---
title: "ITT - Swindon Archive Decarbonisation Design Team (UID 320)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078534"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078534"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078534.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078534.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "Historic England"
published: "2026-10-09"
---

# ITT - Swindon Archive Decarbonisation Design Team (UID 320)

Buyer: Historic England  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078534

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## Summary

Historic England is appointing a multidisciplinary design team for the decarbonisation of its national archive facility in Swindon. The team will develop the preferred option to RIBA Stage 3, coordinating architectural, structural and building-services design while protecting the archive’s environmental conditions and collections. The project covers replacement of ageing environmental-control systems, rationalisation of archive zones, building fabric improvements, fire-safety upgrades and additional storage created by repurposing plant-room space. Services also include developing the existing building-physics model, using the client’s Revit model, interpreting specialist surveys, preparing a planning application, cost and whole-life carbon assessment, stakeholder workshops, and support for fundraising. This is architectural and engineering design consultancy for an energy-efficiency and building-upgrade project.

Historic England invited suppliers to compete through a two-stage competitive flexible procedure: a participation questionnaire first, followed by an invitation to tender for shortlisted suppliers. The questionnaire deadline was 4 November 2026 at 09:30; questions were due by 28 October 2026 at 17:00. The contract was planned to run from 28 January to 30 September 2027, with possible extension to 30 August 2028. The estimated value is £149,000 excluding VAT (£178,000 including VAT). Quality accounts for 70% of the evaluation and price 30%. Quality covers project objectives and option review, design methodology, archive collection needs and environmental risks, relevant experience, cost management and buildability, team resources, and environmental stewardship, skills and wider benefits. Stage 4 may be awarded after satisfactory Stage 3 completion and an acceptable methodology and pricing schedule.

This opportunity suits a coordinated design consultancy able to bring architectural, structural and building-services expertise together for a specialist archive refurbishment. Suppliers will need to demonstrate understanding of collection-care requirements and environmental risk, including the application of BS EN 16893:2018 to mechanical design. Relevant capability includes developing energy-efficient environmental-control systems, coordinating work in Revit, interpreting thermographic and airtightness investigations, and developing building-physics models against environmental, energy, carbon and future-climate requirements. The team must also be able to prepare planning applications, manage cost and value, assess whole-life cost and carbon, engage stakeholders and support funding applications. The evaluation rewards relevant project experience, sound technical delivery, buildability and committed team resources, alongside environmental stewardship, skills and wider social value. A supplier with multidisciplinary capacity and experience working around sensitive collections is well placed to compete.

## Notice

Historic England is seeking to appoint a multidisciplinary design team to develop the Archive Decarbonisation Project at its national archive facility in Swindon through RIBA Stage 3. Under the terms of this contract, we reserve the right to award RIBA stage 4 following the satisfactory completion of stage 3 and the receipt of an acceptable return for Stage 4 methodology and pricing schedule (in line with rates provided at stage 3). The Historic England Archive is one of the nation's most significant collections of records relating to England's historic environment. The purpose-built archive store was constructed in 1993 to BS5454 standards and provides specialist environmental conditions for the long-term preservation of nationally important photographic, film and documentary collections. However, the building and its associated mechanical and electrical systems were not designed with energy efficiency or net-zero objectives in mind. The project forms a key part of Historic England's commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and responds to the urgent requirement to replace ageing building services plant that has reached, and in some cases exceeded, its operational life. Recent equipment failures have highlighted the increasing risk to collection preservation, building resilience and operational continuity. A RIBA Stage 2 feasibility study has recently been completed. The study explored a range of options to reduce operational carbon, improve energy performance and secure the long-term sustainability of the archive while maintaining stringent environmental conditions required for collection care. Based on the information provided, Historic England's preferred option currently involves: * Replacement of existing end-of-life environmental control systems with significantly more energy-efficient solutions. * Rationalisation of archive environmental zones to improve operational efficiency. * Fabric improvements to enhance thermal performance and airtightness. * Fire safety upgrades and associated building works. * Creation of additional archive storage capacity through the repurposing of existing plant room space, reducing reliance on external storage facilities and supporting future collection growth. Scope of Services The appointed design team will be required to lead the project through: RIBA Stage 3 - Spatial Coordination Including but not limited to: * Review and validation of the completed RIBA Stage 2 outputs. * Development of the preferred design solution. * Coordination of architectural, structural and building services design, ensuring full integration of archive operational, conservation and storage requirements, and compliance with relevant standards and guidance, including BS EN 16893:2018 Evaluation and mitigation of collection care risks associated with proposed mechanical solutions. * Interpretation and integration of thermographic surveys, air-tightness testing and other specialist investigations. * Use and develop the client-provided Revit BIM model as the principal tool for multidisciplinary spatial coordination, ensuring that all proposed building-services systems, plant, access requirements and interfaces are accurately modelled and coordinated with the architectural and structural design. * Review, validate and develop the existing building physics model to a level appropriate for RIBA Stage 3, reflecting the spatially coordinated design and demonstrating performance against the agreed environmental requirements, energy and carbon targets, plant loads and future climate scenarios. * Planning application preparation and submission. * Cost planning and value management exercises. * Development of a robust whole-life cost and carbon assessment. * Stakeholder engagement and workshop facilitation. * Support Historic England's fundraising activities for the project by providing reasonable information, evidence, and documentation to assist fundraising and grant applications where requested.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: RIBA stage 4 - we reserve the right to award RIBA stage 4 following the satisfactory completion of stage 3 and the receipt of an acceptable return for Stage 4 methodology and pricing schedule (in line with rates provided at stage 3).

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095864-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 28 Jan 2027 - 30 Sep 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £149,000 |
| Lots value | £149,000 |
| 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 England |
| Locality | SWINDON |
| Postcode area | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 2EH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Mannington and Western |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon South |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 45262640 - Environmental improvement works
- 71200000 - Architectural and related services
- 71220000 - Architectural design services
- 71240000 - Architectural, engineering and planning services
- 71242000 - Project and design preparation, estimation of costs
- 71313000 - Environmental engineering consultancy services
- 71320000 - Engineering design services

## Release History

- 9 Oct 2026 at 18:33 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095864-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095864-2026
  9th October 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://supplier.in-tend.co.uk/historicengland/home
- 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-078534. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078534.json.