Initial Interpretation Plan and subsequent supply and Installation of Interpretation Materials for 'Bridging the Tamar'

Cornwall Council, acting with Plymouth City Council and on behalf of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee, seeks to engage a suitably qualified company, with relevant transport and/or engineering related interpretation design experience, to produce a satisfactory interpretation plan for their Round 2 Heritage Lottery Fund application and, assuming that application is successful, would then require the same organisation to deliver and install the actual interpretation materials for this project, which is described as "Bridging the Tamar" : a Learning Centre and STEAM Hub to explore the River Tamar's two key bridges. The project will create a new learning centre focusing on the heritage of both the Tamar Bridge and Brunel's Royal Albert Rail Bridge.

It will develop a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) hub on the site of the redundant offices of the Tamar Bridge, and deliver a programme of events and learning activities through the creation of a new Community, Learning and Volunteering (CLV) post: this post will continue after the HLF funded project finishes. The HLF project will be organised around outcomes that will be of direct public benefit and in liaison with partners such as Plymouth History Centre, schools, universities and local community organisations.

With a successful HLF application the learning centre will open in January 2019 and will attract approximately 35,000 visitors a year to the internal displays, and an additional 75,000 to the enhanced outdoor area, with a mixture of school groups, pre-booked coach groups and individual visitors. The learning centre is supported by key stakeholders including Plymouth City Council, Cornwall Council and Network Rail.

The project will focus on the heritage of two world class bridges: the Tamar Bridge and Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge. Although supported and encouraged by Network Rail, the project will be managed and then operated by the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee.

The overall delivery of the project will cost £363,600, with a proposed HLF grant of £272,700. All match funding is in place, and planning permission is already secured.

Please ensure you have read and fully understood the attached Briefing document which explains, in a significant amount of detail, the wider context of the project, the key elements and tasks of the actual overriding project requirements, the required HLF outcomes, the anticipated cost elements for the interpretation part of the overall project and the anticipated timescales for the key phases, milestones and deliverables related to the project. Please also note that the Authority is undertaking this procurement via its partner organisation, Bloom Procurement Services, and their neutral vendor solution.

Therefore, in order to submit a bid for this work, interested providers will already need to be signed up to the Bloom system or be able to do so within the advertised timescale concerned. Additional information: In order to satisfy the HLF funding advertising requirements, the Authority is obliged to advertise this opportunity via the Contracts Finder website.

In addition to this, Bloom Procurement Services, our Neutral Vendor partner, will be issuing the tender documentation to suppliers via their network, under the most appropriate categories. Bloom is Cornwall's chosen solution for the award of professional services to the council and all suppliers are asked to register with them if they wish to tender for this contract.

Please find attached the key documentation involved in explaining and facilitating the registration with Bloom Procurement Services via whom any registration or tender queries must be raised. Please also find the more detailed briefing document, previously referred to, which explains the overall project in a wider context and the outputs and outcomes required, including some guidance around anticipated costs for various key aspects of this two stage project and process and forecast timescales concerned. Please Note: The Client wishes to reserve the option to hold a further interview stage, if felt necessary and applicable, with a maximum of the 3 overall highest scoring bidders, at dates, times and venues yet to be determined, to give those Organisations an opportunity to respond to some pre-determined questions, with a view to effectively bringing their initial paper based bids more to life, allowing the client to seek any further clarity that may be required and, as such, achieve a much greater level of understanding of the practicality of the proposals put before them, to determine that the proposals more clearly and readily meet the key project objectives and outcomes."