Open tenders / Architecture, engineering & surveying
Open tender · Notice 097886-2026
Design Lead for Christchurch Learning Centre School Satellite
- Value
- £200k
- Closes
- 17 Nov 2026 (9 days)
- Where
- South West
- Lots
- 1
- Suitable for SMEs
- Yes, says the buyer
- Contract
- 4 Jan 2027 – 31 Dec 2028
In plain English
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council wants a Lead Designer to head a team of specialist consultants and design the conversion of a former adult-use building into a school for KS3-KS4 students with social, emotional and mental health needs at Christchurch Learning Centre. The contract is estimated at £200,000 and runs from 4 January 2027 to 31 December 2028; bids are due by 17 November 2026.
Good fit for: Architecture or multi-disciplinary design practices with experience leading consultant teams on school or similar building projects.
- Council can stop the project at any approval stage
BCP Council may decide not to continue with the project at any one of the Gateway stages should the estimated costs become prohibitive or internal approvals are not granted.
- You must lead and coordinate a team of specialist consultants
seeking to appoint a Lead Designer to lead a team of specialist consultants
- Council keeps all final design decisions
All final design decisions remain with the Client.
Written with AI from the official notice. Check the notice before relying on it.
What the buyer says
BCP Council are seeking to appoint a Lead Designer to lead a team of specialist consultants to develop a design and scope of works in consultation with the client and end user to best meet the needs of the cohort or children that Christchurch Learning Centre will be educating on the site. The primary changes required are to adapt a building originally utilised by adults into a school building suitable for KS3-KS4 students with Social Emotional and Mental Health Needs and externalising behaviours. The Council will be the Client for the project, and all instructions will come from Education and Skills Capital Team unless a specific delegation is agreed in writing. Christchurch Learning Centre will be the End User of the completed facility and will be consulted throughout at all RIBA Stages to ensure that the design meets their requirements. All final design decisions remain with the Client. The project will develop through Gateway approval stages managed within the Education and Skills governance process, which accord with the RIBA Plan of work 2020. NOTE: Bidders should be aware that BCP Council may decide not to continue with the project at any one of the Gateway stages should the estimated costs become prohibitive or internal approvals are not granted. Please refer to 'Appendix 1 - Specification - Design Lead for Christchurch Learning Centre' section 5 ('Project Governance and Structure') which outlines this in more detail.
Getting the documents
Attached to the official notice, free to download without registering:
The buyer's e-tendering site: supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk (the buyer's own site, usually free to register).
Procedure: Below threshold - open competition (Open: anyone can bid (a lower-value contract with lighter rules)). Published 16 Oct 2026.
What similar contracts went for
Similar contracts went for £82k to £239k (2 since 2026; 1 won by small firms).
| Contract | Won by | Value | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keir Hardie Health Park Adult Learning Disability Day Unit 1 re-configuration – Lead Consultant Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board | James & Nicholas Architects Engineers Limited SME | £82k | 15 Sep |
| Design Lead for Linwood School Satellite Expansion Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council | Kendall Kingscott Limited | £239k | 2 Jul |
From the award notices on Find a Tender and Public Contracts Scotland. Values are as each notice states them and cover the contract's whole term: most notices give the value before VAT, but about one in seven gives only a figure including VAT. AI picked these as the same kind of work and can be wrong, so check what each one included before you price.
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