Official UK procurement notice
Minor Archaeological Services Call-Off Contract
Authority: Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) requires a call off contract to be put in place for minor archaeological services. The proposed contract is for the provision of minor archaeological services on the HES estate. It is expected that the majority of the services required will be for small scale watching briefs and evaluations, along with the provision of requisite Written Schemes of Investigations and post-fieldwork analyses and reporting. However, larger scale excavation, community archaeology projects, archaeological survey, historic building recording, geophysical surveys or dendrochronology may be required as part of this contract.
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionHistoric Environment Scotland (HES) requires a call off contract to be put in place for minor archaeological services.
- Recurrence: Six years from contract award
CPV: Archaeological services · Excavation work at archaeological sites · Geophysical surveys of archaeological sites
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1The proposed contract is for the provision of minor archaeological services on the HES…RenewalPublished value£480,000
The proposed contract is for the provision of minor archaeological services on the HES estate. The HES Estate comprises the Properties in Care, ancillary properties and depots managed by Historic Environment Scotland on behalf of Scottish Ministers. It is expected that the majority of the services required will be for small scale watching briefs and evaluations, along with the provision of requisite Written Schemes of Investigations and post-fieldwork analyses and reporting. However, larger scale excavation, community archaeology projects, archaeological survey, historic building recording, geophysical surveys or dendrochronology may be required as part of this contract.
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 sub-criteria (2)
- Technical: 60%
- price: 40%
Published award criteria (2)
- Technical: 60
- Price: 40
- Economic & financial standing
HES use Scotbis, an independent provider of business credit reports, to assess the financial standing of tenderers. The overall aim of this assessment is to ensure, as far as possible, that any potential Supplier will not have financial difficulties that endanger their ability to perform the Contract. If financial information cannot be gained from that source Historic Environment Scotland will request that you provide full audited accounts for the last full financial year. If Suppliers cannot provide any of the assurances as detailed above, and it is determined by HES that your financial strength is not adequate, then your company may not pass the financial evaluation. If you can provide the assurances as detailed above, HES may explore these options with you before determining whether your company can be taken forward in this procurement exercise. Bank details may also be sought to support the above.
Minimum: With reference to SPD question 4B.5, it is a requirement of this contract that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain, prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below: - Public Liability - minimum cover GBP 5 millio…
- Staff
- Names and qualifications of delivery staff must be submitted
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 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 · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · Six years from contract award
- First published
- 25 Sept 2026, 12:13 BST
- Last source update
- 25 Sept 2026, 12:13 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 27 Oct 2026 – …
- Authority reference
HES/C/4362- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-090951- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077a71Find a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
Publisher note: NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=843197. The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx. Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems. Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/ A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows: A question on community benefits will form part of the scored quality evaluation for this tender. Please see the attached documentation for further details. (SC Ref:843197) Download the ESPD document here: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ESPD/ESPD_Download.aspx?id=843197
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 27 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 150 days from the deadline
- Bids opened
- 27 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
Timeline
25 Sept 2026 → 27 Oct 2026 · 3 dates- Notice published45 days ago25 Sept 2026, 12:13 BST
- Submission deadline13 days ago27 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Bids opened13 days ago27 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Edinburgh Sheriff CourtReview body
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.