Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
National Galleries of Scotland
National Galleries of Scotland, 73 Belford Road
Edinburgh
EH4 3DS
UK
Telephone: +44 1316246374
E-mail: mramagge@nationalgalleries.org
NUTS: UKM75
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.nationalgalleries.org
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA11042
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.3) Communication
Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at:
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at:
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Recreation, culture and religion
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Provision of Audience Research Services
Reference number: 839 271
II.1.2) Main CPV code
79310000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Board of Trustees for the National Galleries of Scotland ("NGS") wish to award a Contract for the Provision of Audience Research Services.
The Service Provider is required to conduct Audience Research to provide insight and analysis about our visitors in order to support the Organisation’s 2030 Strategy, Business Plan and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), special projects and inform organisation-wide strategic planning.
The Service Provider shall be a member of, accredited by, or operate in accordance with the standards, codes of conduct and professional requirements of the Market Research Society (MRS) or an equivalent recognised professional body for market research, social research, insight or analytics.
This Contract shall primarily provide Fieldwork Surveys and associated Project Management, Client Data Access, Analysis and Reporting for each of our four gallery sites.
Services will be agreed to on an “as required” basis with no commitment to a minimum volume of work.
NGS may, at its absolute discretion, require the Service Provider to provide Audience Research Services at this fifth site, currently under construction, at any time during the Contract term.
If permitted by applicable procurement legislation, where additional audience research requirements arise during the Contract term that constitute an extension of the Services, NGS reserves the right to procure such additional services from the Service Provider.
For full details of the Contract Requirements please refer to the associated Tender and Contract Documents.
The Service Provider must have a clear understanding of the contract requirements and the organisational needs of NGS. As part of the tender exercise, the Service Provider must detail a robust and flexible methodology for conducting Audience Research Services that will meet all data capture requirements.
There is no commitment to a minimum spend over the duration of the Contract. Under this Contract, no minimum spend is guaranteed.
The agreement will be non-exclusive i.e. NGS reserves the right, in certain, circumstances, to procure out with the Contract Agreement, as and when required.
In the event of unsatisfactory performance by the successful Service Provider and the termination of the contract by either party, NGS reserves the right to negotiate the continuance of the services with the second and third placed Service Providers.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
396 363.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
79310000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM75
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The procurement will be conducted through the use of the Open Procedure.
Service Providers must complete and submit both an SPD and Tender response.
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.
Given the nature of the contract, Tenderers must comply with minimum security requirements.
The Service Provider must obtain valid Cyber Essentials Basic (or equivalent) certification prior to the Contract Commencement Date and maintain throughout the Contract term including any extension periods.
It is desirable that the Service Provider hold current ISO/IEC 27001 (or equivalent) certification or otherwise Tenderers must demonstrate equivalent information security management arrangements as part of the quality assessment.
Full details are set out in the Tender and Contract Documents.
The maximum available budget to deliver the Core Contract Requirements is 60,000 GBP per annum excluding VAT.
Tenderers are required to submit pricing that can be delivered within this annual budget for Years 1 – 5 of the Contract, including any optional extension periods.
Any Tender exceeding the maximum available budget, may be deemed unaffordable and may be excluded from further consideration.
Tenderers must provide fixed prices for Years 1 – 3 of the Contract, and indicative prices for Years 4 & 5. The prices submitted for Years 4 and 5 shall represent the maximum prices payable during any extension period unless NGS approves a formal change request due to the Service Provider sufficiently demonstrating exceptional circumstances.
Cost Control Mechanisms for Years 4 & 5 are detailed under Schedule 2 of the Contract Agreement.
For this Tender Competition, and for commercial evaluation purposes, NGS reserves the right to assess affordability against a maximum annual budget of 60,000 GBP for each contract year, including any optional extension periods.
NGS reserves the right not to award where it considers submitted pricing to exceed available funding.
Information in respect of Optional Contract Requirements, and estimate additional spend, has been provided at section V1.3 ‘Additional ‘Information’.
The ‘Estimate Total Contract Value’ provided at II.1.5, includes both estimate spend for Core Contract Requirements and estimate spend for Optional Contract Requirements.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Quality
/ Weighting: 80
Price
/ Weighting:
20
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
396 363.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 39
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
The Contract is anticipated to commence by 1st April 2027 for a duration of 39 months, with the option to extend on more than one occasion by a variable period of up to an additional 27 months, resulting in a maximum possible Contract duration of 66 months.
Each contract year will run from 1st April through 31st March.
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
NGS reserves the right, where permitted by applicable procurement legislation, to award a public contract using the negotiated procedure without prior publication in accordance with Regulation 33(8) of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
NGS reserves the right, where permitted by applicable procurement legislation, to modify the Contract in accordance with Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
Further information is included in the Tender and Contract Documents.
