Official UK procurement notice
Professional Estate Management Services Framework
Authority: National Records of Scotland·Consortium: 4 public authorities
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNational Records of Scotland (NRS) operates across an estate comprising five buildings, four of which are located in Edinburgh (three being Category ‘A’ listed) and one in Dumfries. The historic and cultural significance of these assets requires the engagement of suppliers with demonstrable expertise in conservation led estates services and operational, specialist archival storage facilities and a clear understanding of the statutory, technical and professional requirements associated with working within protected and sensitive environments. Such services are critical to ensuring that NRS can continue to fulfil its role as custodian of Scotland’s records, while maintaining safe, compliant and functional accommodation for collections, staff and, where applicable, members of the public.
NRS shares many common estate management challenges and requirements with other Scottish Government sponsored organisations, including Historic Environment Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Each partner organisation is responsible for the stewardship of nationally important, and in many cases listed or protected, operationally specialist buildings, landscapes and collections. These estates require a consistent, high quality and conservation focused approach to professional services, delivered by suppliers with proven experience of working within complex heritage environments.
NRS has invited partner organisations to establish a joint Framework Agreement for professional estates services. The framework aims to secure access to a suitably skilled and diverse supply base with specialist technical and conservation expertise, reduce duplication of procurement activity, and provide a compliant, efficient and flexible mechanism through which participating organisations can call off services as required. This collaborative approach is intended to support value for money, improve service quality and resilience, and ensure that all organisations are able to discharge their custodial responsibilities effectively and sustainably over the life of the framework.
Services that may be called off under the Framework include (but are not limited to):
Multi disciplinary technical and design services (including architectural and engineering);
Conservation led consultancy for listed and historic buildings;
Support to in house estates and facilities teams, including specialist advice and surveys;
Project and construction management;
Health and safety, fire safety, asbestos surveys and management and water safety (including legionella) services;
Planned maintenance planning, inspections, condition surveys and compliance support.
- Recurrence: Notice to be issued January 2030.
CPV: Advisory architectural services · Architectural and related services · Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services · Buildings of particular historical or architectural interest · Property management services of real estate on a fee or contract basis
How this framework works
From the published notice- Places
- up to 5 suppliers
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #14 yr Multi-supplier Multi-buyer framework to provide access to Professional Estate…Published value£4,000,000
4 yr Multi-supplier Multi-buyer framework to provide access to Professional Estate Management Services.
Services that may be called off under the Framework include (but are not limited to):
Multi disciplinary technical and design services (including architectural and engineering);
Conservation led consultancy for listed and historic buildings;
Support to in house estates and facilities teams, including specialist advice and surveys;
Project and construction management;
Health and safety, fire safety and water safety (including legionella) services;
Planned maintenance planning, inspections, condition surveys and compliance support.
Please refer to Schedule 1 of the Framework Agreement for the full scope of services.
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)
- Quality: 70%
- Cost: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality: 70
- Cost: 30
- Suitability
The selection criteria are stated in the procurement documents, specifically the Instructions to Tenderers.
Detailed selection criteria and minimum standards relating to professional standing, economic and financial standing and technical and professional ability are set out within the SPD (Scotland) and procurement documents available through PCS-Tender.
- Staff
- Names and qualifications of delivery staff must be submitted
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- “Professional Estate Management Services Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 5 suppliers, not a single contract.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
Architectural, construction, engineering (CPV 71) in Scotland, and who usually turns up
National Records of Scotland has too little published record in this market to describe on its own. Published market evidence for the same work stands beside whatever it has. This notice is a framework or DPS, so only frameworks and DPS are compared. Whole-market view: Architectural, construction, engineering (CPV 71) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Across this market, small firms won 51% of awards with a known supplier size.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Here, local means registered in Scotland.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Across this market, 31% of winners were registered in the delivery region.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 97 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Across this market, 13% of awarded procurements had no recorded rival.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid1%
2–313%
4–624%
7+62%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS. The notice sets up a supplier panel and a ceiling value; what the work actually costs is agreed later, on each call-off or mini-competition, and those publish as contract notices of their own. The award-vs-estimate record of this market therefore sits on the call-offs; this page shows it on the contracts, not on the panel that frames them.
