---
title: "Purchase of The Balfour Collection (Archive of the Balfour family of Whittingehame, East Lothian, Earls of Balfour)"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000688320"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000688320"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000688320.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000688320.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NATIONAL RECORDS OF SCOTLAND"
published: "2022-04-06"
---

# Purchase of The Balfour Collection (Archive of the Balfour family of Whittingehame, East Lothian, Earls of Balfour)

Buyer: NATIONAL RECORDS OF SCOTLAND  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000688320

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## Summary

The National Records of Scotland, based in Edinburgh, has completed a procurement process for the purchase of The Balfour Collection, an archive of the Balfour family. This process, initiated as a limited tender without prior publication, aimed to secure a unique collection of national and international significance at a cost of £501,650. The contract was signed on 21st March 2022, following an independent valuation that confirmed the price was reasonable, thus facilitating a private treaty sale conducted by Christie's as the agents for the collection owners.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses involved in preserving and documenting cultural heritage, particularly those specialising in archival collections, historical records, or similar goods. Enterprises with expertise in valuation and acquisition of rare collections or those with capabilities in heritage consultancy may find this procurement particularly relevant. The limited procurement method indicates a focused market engagement, suggesting potential advantages for businesses with experience in high-value, niche acquisitions.

## Notice

Purchase of The Balfour Collection (Archive of the Balfour family of Whittingehame, East Lothian, Earls of Balfour)

### Lot Information

Lot 1

NRS have directly awarded the purchase of The Balfour Collection from Christie's. The purchase has been made to preserve and produce information about Scotland's people and history and make it available to inform current and future generations.

### Procurement Information

The collection owners informed NRS that they wished to sell The Balfour Collection to NRS as a private treaty sale and advised that Christie's were working as agents for the owners. NRS contracted for an independent valuation of the collection and established that the offer price is reasonable. HMRC are aware and have given the necessary approvals. This was a rare opportunity to purchase a collection which NRS staff regard as one of the "crown jewels" amongst the deposited collections of which we are custodians, being of both national and international significance. The NRS valuation report confirms that the collection is one of pre-eminent importance on a local, national and international level. The purchase has been made to preserve and produce information about Scotland's people and history and make it available to inform current and future generations.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR445348 |
| Notice type | OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 6 Apr 2022 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 21 Mar 2022 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £501,650 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NATIONAL RECORDS OF SCOTLAND |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Post town | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH12 7TF |
| 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 | Corstorphine/Murrayfield |
| Westminster constituency | Edinburgh West |
| Delivery location | TLM75 City of Edinburgh |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CHRISTIE'S |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment

### Codes

- 32353100 - Records

## Release History

- 6 Apr 2022 at 00:00 - Award - OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR445348

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR445348
  Purchase of The Balfour Collection (Archive of the Balfour family of Whittingehame, East Lothian, Earls of Balfour) - Purchase of The Balfour Collection (Archive of the Balfour family of Whittingehame, East Lothian, Earls of Balfour)

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000688320

## 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-r6ebe6-0000688320. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000688320.json.