Speculative Notice – NATIONAL

1 Authority Details

1.1

Authority Name and Address

1.2

Address from which further information may be obtained

2 Contract Details

2.1

Title

Quarry Cottages - New Accommodation Block Construction

2.2

Description of the goods or services required

Main contractor sought for the construction of Phase 1 of CAT's Cynefin project - a new build accommodation block of c. £1 million construction value.

Located three miles outside Machynlleth, CAT is an internationally recognised environmental charity and one of the UK’s leading providers of postgraduate education in sustainability. Set within a former slate quarry in the Dyfi Biosphere, the 40-acre site has evolved over the past 50 years into a unique working landscape of experimental buildings, ecology and education. The Cynefin project represents a £25m transformation of this nationally significant site—creating a flagship destination for sustainable skills, learning and visitor experience, and positioning CAT at the forefront of the transition to a zero-carbon future.

The first step in this transformation, is centred on the delivery of new-build accommodation. Designed by award-winning architects Haworth Tompkins, the scheme will provide robust, carefully crafted buildings embedded within a sensitive and technically demanding landscape. This is a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely exemplar project—where low-carbon construction, build quality and environmental responsibility are fundamental. It offers a contractor the chance to be part of a prestigious, high-profile scheme that will set the tone for the wider Cynefin programme and leave a lasting legacy on a site of national importance.

The project comprises the new-build construction of a 10-unit student accommodation block (164m2), with associated infrastructure and landscaping. The block shares the site with a terrace of former quarry workers cottages, the conversion and retrofit of which will form a second phae of the project.

Key features of the scheme include:

Construction of 10 new-build student accommodation units, within a single block (164m2).

The use of sustainable construction techniques and low embodied carbon

materials.

Installation of new services infrastructure linked to other areas of the site (new incoming supplies not required).

Associated external and landscaping works.

Construction on a live university campus, which will remain operational

throughout the works.

Management of site constraints and careful logistical planning.

The new-build Quarry Cottages works are ‘Phase 1’ of a wider redevelopment of the campus, with further tender opportunities anticipated in due course.

NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=163679.

2.3

Notice Coding and Classification

3 Administrative Information

3.1

Reference number attributed to the notice by the contracting authority

3.2

Estimated Start of the Award Procedure

4 Other Information

4.1

Additional Information

The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is seeking to compile a shortlist of suitably qualified and experienced contractors to be invited to tender for the proposed new-build works.

A Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) document has been prepared to enable the CAT and its professional team to assess the financial standing, technical capability, relevant experience and management competence of prospective contractors.

Following review of the submissions received, a shortlist of contractors will be invited to submit a formal tender for the works.

(WA Ref:163679)

4.2

Download Additional Documentation

4.3

Publication date of this notice