Development Partner for Dinosaur Isle Museum in Sandown, Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight Council (the Council), with the support of Visit Isle of Wight are launching an initiative to find a partner or consortia to assist in developing the Dinosaur Isle Museum in Sandown. It is our hope to create a nationally important visitor destination within Sandown; enhancing the museum’s appeal as an attraction, and further developing its potential as an important regional educational centre and a world-class scientific resource.

We are seeking a partner to help us improve the physical facilities and deliver overall long-term governance, while assuring the museum’s continued participation in the museum accreditation standard.

We are spreading the net widely for potential partners to ensure the best potential future for the museum and the town. To achieve this, we will be promoting this opportunity internationally to identify a partner with the track record, expertise and vision to take forward our aspirations and fulfil the full potential of Dinosaur Isle. As such, we would welcome responses from public sector, private sector and voluntary sector organisations, and mixed consortia.

Following a Soft Market Testing exercises in October 2017 and Stakeholder Consultation in November 2017, and considering comments and issues raised, the Council made a decision in May 2018 to seek a development partner for the museum through a formal procurement process.

The process will be based on a multi-stage “competitive procedure with negotiation”. However, as a museum service falls under the light touch regime (Regulations 74-77 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015) the process has not been prescribed as detailed by Regulation, and is being designed to suit the specific requirements of this procurement. At each stage of the process bidders will be assessed based on information submitted and some may be eliminated if they do not score sufficiently against the criteria. Only those bidders remaining at the appropriate stage will be invited to submit final tenders.

At the conclusion of the process, the Council intends to form an agreement with the successful bidder to work alongside the Council as the development partner in manner in accordance with their final tender. The development partner must invest in and operate the museum so as to develop its role as an accredited museum acting as a significant visitor attraction for the Isle of Wight. In return they will secure a contract to operate the museum with a long-lease for the site and rights to a proportion of any income generated.

It is expected that the Council and development partner will commit to redesigning and delivering an enhanced Dinosaur Isle Museum (the Museum) within 3-years of the conclusion of the selection process.

The term of the contract will be determined via this process; however, the Council will be prepared to issue a lease of up to 125 years, subject to conditions.

The procurement process has been abandoned with an intention to amend the scope of the procurement and publish an new opportunity summer 2021.