Norfolk County Council goes to tender for Virtual Reality production services for Norwich Castle redevelopment project

In Virtual Reality News

August 10, 2020 – Norfolk County Council in England has gone to tender for a contract for the provision of audio-visual digital media and software for the ‘Norwich Castle: Gateway to Medieval England’ redevelopment project.

The Gateway to Medieval England is a four year project that will transform the Keep within Norwich Castle back to its appearance under the Norman Kings. Norwich Castle is an historic building of international importance, which has dominated the skyline and has remained a constant in the city of Norwich for over 1,000 years, according to Norfolk Museums Service. The project will help to restore the lost architectural grandeur and bring to life the 12th century secular building, at the heart of one of the UK’s most complete medieval cities.

Part of the project will include the digital recreation of the archaeology and history of Norwich Castle. The procurement contract is split in to four lots:

1. Large-Scale Theatrical AV Content: for projectors within the recreated Great Hall of the Norman Castle Keep and associated soundscapes (lot value GBP £125,000);
2. Computer Interactive Media: for digital interactives primarily within the British Museum Partnership Gallery (lot value GBP £48,000);
3. General Audio Visual Productions: for projectors and digital interactives within the British Museum Partnership Gallery and elsewhere within the Castle Keep (lot value GBP £54,000); and finally,
4. Virtual Reality Production: to explore the archaeology and history of the building and its construction (lot value GBP £22,000).

The virtual reality (VR) aspect of the contract will involve the production of VR content for use on VR headsets (model not specified), which will presumably allow guests and visitors to enjoy an immersive experience where they can explore the history of Norwich Castle and how it was constructed.

Norfolk Museums states that once completed, the Gateway to Medieval England project will help to “transform Norwich Castle into the premier heritage attraction in the East of England, attracting 300,000 visitors per year”, adding that it will also result in “An inspirational learning resource for Norfolk’s schools with the capacity to welcome 30,000 school children per year.”

The organization also noted: “The Gateway to Medieval England project is capable of making a significant financial contribution to both the long-term future of Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery and the financial sustainability of Norfolk Museums Service and the county-wide operation.”

The duration of the contract is for a total of 16 months. Submissions for lots are being weighted on an 80/20 ratio of quality/price, and tenders may be submitted for all lots. Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is September 14, 2020 at 14:00 GMT.

For more information on how to submit a bid, please email contact@auganix.org.

Image credit: Norfolk Museums Service

About the author

Sam Sprigg

Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.