---
title: "Minor Archaeological Services Call-Off Contract"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077a71"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077a71"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077a71.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077a71.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "Historic Environment Scotland"
published: "2026-09-25"
---

# Minor Archaeological Services Call-Off Contract

Buyer: Historic Environment Scotland  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077a71

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## Summary

Historic Environment Scotland sought minor archaeological services across its estate in Scotland, including Properties in Care, associated properties and depots managed for Scottish Ministers. The work is chiefly small-scale archaeological watching briefs and evaluations, together with preparation of Written Schemes of Investigation and post-fieldwork analysis and reporting. The requirement can also cover larger excavations, community archaeology projects, archaeological surveys, historic building recording, geophysical surveys and dendrochronology. This is a services contract for archaeological work, excavation and survey, with delivery across the HES estate. Suppliers may need to provide a broad mix of fieldwork and specialist assessment, rather than only routine watching briefs.

Historic Environment Scotland invited offers through an open procedure for a single call-off contract. The tender deadline was 27 October 2026 at 12:00 UTC; the contract was expected to run initially for 24 months, with four possible 12-month extensions, giving a maximum term of 72 months. The stated contract value is £480,000. Evaluation is weighted 60% on technical quality and 40% on price; community benefits are included in the scored quality assessment. Bids were to be submitted electronically in English, and variants were not allowed. The tender required bids to remain valid for 150 days. The contract includes potential additional deliveries at HES’s discretion.

This opportunity suits archaeological contractors able to work across a varied historic estate and deliver small investigations as well as, when required, excavation, community archaeology, survey, building recording, geophysical work or dendrochronology. Suppliers should be able to prepare investigation schemes and complete post-fieldwork analysis and reporting. The buyer requires staff names and qualifications, and bidders must demonstrate financial standing, assessed through business credit information or audited accounts if needed. Required minimum insurance cover is £5 million for public liability, £10 million for professional indemnity, £5 million for employers’ liability and £10 million for product liability. Technical quality carries greater evaluation weight than price, and a scored community-benefits response is also required; this favours suppliers able to evidence strong technical delivery and meaningful community outcomes.

## Notice

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) requires a call off contract to be put in place for minor archaeological services.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The proposed contract is for the provision of minor archaeological services on the HES estate. The HES Estate comprises the Properties in Care, ancillary properties and depots managed by Historic Environment Scotland on behalf of Scottish Ministers. It is expected that the majority of the services required will be for small scale watching briefs and evaluations, along with the provision of requisite Written Schemes of Investigations and post-fieldwork analyses and reporting. However, larger scale excavation, community archaeology projects, archaeological survey, historic building recording, geophysical surveys or dendrochronology may be required as part of this contract.

Options: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to request additional deliveries by the Successful Tenderer, either intended as partial replacement of supplies or installations or as extensions of existing supplies and installations. The Contracting Authority may at it's sole discretion exercise this option.

Renewal: The contract will be in place for an initial period of twenty-four months, with the option to extend the contract by four further twelve month periods at the discretion of HES, giving a total potential contract length of seventy-two months.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/090951-2026 |
| Notice type | Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 25 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Six years from contract award |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £480,000 |
| Lots value | £480,000 |
| 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 | Historic Environment Scotland |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Postcode area | 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 | TLM Scotland |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 45 - Construction work
- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

### Codes

- 45112450 - Excavation work at archaeological sites
- 71351720 - Geophysical surveys of archaeological sites
- 71351914 - Archaeological services

## Release History

- 25 Sep 2026 at 12:13 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/090951-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://historicenvironment.scot
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000843197
- https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ESPD/ESPD_Download.aspx?id=843197
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=843197
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00164
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx

## 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-077a71. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077a71.json.