---
title: "Operations of Glover House"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000773457"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000773457"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000773457.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000773457.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL"
published: "2024-07-25"
---

# Operations of Glover House

Buyer: ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000773457

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000773457.json)

## Summary

Aberdeen City Council is in the planning stage of a procurement process aimed at finding a tenant operator for Glover House, located at 7 Balgownie Rd, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen AB22 8JS. The procurement falls under the industry category of 'Recreation, culture and religion' and is classified under CPV code 92520000. This process began on 25 July 2024, and the council plans to engage the market with potential options for the future use of the building, anticipating further notices by 30 September 2024. Glover House, a key cultural asset, is historically significant due to its association with Thomas Blake Glover, known as the 'Scottish Samurai.' The council is handling this procurement process on behalf of the Glover House Trustees Ltd, with Mark Bremner as the contact point.

This tender offers a unique opportunity for businesses in the cultural, hospitality, or property management sectors to contribute to the long-term viability of Glover House and promote it as a significant cultural site in Aberdeen. Businesses that are well-positioned to compete for this opportunity will need to demonstrate strong capabilities in managing historical properties, initiating new business ventures, and engaging with the local community. The flexible nature of the procurement process, which may include commercial lets or property transfers, opens various pathways for businesses to participate and leverage this high-profile project for growth.

## Notice

Following the appointment of new directors to GHT Ltd in 2024, Aberdeen City Council (on behalf of the Trust) are seeking to find a tenant operator for Glover House and wish to engage the market around options for the future use of the building.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Background Fraserburgh born Thomas Blake Glover (1838-1911) has been described as the founding father of Japan's economic miracle. His contribution to the country's industrialisation includes the introduction of the first railway locomotive and first mint; mechanisation of coalmines; the founding of the Japanese Navy; and modernisation of the shipbuilding industry. His own company grew into Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd . He was known as the 'Scottish Samurai' and was the first non-Japanese person to be awarded the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun. He died on 16 December 1911 in Tokyo. Glover House Located in the suburb's Balgownie Road, Braehead House (known as Glover House) was purchased by the Glover family in 1864 and Thomas Blake Glover's parents lived there until their deaths. The house was purchased by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd in 1996 and gifted to Grampian Regional Council. Due to local government reorganisation, the house became the property of Aberdeen City Council the same year, and in 1997 it was transferred to the Grampian-Japan Trust. The Trust converted part of the house to a museum about Thomas Blake Glover's life. In 2015, ownership of the house transferred to Glover House Trustees Ltd (GHT Ltd) when GHT Ltd became sole trustee of the Grampian-Japan Trust in 2015. Aberdeen City Council is sole shareholder of GHT Ltd. The purposes of the Trust (established in 1996) all relate in some way to Thomas Blake Glover and/or Japan. Project Outline & Aims Through this exercise the Council and GHT Ltd would intend to gauge the market for prospective operators of Glover House to ensure the long-term viability of the building and the continuation of Thomas Blake Gover's legacy. It is anticipated that this exercise will identify the process to secure a new operator (i.e. commercial let, tender for service, property sale/ transfer etc.) and inform what the conditions and expectations are of service to be provided by the operator. It is a key element that the operator would have sufficient capability and the capacity to improve the scope for new business initiatives and promote Glover House as a key cultural asset of Aberdeen, meeting the feu condition and Trust purposes quoted above.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUL510621 |
| Notice type | PCS Notice - Website Prior Information Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| 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 | 25 Jul 2024 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 30 Sep 2024 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planned |
| Lots status | Planned |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL |
| Locality | ABERDEEN |
| Post town | Aberdeen |
| Postcode | AB10 1AB |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM5 North Eastern Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire |
| Local authority | Aberdeen City |
| Electoral ward | George St/Harbour |
| Westminster constituency | Aberdeen South |
| Delivery location | TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

### Codes

- 92520000 - Museum services and preservation services of historical sites and buildings

## Release History

- 25 Jul 2024 at 00:00 - Planning - PCS Notice - Website Prior Information Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUL510621

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510621&idx=1
  25th July 2024 - Marketing Engagement response form
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510621&idx=2
  25th July 2024 - Glover House Plans
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510621&idx=3
  25th July 2024 - Glover House Feasibility report 2016
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510621&idx=4
  25th July 2024 - plan
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510621&idx=5
  25th July 2024 - Building Survey 2012
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510621&idx=6
  25th July 2024 - Glover House Title Sheet
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510621&idx=7
  25th July 2024 - Glover House Title Plan
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUL510621
  Operations of Glover House - Following the appointment of new directors to GHT Ltd in 2024, Aberdeen City Council (on behalf of the Trust) are seeking to find a tenant operator for Glover House and wish to engage the market around options for the future use of the building.

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000773457
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=773457

## 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-r6ebe6-0000773457. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000773457.json.