Opportunity Overview
Description
Essex Record Office (ERO) is seeking to engage with the market to understand available solutions and supplier capabilities that can support the modernisation of its archive management, digital preservation and public access services.
ERO is undertaking this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to inform future procurement activity and ensure that any proposed solutions align with the organisation's statutory responsibilities, service requirements and long-term digital preservation ambitions.
ERO is looking to understand the market's ability to provide solutions that can deliver the following outcomes:
• Replacement of the current in-house developed Archive Management System (SEAX), which underpins over 80% of ERO's operations and public-facing services, including income-generating online services.
• The archive management system will need to:
o facilitate viewing the catalogue on-site at Essex Record Office locations and online
o provide free access to digital and digitised collections on-site at Essex Record Office locations
o provide online access, outside of ERO locations, to digital and digitised collections via a subscription service
o facilitate the creation of user accounts with role dependent security/access levels
o provide a paywall to access certain collections
o manage the personal data of users of the service, including taking payments from them
• Support for statutory archive, records management and civil registration functions.
• Secure, scalable and standards-compliant digital preservation capabilities to support the long-term preservation, integrity and accessibility of digital records. We require a solution for preserving digital records with retention periods of 100 years or more, as well as potentially shorter retention periods. The solution must be able to deal with a variety of file formats including proprietary software files and a range of sound and moving image files.
• Progression towards National Digital Stewardship...
Essex Record Office (ERO) is seeking to engage with the market to understand available solutions and supplier capabilities that can support the modernisation of its archive management, digital preservation and public access services.
ERO is undertaking this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to inform future procurement activity and ensure that any proposed solutions align with the organisation's statutory responsibilities, service requirements and long-term digital preservation ambitions.
ERO is looking to understand the market's ability to provide solutions that can deliver the following outcomes:
• Replacement of the current in-house developed Archive Management System (SEAX), which underpins over 80% of ERO's operations and public-facing services, including income-generating online services.
• The archive management system will need to:
o facilitate viewing the catalogue on-site at Essex Record Office locations and online
o provide free access to digital and digitised collections on-site at Essex Record Office locations
o provide online access, outside of ERO locations, to digital and digitised collections via a subscription service
o facilitate the creation of user accounts with role dependent security/access levels
o provide a paywall to access certain collections
o manage the personal data of users of the service, including taking payments from them
• Support for statutory archive, records management and civil registration functions.
• Secure, scalable and standards-compliant digital preservation capabilities to support the long-term preservation, integrity and accessibility of digital records. We require a solution for preserving digital records with retention periods of 100 years or more, as well as potentially shorter retention periods. The solution must be able to deal with a variety of file formats including proprietary software files and a range of sound and moving image files.
• Progression towards National Digital Stewardship...
How to bid: GlobalGov tracks this tender; it does not accept bids. Submit your response through the issuing agency’s official notice.
Your competitors are watching the same crowded contracts everyone else is. Track this opportunity and every one like it worldwide, set deadline alerts, and win where they aren’t. Free for 14 days, no card.
Start a free GlobalGov accountSolicitation Details
| Issuing agency | Essex County Council |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Category | Government Procurement |
| Published | September 14, 2026 |
| Procurement stage | Request for Proposal (RFP) |
| Response due | Not specified / rolling |
| Status | Open — accepting responses |
| Official source | View original notice |
| Last verified | October 11, 2026 |
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: UK Government (Find a Tender).
Related Opportunities in United Kingdom
See every United Kingdom Government Procurement opportunity your competition is missing. Free for 14 days.
Get real-time alerts, competitive intelligence, and deadline tracking for this and every market worldwide.
Start Free Trial — No Card RequiredFree 14-day trial · no card required
See who is already competing here →Get a free United Kingdom Government Procurement intelligence report in your inbox
A personalized report on United Kingdom Government Procurement opportunities, emailed in 5-10 minutes. One per month, no account needed.