite maintenance and staff training also presents additional service opportunities. Given the specific technical and functional requirements, SMEs with specialization in cutting-edge scanning technology and robust after-sales support would be well-positioned to deliver exceptional value and enhance their market reputation through this engagement.

## Notice

The objective of this tender is to procure brand-new digitisation equipment and accompanying software (with licence) to support the high-quality, digital capture of a wide range of archival and heritage materials of varying size, thickness and weight in this Financial Year. We require a large format floor mounted image scanner (up to A0 size) with a mobile scanning bed. Among other features, it must be capable of manual access, integrated quality control, resolution up to 600PPI optical (however higher levels can be offered) and integrated software with OCR ability. The equipment required includes: * Overhead planetary scanner for fragile, rare, or bound documents like books and maps with a stand mounted camera system to capture images without any contact with the document. * The ability for the scanner to scan oversized documents, such as folios, plans, surveys, maps, atlases, books, illustrations, paintings, sketches and charts. * It should have the flexibility to allow for scanning of historic books that are unable to be fully opened due to their spine integrity and delicate condition. System Depth of Field - should be capable of scanning thick books and folded materials. Cradle/Stage/Platform requirements: * Adjustable bed frame or camera position with manual or automated control * Book cradle table for originals up to 645 mm x 860 mm (>A0) and self-aligning and height-adjustable (motorised) able to accommodate books up to 50 cm thick and weighing up to 50Kgs * Image Quality - Resolution from 300 PPI - 600PPI. Scans need to have even and uniform illumination - even at the image corners and edges. The Scanner requires controlled lighting within book curves to prevent loss of image details. * Conservation lighting - Modern, LED lighting concept (UV / IR and ozone free). Glare and flicker-free lighting during capturing (no flash effects). Colour temperature from 5,500 to 6,500 Kelvin. Adjustable light intensity from 1,000 to 3,500 lux. Scanning Outputs * Internal colour depth: 48-bit colour. * 24/48-bit colour, 8/16 bit grey and 1 bit B/W. * Colour ranges: sRGB, Adobe 1998 RGB, or according to ICC standard * File formats: Archival TIFF/RAW, JPEG, JPEG 2000, PDF, PDF-A, PDF OCR (searchable content), Multipage TIFF and PDF. * System Data Transfer rate - Use of USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 connectivity with data transfer rate of 5GB per second. i. Functional Requirements o Image Quality: The primary goal is to create images that are as legible as the original. o Resolution (PPI): Up to 600 PPI for documents. o Colour Depth: Scan ordinary documents up to 48-bit colour as required ii. Performance Requirements o Image Integrity: Scans should capture the entire page with a clear border, be size-for-size, and be free from digital artifacts like spots or dark patches. o File Format Master Files: Use preservation-grade, lossless formats like TIFF or JPEG2000 for master archive copies. Should use formats like PDF/A (ISO19005 standard) for distribution, accessibility, and general use, as they support long-term preservation and text searching. o The scanner needs to produce high-quality images to ISO19264, ISO19005 standards (full capture area, full resolution, in colour). There should be image previews while scanning. o Metadata: A comprehensive metadata framework is essential for searchability and context. Metadata should include information such as title, author, date, keywords, unique identifiers, and retention periods. iii. Technical Requirements o Building Access: The scanner stage and equipment should be able to be brought into the Archive facility through standard door apertures to be assembled within the space required in the Scanning Room facility. o Dimensions: The area for installation of the new system should fit within the areas allowed 2.5M deep 3.5M wide 3.0M high o Power: The system should be operable using normal UK mains power voltage (230V) and frequency (50Hz). o Training: We require orientation and training for all the staff of the Archives (up to 10 people) on the operation and use of the scanning systems supplied. o Warrantee and Maintenance: The procured system should be covered by a minimum three-year warrantee for all defects and should not require maintenance until operational year 4.

### Planning Information

Contact Procurement@ukho.gov.uk if interested in bidding or for further questions.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053823-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 8 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 15 Jun 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 31 Jul 2026 - 1 Jul 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £80,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planning |
| Lots status | Planning |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UK HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE |
| Locality | TAUNTON |
| Post town | Taunton |
| Postcode | TA1 2DN |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset |
| ITL 3 | TLK62 Somerset |
| Local authority | Somerset |
| Electoral ward | Taunton East |
| Westminster constituency | Taunton and Wellington |
| Delivery location | TLK South West (England) |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

### Codes

- 38520000 - Scanners

## Release History

- 8 Jun 2026 at 13:14 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053823-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053823-2026
  8th June 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-06afd7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06afd7.json.