---
title: "Kew Wakehurst Controlled Environment Facility"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ed45"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ed45"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ed45.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ed45.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW"
published: "2026-08-27"
---

# Kew Wakehurst Controlled Environment Facility

Buyer: ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ed45

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## Summary

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew intends to procure the design, supply and installation of environmental control chambers for a new controlled environment research facility at its Wakehurst site in Sussex. The chambers will provide precise, reproducible control of temperature, humidity, lighting and, where required, carbon dioxide concentrations. They are expected to support plant science activities including seed regeneration, germination studies, pollination experiments and accelerated breeding programmes. This is a laboratory and precision-equipment requirement with associated laboratory-equipment installation services. The buyer is a central government public authority responsible for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The work will be delivered at the Wakehurst controlled environment research facility in Sussex.

The procurement is at the planning stage. Kew is conducting voluntary preliminary market engagement before starting the formal procurement, to refine the specification, understand market capability and delivery approaches, and shape its procurement and commercial strategy. Interested suppliers are expected to complete the engagement questionnaire by 17:00 on 21 September 2026; responses will not be used to evaluate future tenders. Kew may also arrange a supplier engagement event and site visit. It anticipates publishing a further notice on 2 October 2026 and commencing a competitive procurement. The planned requirement is one lot, with an indicative contract period from 20 December 2026 to 31 August 2027. The estimated value is £600,000 excluding VAT and £720,000 including VAT.

This will suit suppliers that design, manufacture, integrate and install environmental control chambers or comparable controlled-environment laboratory systems. Relevant capability includes delivering reliable temperature, humidity and lighting control, with carbon dioxide control where required, and configuring systems for reproducible plant-growth and research conditions. Experience supporting seed regeneration, germination, pollination or accelerated breeding work would be directly relevant. Suppliers should be able to provide a complete design-and-installation service for a new research facility, understand laboratory equipment installation requirements, and demonstrate the technical capacity to deliver a substantial single-site system. The preliminary engagement is the opportunity to test the emerging requirements, identify innovation and influence the eventual delivery approach before the formal competition.

## Notice

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) is seeking to procure the design, supply and installation of environmental control chambers within a new controlled environment research facility at its Wakehurst site. The facility will support plant science research through the precise and reproducible control of environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity, lighting and, where required, CO2 concentrations. The requirement is expected to include environmental control chambers capable of supporting a range of plant growth and research activities, including seed regeneration, germination studies, pollination experiments and accelerated breeding programmes. Prior to commencing the formal procurement process, RBG Kew is undertaking Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) to refine its emerging requirements, understand market capability and potential delivery approaches, and inform the development of the final specification and procurement strategy. Interested suppliers are strongly encouraged to participate in the PME exercise and complete the Preliminary Market Engagement questionnaire. Responses will be used solely to inform RBG Kew's approach to the subsequent procurement and will not form part of any future tender evaluation. Following completion of the PME exercise, RBG Kew anticipates commencing a competitive procurement process. Further information regarding the final scope, procurement procedure and timetable will be published in due course. To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/RWD675SY4V If you experience any technical difficulties from accessing the above url, then please contact the Delta eSourcing Helpdesk on call 0800 923 9236 or email helpdesk@delta-esourcing.com.

### Planning Information

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) is undertaking a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to inform the development of a future procurement for environmental control chambers at its Wakehurst controlled environment research facility. The purpose of the engagement is to test and refine the emerging specification, understand market capability and innovation, identify potential delivery approaches, and inform the procurement strategy and commercial arrangements.
Interested suppliers are invited to access the opportunity through the Delta eSourcing portal, **download and review the Preliminary Market Engagement document and complete the associated questionnaire**. Completed questionnaires should be submitted in accordance with the instructions contained within the PME documentation **by 17:00 on 21 September 2026**.
Responses will be used to help RBG Kew develop its requirements and procurement approach and will not form part of any subsequent tender evaluation. Participation in the PME exercise is voluntary and suppliers will not be advantaged or disadvantaged by choosing whether or not to respond.
RBG Kew may also organise a supplier engagement event and site visit to provide interested suppliers with further information regarding the proposed building, research requirements and anticipated scope of supply. Suppliers wishing to attend should register their interest in accordance with the instructions contained within the PME documentation. Attendance at any engagement session will not form part of the evaluation of any future procurement process.
Following completion of the PME exercise, RBG Kew will review the feedback received and use the information gathered to finalise its requirements and determine the most appropriate procurement approach.
To access the PME documentation and respond to this opportunity, please use the Delta eSourcing portal at the link provided below.
To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/RWD675SY4V
If you experience any technical difficulties from accessing the above url, then please contact the Delta eSourcing Helpdesk on call 0800 923 9236 or email helpdesk@delta-esourcing.com.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081630-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 27 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 2 Oct 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 20 Dec 2026 - 31 Aug 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £600,000 |
| 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 | ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW |
| Locality | SUSSEX, |
| Postcode area | Redhill |
| Postcode | RH17 6TN |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ2 Surrey, East and West Sussex |
| ITL 3 | TLJ28 West Sussex (North East) |
| Local authority | Mid Sussex |
| Electoral ward | Ardingly, Balcombe & Turners Hill |
| Westminster constituency | East Grinstead and Uckfield |
| Delivery location | TLJ2 Surrey, East and West Sussex |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 51 - Installation services (except software)

### Codes

- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 51430000 - Installation services of laboratory equipment

## Release History

- 27 Aug 2026 at 10:15 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081630-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081630-2026
  27th August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/RWD675SY4V
- 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-06ed45. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ed45.json.