Scope
Reference
VA/CON/F25/29
Description
Can you help with our procurement of an environmental monitoring system framework? We are looking for your views on our proposed procurement approach.
The V&A is a family of museums dedicated to the power of creativity. Our mission is to champion design and creativity in all its forms, advance cultural knowledge, and inspire makers, creators and innovators everywhere.
Here at the V&A we monitor the environmental conditions of our galleries using an environmental monitoring system, or EMS. Our current EMS is going end of life in January 2027 so we are looking for a replacement.
Our intention is to set up a multi-supplier framework that other UK cultural institutions can also easily use.
The framework will consist of a number of suppliers that can provide a complete EMS solution (in terms of software, hardware and support services) to monitor temperature, relative humidity, light (lux), UV, and possibly leak/flood detection too.
Our market research has identified that the EMS market for cultural sector use is currently emergent, and that many new providers do not yet have large relevant case studies that we can rely on to demonstrate the ability of their EMS. We are therefore planning to build in a trial stage as part of our procurement process to establish the framework agreement.
V&A South Kensington is a large historic building and we want suppliers to demonstrate the real world performance of their EMS solution in this building before they can be appointed to the framework. The trial will involve a limited number of suppliers running their EMS for a 3 month period in a specific gallery to demonstrate that they can meet the requirements of operating an EMS in a challenging real world environment.
By setting up a framework that other institutions can use to procure their EMS requirements, other institutions will be able to benefit from the outcome of our trials process.
We appreciate that the kind of trial that we are proposing requires a large amount of your resource. We want to budget for providing an honorarium to those suppliers that are selected to proceed to the trial stage and that carry out a trial for us. However, our resources are limited.
We are inviting potential suppliers to tell us their views by completing a short survey. The purpose of the survey is to provide evidence for us to consider when determining the number of providers and the value of the honorarium for the EMS trials.
Please use the below link to respond to the survey:
Responses submitted in this survey will not in any way impact any future submission for this or any other tender with the V&A.
Any data received as part of our preliminary market engagement activities will be retained and deleted in line with Regulation 98 (4) of the Procurement Act 2023 (three years after a contract is entered into). We may share responses to this survey with other contracting authorities that wish to participate in the framework. We have carried out a conflicts interest assessment for all individuals that will have sight of the responses received. To fulfil our duty under the Regulation 16(4) of the Procurement Act 2023 we will include in our tender pack an aggregated summary of all responses received once we go out to market for these services but that summary will not contain any personally identifiable information.
Commercial tool
Establishes a framework
Total value (estimated)
- £10,000,000 excluding VAT
- £12,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030
- 4 years
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
- 38290000 - Surveying, hydrographic, oceanographic and hydrological instruments and appliances
- 38400000 - Instruments for checking physical characteristics
- 90711500 - Environmental monitoring other than for construction
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Engagement
Engagement deadline
16 January 2026
Engagement process description
Please use the link below to respond to the survey:
It is optional to provide an email address, but if you do we may contact you with any follow up questions about your response.
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
30 January 2026
Contracting authority
Victoria and Albert Museum
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PQLN-4536-WVGN
Cromwell Road
London
SW7 2RL
United Kingdom
Email: procurement@vam.ac.uk
Website: https://www.vam.ac.uk/
Region: UKI33 - Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham
Organisation type: Public authority - central government