Digitisation Capability Pilot
Closing Date: 27 February 2026 (noon)
Duration of Contract: 11 May 2026 to 27 November 2026.
Towards a National Collection is tendering for a Digitisation Capability Pilot supplier for the N-RICH Prototype project, a two-year initiative delivered in collaboration between the Towards a National Collection programme and AHRC, funded by UKRI.
The N-RICH Prototype will deliver targeted early-stage activities to reduce future investment risks. It will test the key elements and examine the scope, costs, risks, impacts and benefits of a future digital research infrastructure for cultural heritage in the UK. The Digitisation Capability Pilot is one of the two core work packages delivered through the N-RICH Prototype, alongside the Digital Research Infrastructure Prototype. Its role is to address the supply-side constraints that currently limit the use of cultural heritage collections in computational and data-driven research.
We seek a supplier for the Digitisation Capability Pilot to design, test and publish a first iteration of an open, scalable digitisation standard for UK GLAM collections, suitable for long-term adoption and iterative development.
The objectives of the Digitisation Capability Pilot are to:
- Define a shared, open and scalable digitisation standard for priority GLAM collection types, specifying baseline, enhanced and aspirational levels of practice
- Ensure the standard is oriented towards interoperability, computational access and reuse, embedding FAIR and CARE principles
- Support data creation, augmentation and computational readiness, including standards for rapid, rich and non-destructive digitisation appropriate to different collection types and research purposes
- Design the standard to be modular and incrementally adoptable by institutions of differing scale, capacity and resource
- Test and refine the standard through limited application with partner GLAM institutions
- Generate evidence on cost, skills and organisational implications to inform future investment decisions
- Publish the standard openly and propose an appropriate model for its future stewardship and evolution.
To access detailed information about this tender opportunity, please first register for free on the Public Contracts Scotland portal and then access the opportunity with the reference number provided below or
Digitisation Capability Pilot - Public Contracts Scotland Reference Number: JAN547461
