--- title: "RCC-1668 Palaeontology Gallery (Science Lab) Rutland County Museum" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ec29" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ec29" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ec29.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ec29.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "Rutland County Council" published: "2026-08-26" --- # RCC-1668 Palaeontology Gallery (Science Lab) Rutland County Museum Buyer: Rutland County Council Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ec29 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ec29) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ec29.json) ## Summary Rutland County Council is procuring the design, build and installation of a permanent Palaeontology Gallery at Rutland County Museum in Oakham. The commission covers a dedicated “Science Lab” gallery, complementing a separate immersive box installation. It will present the history of life on Earth from approximately 400 million years ago to the period before the Stone Age, explain evolution, and show the role of palaeontologists. The required visitor environment should be informative, engaging and suitable for a broad and diverse audience, while supporting learning, discovery and curiosity. The scope is an integrated end-to-end service covering concept design, detailed design development, technical design, fabrication, installation, testing and handover. The completed gallery must be accessible, durable and high quality. The process reached tender: Rutland County Council invited offers through a below-threshold open competition, with electronic submission allowed. There is one lot. The deadline for enquiries was 25 September 2026 at 4:00pm, and the tender submission deadline is 8 October 2026 at 12 noon. The contract period is from 30 November 2026 to 31 December 2027. The estimated value is £300,000 excluding VAT, or £360,000 including VAT. Evaluation is based on quality questions worth 50%, social value worth 10% and price worth 40%. The procurement is classified mainly as museum construction work, with museum services also included. The contract is intended to deliver the gallery as a completed installation. This opportunity suits an experienced exhibition, museum fit-out or visitor-attraction contractor able to provide a genuinely integrated design-and-delivery service. Bidders need the capability to develop concepts into detailed and technical designs, fabricate bespoke gallery elements, install them on site, test the completed environment and manage handover. Relevant experience should include creating durable, accessible and engaging public-facing spaces, particularly galleries, science centres, museums or educational visitor environments. The requirement will favour businesses able to translate complex natural-history and palaeontological content into a clear visitor narrative for a broad audience, while coordinating the gallery with a separate immersive installation. It is identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises, and places significant emphasis on quality and social value as well as price. ## Notice Rutland County Council ("the Council") is inviting proposals from suitably qualified and experienced suppliers to design, build, and install a new permanent gallery at Rutland County Museum. The proposed gallery will form a key part of the Museum's future offer, presenting Rutland's early natural history through a dedicated Palaeontology Gallery. Central to the wider visitor experience will be a 10m x 10m immersive box installation, which will be procured through a separate tender process. This commission relates specifically to the design and delivery of a "Science Lab" Gallery which needs to complement and contextualise the immersive experience. The gallery will explore life on Earth from approximately 400 million years ago through to the period preceding the Stone Age. It will provide visitors with a clear and engaging narrative of evolution, while also highlighting the role and work of palaeontologists in advancing our understanding of the natural world. The Council's vision is to create a high-quality, "Science Lab" type gallery environment that complements the digital experience of the immersive box. The space should deliver an informative and engaging visitor experience, supporting learning, discovery, and curiosity for a broad and diverse audience. The Council is seeking a supplier capable of delivering a fully integrated, end-to-end service, including concept design, detailed design development, technical design, fabrication, installation, and testing and handover. The completed gallery must be accessible, durable, and designed to a high standard, ensuring a long-lasting and impactful addition to Rutland Museum's offer. Providers can access the tender opportunity using the below links: https://www.eastmidstenders.org/ https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=4d5c20ab-2da1-f111-813c-005056b64545&fromProjectDashboard=True The tender submission deadline is: 12 noon 8th October 2026. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081143-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Works | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Below threshold - open competition | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 26 Aug 2026 | | Submission deadline | 8 Oct 2026 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 30 Nov 2026 - 31 Dec 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £300,000 | | Lots value | £300,000 | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | Rutland County Council | | Locality | OAKHAM | | Postcode area | Leicester | | Postcode | LE15 6HP | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLF East Midlands (England) | | ITL 2 | TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | | ITL 3 | TLF22 Leicestershire CC and Rutland | | Local authority | Rutland | | Electoral ward | Oakham South | | Westminster constituency | Rutland and Stamford | | Delivery location | TLF22 Leicestershire CC and Rutland | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 45 - Construction work - 92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services ### Codes - 45212313 - Museum construction work - 92521000 - Museum services ## Release History - 26 Aug 2026 at 11:01 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081143-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081143-2026 26th August 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=4d5c20ab-2da1-f111-813c-005056b64545&fromProjectDashboard=True - https://www.eastmidstenders.org/ - 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-06ec29. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ec29.json.