HS2 Post-excavation Services

Tender description

HS2 Ltd is intending to procure a contract for the provision of Post-excavation Services to deliver a programme of post-excavation activities for Phase One and Phase 2a. The purpose of this Periodic Indicative Notice ('PIN') is to invite potential suppliers to participate in market engagement with HS2 Ltd in order to inform the development and finalisation of the proposed procurement and contracting approach. Further information on the intended approach and how potential suppliers can participate in HS2 Ltd’s market engagement exercise are set out in II.2.4) and II.2.14) and VI.3) sections below. HS2 Ltd anticipates publishing a Contract Notice in October 2021 to commence the procurement of the contract and this will be a separate Contract Notice with no linkage to this Prior Indicative Notice. Lot 1: In collaboration with HS2 Ltd and its existing supply chain, the supplier appointed to deliver the Post-excavation Services will scope and deliver post-excavation analysis, dissemination, publication and archiving for Phase One and Phase 2a of HS2 within the framework provided by the HS2 Ltd’s Historic Environment Research and Delivery Strategy (‘HERDS’). The Post-excavation Services will be undertaken by a suitably qualified and demonstrably experienced organisation. As well as accredited Project Management expertise, the appointed supplier, and where appropriate, their supply chain will have Chartered Institute for Archaeologists ('CIfA') accreditation as Registered Archaeological Organisations ('RAO') and their supervisory staff will have an appropriate level of demonstrable experience for the specific task in question, i.e. full members of CIfA, Institute of Historic Buildings Conservation ('IHBC') or an equivalent professional standing. The capabilities required of the appointed supplier include, but are not limited to: Historic Environment Lead (key person); Archaeological post-excavation management; Historic environment specialisms, e.g. scientific dating and chronology, Building Information Modelling (including Geographic Information System), graphics, finds, environmental archaeology, geoarchaeology, faunal remains, human remains, landscape archaeology, period specialists (e.g. early prehistory, Iron-Age, Romano-British, early-medieval, medieval, post-medieval); Historic environment archiving (physical and digital), including liaison with receiving institutions; Finds liaison and engagement with landowners, including dispute resolution; Benefits management, to set the benefits framework and ensure data is captured, analysed and reported on; Data management, overseeing the delivery of data workstreams; Ad hoc fieldwork liaison, to connect projects in the field to the provision of Post-excavation Services; Key Account Manager (key person) – to oversee the delivery of the contract and commercials; Supply Chain and Logistics Manager (key person) – to procure and manage the supply chain and to facilitate the organisation and transfer of products (such as the physical archives); Health & Safety Management; Communications and external comms (media) management; Stakeholder and interface management; Education and training; Community engagement and events management; and Publication management. The supplier may also consider appointing or procuring strategic level advice in science, dating and ergonomics. Technical products and services likely to be procured from the appointed supplier’s supply chain may include (but are not limited to); research, academic input, digital products, events and exhibitions, field archaeological advice, storage, logistical support (for example movement of physical archives between locations), archaeological post-excavation analysis, archaeological science, books and academic articles. For the avoidance of doubt, historic environment fieldwork services, for example; intrusive surveys, excavation, historic building recording and so forth, relating to construction of Phase One and 2a are out of scope. The physical re-burial of human remains is also out of scope. Additional information: The Market Engagement registration can be accessed via emailing SCC@hs2.org.uk, marking the 'Subject' as "HS2 Post-excavation Services Market Sounding Request".