Coflein: Next Generation Heritage Platform

Preliminary Market Engagement for the redevelopment of the National Monuments Record of Wales online discovery service.

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) is seeking to raise market awareness of a potential future procurement opportunity relating to the redevelopment of Coflein, the online catalogue of the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW).

Coflein provides public access to information on more than 120,000 archaeological sites, monuments, historic buildings and maritime sites across Wales, alongside archive catalogue records and a substantial collection of digital resources including photographs, drawings, reports, video and 3D content. The service supports researchers, heritage professionals, educators, students, decision-makers and the wider public in accessing information about the historic environment of Wales.

Subject to the successful securing of capital funding and the completion of business case development, RCAHMW is considering a significant redevelopment of the Coflein platform. The intention is to move beyond a simple website refresh and deliver a modern, sustainable and scalable platform capable of supporting future enhancement and growth.

At this stage, the anticipated project scope may include:

renewal of the underlying platform architecture;

a redesigned bilingual user experience in Welsh and English;

improved accessibility in line with WCAG 2.2 standards;

enhanced search and discovery capabilities;

improved integration between site records, archive catalogue records and digital assets;

support for rich media including images, video and 3D content;

enhanced geospatial and mapping functionality;

greater flexibility in the presentation and management of content; and

provision for future development and enhancement of the service.

RCAHMW is currently developing the detailed requirements and procurement strategy. A formal procurement opportunity is anticipated to be advertised following completion of this preparatory work.

This notice is intended to provide the market with early visibility of the proposed opportunity and to assist suppliers in forward planning. The Commission would particularly welcome expressions of interest from organisations with experience in areas such as:

digital heritage platforms;

archive and collections management;

public sector digital services;

geospatial systems and GIS integration;

bilingual digital services;

accessibility-led design; and

large-scale search and discovery platforms.

This notice does not constitute a call for competition, invitation to tender or commitment by RCAHMW to commence a procurement process. Any future procurement will be subject to funding approval, governance requirements and the publication of appropriate procurement documentation.