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #14 yr Multi-supplier Multi-buyer framework to provide access to Professional Estate…Published estimate£4.0m
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid0%
2–311%
4–651%
7+38%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Smith:Lord LtdEarlier contract | Provision of Professional Estate Management Servicesnotice published Sept 2022 | — | — | Matched as the earlier contract |
| Thomas & AdamsonEarlier contract | Provision of Professional Estate Management Servicesnotice published Sept 2022 | — | — | Matched as the earlier contract |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | None on file | no comparable pairs | |
| — | None on file | no comparable pairs | |
AtkinsRéalis UK LtdLarge | £139m94 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 31 live · £189m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=15 |
Mott MacDonaldLarge | £73m86 awards in 36m · last this month | 16 live · £41m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 9% below n=20 |
Graham + SibbaldLarge | £3.2m5 awards in 36m · last 6 months ago | 2 live · £1.1m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=3 |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
What this replaces i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
69% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
69% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
The prior contract this notice most likely re-tenders · matched by title and category (69% title match), the holder is not guaranteed to re-bid
Provision of Professional Estate Management Services — held by Austin-Smith:Lord Ltd and Thomas & Adamson; no contract end date published.
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
- Open admission
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · Notice to be issued January 2030.
- First published
- 25 Jun 2026, 15:05 BST
- Last source update
- 30 Sept 2026, 14:21 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 22 Oct 2026 – …
- Authority reference
NRS-26-58-F- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-092404- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06bd4aFind a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic payment
- Performance terms
The successful Contractor(s) shall be required to comply with the performance management, governance, reporting and contract management requirements set out in the Framework Agreement and associated Call-Off Contracts.
This includes, but is not limited to:
-Compliance with the Service Levels and Key Performance Indicators specified in the procurement documents;
-Attendance at framework and call-off contract review meetings;
-Provision of management information and performance reports;
-Participation in performance improvement procedures where required;
-Compliance with Community Benefits commitments;
-Compliance with health and safety, environmental, sustainability, fair work and information security requirements;
-Maintenance of the insurance levels specified in the procurement documents;
-Co-operation with the Authority and Framework Public Bodies in the delivery of continuous improvement initiatives.
- Review procedure
An economic operator that suffers, or risks suffering, loss or damage attributable to a breach of duty under the Procurement legislation may bring proceedings in the courts. Any proceedings must be brought in accordance with the applicable time limits set out in the relevant procurement legislation.
Publisher note: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 32479. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343 A sub-contract clause has been included in this contract. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2363 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: The Contractor(s) will be required to deliver Community Benefits targeted towards priority groups, including disabled and disadvantaged workers. Community Benefits will be measured using a points-based approach, with a target of 50 Community Benefit Points per 1,000,000GBP (including VAT) of annual spend through the Framework Agreement. Community Benefits may include employment opportunities, apprenticeships, work placements, skills development, educational engagement and other activities that deliver social, economic and environmental benefits. Progress against Community Benefit commitments will be monitored and reported throughout the term of the Framework Agreement. (SC Ref:839929)
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Apply via Public Contracts Scotland- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Appointment period ends
- 29 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- —
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 180 days from the deadline
- Bids opened
- 22 Oct 2026, 12:30 BST
Timeline
3 Aug 2026 → 29 Oct 2026 · 4 dates- Next notice expected78 days ago3 Aug 2026, 00:00 BST
- Notice published20 days ago30 Sept 2026, 14:21 BST
- Today20 Oct 2026
- Bids openedin 2 days22 Oct 2026, 12:30 BST
- Admission / appointment period endsin 9 days · period end, not a bid countdown29 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
Notice history
5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 22 Sept 2026- Published value updated to £4,000,00022 Sept 2026, 15:52 BSTwas £5,000,000
- Status changed to active22 Sept 2026, 15:52 BST
- Procurement method changed22 Sept 2026, 15:52 BST
- Deadline published: 22 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST22 Sept 2026, 15:52 BST
- Deadline moved to 29 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT30 Sept 2026, 14:21 BST+7 days · was 22 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Published amendments (1 · 1 deadline change)
| When | What | Before | After | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | DeadlineTime limit · IV.2.2 | 22 Oct 2026 | 29 Oct 2026 | +7 d |
| — | Bid openingConditions for opening of tenders · IV.2.7 | 22 Oct 2026 | 29 Oct 2026 | +7 d |
Notice has been extended following requests from Tenderers due to School Holidays falling during the tender period.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
4 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- Historic Environment ScotlandContracting authority
- National Museums ScotlandContracting authority
- Royal Botanic Garden EdinburghContracting authority
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR)Mediation body
- Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace CourtReview body
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Economic and financial selection criteria
- Technical selection criteria