Scope
Description
The Palais de Danse project is a sensitive refurbishment and extension of a Grade II listed building in St Ives, commissioned by Tate. It will become Tate's third site in the St Ives town, complementing the existing Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Once a vibrant social venue, the Palais de Danse was later acquired by Barbara Hepworth. Located just across the street from Trewyn Studio-Hepworth's primary workshop and now Hepworth museum-the former dance hall provided the larger space needed to create her monumental sculptures. Notably, it played a key role in the development of Single Form, one of her most significant public commissions.
The Palais de Danse is being transformed to support public engagement, informal programming, and to celebrate Barbara Hepworth's legacy-complementing her nearby museum and garden. The design introduces level access throughout, a new welcoming entrance, a lift and stair for improved circulation, and flexible spaces including refurbished dance and small halls. New artist studios, visitor facilities, and staff areas support creative uses while preserving the building's historic character.
The project includes a change of use from a sculptor's studio to a gallery/museum with ancillary shop, sculpture studio, artist residency accommodation, and community use. External alterations include the creation of a new main entrance area, relevant highway works, a new attic extension to the Small Hall, a new roof to the Dancehall, demolition of the existing garage and erection of a new two-storey yard building, a roof terrace, green roof, installation of new windows and doors, air source heat pumps, associated plant equipment, and other associated works.
The contract will be let as a traditional contract, with tenderers acting as the Principal Contractor. The project will require careful planning and complex site logistics to ensure close coordination with the local area, community, and the historic fabric of the building itself. It demands a contractor with extensive experience in heritage preservation-one who is proactive, collaborative, and sensitive to the exceptional standards of quality and care required for the successful delivery of the scheme.
Please refer to planning submission PA24/06437 via Cornwall Councils planning portal.
Total value (estimated)
- £2,900,000 excluding VAT
- £3,480,000 including VAT
Below the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 November 2025 to 1 December 2026
- Possible extension to 31 December 2026
- 1 year, 2 months
Description of possible extension:
While the forecasted programme is for construction to take 56 weeks, extensions are possible in the event that this slips for any reason.
Options
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid.
To allow for any variation in scope of works during the RIBA stages.
Main procurement category
Works
CPV classifications
- 45000000 - Construction work
Contract locations
- UKK3 - Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Participation
This procurement is reserved for
UK suppliers
Conditions of participation
Prompt Payment of Suppliers
Bidders should provide confirmation that they have systems in place to ensure that organisations in your supply chain are paid on time, including that you have procedures for resolving disputed invoices promptly and effectively and details about your payment performance, including the percentage of invoices paid within 60 days
Provision of accounts
Bidders should submit the latest 2 years audited accounts as an appropriately referenced appendix.
Turnover Test
These accounts should show an average turnover of at least £5,000,000 over the past 2 years accounts.
Liquidity Test (Acid Test)
(Current Assets - Stock) / Current Liabilities
From the latest 2 years accounts, the average result of the Test should be 1.0 or greater e.g. Y1 - 1.3, Y2 - 1.6 equals an average of 1.45.
Insurance
For insurance cover, the requirement is £5m for public liability, £5m employers' liability (compulsory insurance) and £5m professional indemnity insurance. Bidders that do not currently hold these levels of insurance will need to do so prior to award, at no extra cost to Tate.
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
27 June 2025, 5:00pm
Tender submission deadline
4 July 2025, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
The documents may be downloaded from the MarketDojo website, and tenders submitted electronically via the same website.
Sign up https://secure.marketdojo.com/signup and use Invite code: 9430AF9F2D
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Award criteria
Selection Criteria stage which seeks to confirm that the supplier does not meet any of the grounds for exclusion (mandatory or discretionary).
If tenderers pass this stage successfully, responses to 4 Quality questions will be assessed, on a scale of 0-5 marks. The questions are on the following topics;
- Relevant Experience
- Resourcing
- Local Supply Chain Engagement
- Social Value
Following the conclusion of the Evaluation phase, a shortlist will be compiled which will comprise of those Bidders with the highest Total Score. Tate intends to shortlist between 4 and 6 Bidders, but ultimately the number of shortlisted participants will be at Tate's discretion, based on the number of suitable Bidders.
Procedure
Procedure type
Below threshold - open competition
Documents
Associated tender documents
https://secure.marketdojo.com/signup
Invite code to use once signed-up
9430AF9F2D
Sourcing-Dojo-Participants-Process-Guide.pdf
A guide to participating in this process via MarketDojo.
The invite code to use is 9430AF9F2D.
If you experience any difficulty in registering or participating, contact the HelpDojo live chat or procurement@tate.org.uk
Sourcing-Dojo-Participants-Flow-Chart.pdf
Contracting authority
Tate
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVXL-7942-GJXJ
Tate, Millbank
London
SW1P 4RG
United Kingdom
Email: procurement@tate.org.uk
Region: UKI32 - Westminster
Organisation type: Public authority - central government
Other organisation
These organisations are carrying out the procurement, or part of it, on behalf of the contracting authorities.
WARD WILLIAMS ASSOCIATES LLP
Summary of their role in this procurement: Project Managers
- Companies House: OC401502
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PZHW-6682-BGCZ
Compass House Truro Business Park
Truro
TR4 9LD
United Kingdom
Email: marketing@wardwilliams.uk
Website: http://wardwilliams.uk
Region: UKK30 - Cornwall and Isles of Scilly