The procurement contact named on the official notice.

2.1 National Records of Scotland (NRS) operates across an estate comprising five buildings, four of which are located in Edinburgh (three being Category ‘A’ listed) and one in Dumfries.

The historic and cultural significance of these assets requires the engagement of suppliers with demonstrable expertise in conservation led estates services and operational, specialist archival storage facilities and a clear understanding of the statutory, technical and professional requirements associated with working within protected and sensitive environments.

Such services are critical to ensuring that NRS can continue to fulfil its role as custodian of Scotland’s records, while maintaining safe, compliant and functional accommodation for collections, staff and, where applicable, members of the public.

2.2 Historically, NRS has always procured specialist estates and professional services, reflecting the absence of a suitable external framework capable of meeting its specific conservation, heritage and technical requirements.

2.3 NRS shares many common estate management challenges and requirements with other Scottish Government sponsored organisations, including National Museums Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Each partner organisation is responsible for the stewardship of nationally important, and in many cases listed or protected, operationally specialist buildings, landscapes and collections.

These estates require a consistent, high quality and conservation focused approach to professional services, delivered by suppliers with proven experience of working within complex heritage environments.

2.4 In response, NRS has invited partner organisations to establish a joint Framework Agreement for professional estates services.

The framework aims to secure access to a suitably skilled and diverse supply base with specialist technical and conservation expertise, reduce duplication of procurement activity, and provide a compliant, efficient and flexible mechanism through which participating organisations can call off services as required.

This collaborative approach is intended to support value for money, improve service quality and resilience, and ensure that all organisations are able to discharge their custodial responsibilities effectively and sustainably over the life of the framework.

Services that may be called off under the Framework include (but are not limited to): Multi disciplinary technical and design services (including architectural and engineering); Conservation led consultancy for listed and historic buildings; Support to in house estates and facilities teams, including specialist advice and surveys; Project and construction management; Health and safety, fire safety, asbestos surveys and management and water safety (including legionella) services; Planned maintenance planning, inspections, condition surveys and compliance support.

A detailed scope of requirements is provided in the attached Specification - Appendix 2 - Annexes A-H.