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
II.2.14) Additional information
The top three highest scoring Tenderers (price & quality combined score) will be invited to a Tender Presentation stage on 4th and/or 5th November 2026 (dates may be subject to change). Full details provided in the Tender Documents.
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria:
Q4B5a - Insurance - Professional Risk Indemnity
Q4B5b - Insurance - Employer's (Compulsory) Liability
Q4B5c - Insurance - Public Liability Insurance & Cyber Liability Insurance
Q4B6 Other Economic or Financial Requirements
Minimum level(s) of standards required:
Q4B5a - Professional Risk Indemnity at 2,000,000 GBP
Q4B5b - Employer's (Compulsory) Liability at 5,000,000 GBP (or such higher amount as required by law)
Q4B5c - Public Liability Insurance at 5,000,000 GBP
Q4B5c - Cyber Liability Insurance (First & Third Party cover) at 1,000,000 GBP in the aggregate.
Q4B6 (i) Provision of Financial Ratio: Profit before interest and taxation (factual and identified within financial statements. Ratio to be greater than 1GBP. Bidders are to submit evidence of calculation.
Q4B6 (ii) Provision of Financial Ratio: Net Current Assets (current assets divided by current liabilities). Ratio to be greater than 1:1 i.e. must be positive. Bidders are to submit evidence of calculation.
Q4B6 (iii) Bidders shall include copies of their filed accounts (full details provided with in the online SPD).
Q4B6 (iv) Parent Company Guarantee or Performance Bond (full details provided with in the online SPD). Only required in the event a Bidder should fail in relation to the financial ratios or be unable to provide any of the information required.
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria:
Q4D.1 Quality Assurance (including Health & Safety Procedures) & Q4D.2 Environmental Management are included under selection criteria but will be scored on a Pass/Fail basis, as detailed below.
Minimum level(s) of standards required:
4D.1 Quality Assurance (including Health & Safety Procedures): all information in regard to minimum level(s) of standards required is contained within the online SPD.
This will be scored on a Pass/Fail basis. If the Bidder responds "No" the response will be deemed a "Fail". Any Bidder scoring a "Fail" mark will be disqualified from the competition.
Q4D.2 Environmental Management: all information in regard to minimum level(s) of standards required is contained within the SPD.
This will be scored on a Pass/Fail basis. If the Bidder responds "No" the response will be deemed a "Fail". Any Bidder scoring a "Fail" mark will be disqualified from the competition.
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
III.2.1) Information about a particular profession
Participation is reserved to a particular profession: Yes
Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision:
The Service Provider shall be a member of, accredited by, or operate in accordance with the standards, codes of conduct and professional requirements of the Market Research Society (MRS) or an equivalent recognised professional body for market research, social research, insight or analytics.
NGS reserves the right to request supporting evidence and to verify any membership, accreditation or claims of equivalence during the procurement process and throughout the contract term.
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
As detailed in the Tender and Contract Documents.
III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
28/09/2026
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Duration in months: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
28/09/2026
Local time: 12:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:
NGS may re-let this Contract prior to the end of the initial 3 year period. A Contract Notice will be published circa 6-12 months prior to the end of the initial period.
If not, the option to extend will be used.
VI.3) Additional information
The maximum available budget to deliver the Core Contract Requirements is 60,000 GBP per annum excluding VAT.
Tenderers must submit fixed pricing for Years 1 – 3 of the Contract, and indicative pricing for Years 4 & 5 (optional extension period) that can be delivered within this budget.
Any Tender exceeding the maximum available budget, may be deemed unaffordable and may be excluded from further consideration.
The prices submitted for Years 4 and 5 shall represent the maximum prices payable during any extension period unless NGS approves a formal change request due to the Service Provider sufficiently demonstrating exceptional circumstances.
Cost Control Mechanisms are detailed under Schedule 2 of the Contract Agreement.
The estimate total value of Core Requirements including for any optional extension period and authorised cost change is 305,454 GBP excluding VAT.
Under the contract NGS reserves the right to instruct Optional Requirements.
The estimate total value of Optional Requirements including any optional extension period is 90,909 GBP excluding VAT.
The ‘Estimate Total Contract Value’ provided at II.1.5 is therefore 396,363 GBP excluding VAT.
NGS reserves the right to cancel the procurement at any time and not award a Contract.
The expenditure, work or effort undertaken by Tenderers prior to the Award of Contract is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of Tenderers.
Late SPDs and tenders may not be considered by NGS.
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=839271.
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.
(SC Ref:839271)
Download the ESPD document here: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ESPD/ESPD_Download.aspx?id=839271
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Edinburgh Sheriff Court
Sheriff Court House, 27 Chambers Street
EDINBURGH
EH1 1LB
UK
Telephone: +44 1312252525
E-mail: enquiries@scotcourts.gov.uk
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/the-courts/court-locations/edinburgh-sheriff-court-and-justice-of-the-peace-court
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
13/08/2026