Official UK procurement notice
Belfast Stories Experience Design Team
Authority: Belfast City Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe purpose of this procurement process is to successfully appoint an Experience Design Team (“EDT” or “Designer”) for the Belfast Stories Project.
An interpretive masterplan has been previously completed along with a concept design to RIBA stage 2. This procurement process is to appoint a team to take the existing interpretive masterplan and concept design and develop them further from RIBA stages 3 to 7. The overarching interpretive framework is critical to ensuring that the concept of Belfast Stories is fully integrated across all elements of the project including but not limited to the main exhibition. The exhibition design and its content will be central to delivering an excellent visitor experience and maximising connectivity across the site and into the city.
The Experience Design Team (EDT), is to lead and manage the EDT. The EDT shall include the DTM disciplines of Interpretative Planner, Exhibition Designer, Visitor Experience Consultant and Curator and shall also include, but is not limited to, Digital Design Engineers, Specialist Lighting and Sound Designers & Engineers , Specialist Display Structural Designers & Engineers, Specialist Display Mechanical and Electrical Designers & Engineers, Digital Lead, Graphic Designer, Specialist Curatorial Team Building Information Modelling (BIM) Designer.
- How the procedure runs: The Contract will be awarded on the basis of the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT). The MAT will be identified on the basis of the tender with the highest score when applying the price/quality/social value ratio as set out in Tender Stage Documentation.
CPV: Architectural design services · Architectural services for buildings · Museum-exhibition services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedPublished value£1,500,000
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published award criteria (3)
- Quality
- Social Value
- Price
- Price carries 20 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 20 Feb 2026, 12:57 GMT
- Last source update
- 24 Jul 2026, 16:12 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 30 Jun 2026
- Authority reference
PQQ 4670- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-015674- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06593cFind a Tender
- How it runs
The Contract will be awarded on the basis of the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT).
The MAT will be identified on the basis of the tender with the highest score when applying the price/quality/social value ratio as set out in Tender Stage Documentation.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 24 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
20 Feb 2026 → 24 Jul 2026 · 6 dates- Tender notice published248 days ago20 Feb 2026, 12:57 GMT
- Submission deadline216 days ago24 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts119 days ago30 Jun 2026, 00:00 BST
- Award decision expected by118 days ago30 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent103 days ago16 Jul 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published94 days ago24 Jul 2026, 16:12 BST
Notice history
4 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 Feb 2026- Tender notice published20 Feb 2026, 12:57 GMTUK4
- Contract award notice published24 Jul 2026, 16:12 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete24 Jul 2026, 16:12 BST
- Contract signature expected5 Aug 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| RALPH APPELBAUM ASSOCIATES, INC.5 Aug 2026 – 30 Jun 2031 | £1,736,159 | 16 Jul 2026 | Awarded |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1final-stage tenders | 1 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Ralph Appelbaum AssociatesAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specificationsAccess: Circulated via eSourcing NI
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender