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Opportunities Hub: Enter the contests that get you noticed

Words:
Julie Butterworth

Design a float for Pride 2025, create a new nature gallery for young visitors, win a spot on a university estates framework - some of the latest architecture competitions and contracts from across the industry

For updates on the latest competitions, contests and contracts follow us on twitter #ribajopportunities @RIBAJ

 

Architecture Pride 2024 Quick Selects.
Architecture Pride 2024 Quick Selects. Credit: © Luke O'Donovan

Project contest

PRIDE FLOAT DESIGN COMPETITON

Open call for submissions that represent LGBTQIA+ architects past and present and their contribution to the built environment

Deadline 12 noon, 24 April 2025

This London Festival of Architecture (LFA) competition is inviting architecture students, recent graduates, emerging and more established practices to design a float for this year's  Pride in London celebrations.

The event on 5 July 2025 includes a parade, performances, events and various activities across the city, aimed at celebrating love, acceptance and unity. The contest gives the winning team the opportunity to participate in a unique project and showcase their imaginative design to the public.

Individuals and teams are asked to submit designs that engage with LFA’s 2025 theme of “Voices”, a celebration of the diverse narratives within architecture.

According to the brief, 'the float will be mounted on a 7.5-tonne dropside truck and must incorporate key structural and safety elements, including handrails, space for speakers and weather-resistant materials'.

Submissions must demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and the circular economy. ‘Sustainability is at the heart of this brief. Although temporary, we encourage and support our designers and partners to plan for the afterlife of these projects which go on to be rehomed or recycled. We are interested in seeing proposals which explore principles of the circular economy, either by thinking about the longevity of the design and materials, flexibility of purpose and plans for disassembly (and reassembly).’

The LFA, now in its 20th year, is a month-long celebration of architecture and city-making, that takes place every summer across London. Its mission is to open up discussions around architecture, test new ideas and promote emerging talent.

The competition is being run in collaboration with grassroots organisation Architecture LGBT+, networking forum Freehold and real estate firm Brookfield Properties.

  • Architecture Pride 2024 Quick Selects.
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    Architecture Pride 2024 Quick Selects. Credit: © Luke O'Donovan
  • Architecture Pride 2024 Quick Selects.
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    Architecture Pride 2024 Quick Selects. Credit: © Luke O'Donovan
  • Architecture Pride 2024 Quick Selects.
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    Architecture Pride 2024 Quick Selects. Credit: © Luke O'Donovan
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Budget £8,000, which includes a maximum £2,000 designer fee.

Eligibility Open to architects, landscape architects, designers and artists. The judges encourage collaborations and entries from teams who are underrepresented in these professions.

Procedure Single-stage contest. The winner will work with the clients and key local stakeholders to develop a more detailed design once appointed.

Requirements Two A1 boards (PDF) for submission that include: hand or computer drawn 3D design visualisation; construction details and methodology drawn to scale with key dimensions noted, outline all materials, budget and costings, production process and disposal/re-use.

Judging criteria Originality, demonstration of creativity, relevance to the brief, feasibility and how the proposal works in the context of the site.

Judging panel Includes Marcos Gold, Pride in London; Benjamin O’Connor, NLA; Marko Salopek, Freehold LGBT+; Caitlin Warfield, Brookfield Properties Europe. Other judges, including an Architecture LGBT+ representative, will be announced shortly.

Other dates Winner notified, week of 5 May 2025.

To find out more, go to the competition website

To express interest and submit your entry, go to zealous.co/lfa/pride-float-2025

Competition contact info@londonfestivalofarchitecture.org


 

Natural History Museum, London.
Natural History Museum, London. Credit: Stockbym / Shutterstock

Contract

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

Exhibition design / lead designer sought for South Kensington museum’s Gallery 33 space

Deadline: 1pm, 25 April 2025

The Natural History Museum is looking to recruit a 3D and 2D exhibition design and lead designer to work on a new permanent nature gallery for young visitors.

Gallery 33 is housed in the Alfred Waterhouse-designed grade I listed museum and science research centre on Cromwell Road. The building was constructed between 1873 and 1880 and combines Gothic Revival and 12th-century Romanesque architecture with terracotta decoration inspired by the natural world. It is home to around 80 million life and earth science specimens in five collections: botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology. 

According to the brief, the 3D and 2D exhibition designers ‘will be responsible for the development, design and specification of the exhibition. They will lead the creative team to deliver the brief. They will be required to determine the infrastructure requirements for the exhibition space and to coordinate with the lead architect for their integration’.

Bidders will need to demonstrate experience of 3D and 2D exhibition or gallery design integrated into a permanent gallery in a listed building with high visitor traffic; displaying collections in exhibition or gallery designs; integrating multimedia exhibits and interactives in exhibition or gallery designs; and projects that show an understanding of working with and for young people and children.

Earlier this year, the museum was recruiting for an engineering design services consultant to work on the refurbishment of Gallery 33 under a £720,000 contract, due to start in early March 2025.

Evaluation criteria are 60 per cent quality; 30 per cent price; 10 per cent social value. Total estimated value of the two-year contract is £160,000 to £192,000.

Procedure Open procedure.

Location South Kensington, London.

Other dates Award decision, 17 June 2025. Contract, 7 July 2025 to 1 August 2027.

To apply or find out more, see the contract notice

Buyer contact Chloe Higgins, Natural History Museum, 0207 942 6046, c.higgins@nhm.ac.uk


 

Dubai Urban Elements Design Challenge.
Dubai Urban Elements Design Challenge. Credit: Buildner / Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai

Project competition

DUBAI URBAN ELEMENTS DESIGN CHALLENGE

Open call for public realm designs that harness the power of small-scale architecture to capture the essence of the UAE capital

Registration deadline: 7 May 2025

In collaboration with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), competition organiser Buildner is calling on architects and designers to submit innovative designs for human-scale architectural elements that could help define the everyday experience of the UAE capital.

Those elements can include pedestrian and cycle bridges, underpasses, street furniture, shading structures, wayfinding and signage, safety structures, fences, lighting, pavement works and more.

‘Cities are not merely built; they are felt,’ say the organisers. ‘They are experienced in the subtle details that shape daily life. It’s in the rhythm of pathways, the shade of a structure, the curve of a bridge, and the quiet moments of interaction that the essence of a city unfolds. These small-scale architectural forms, often overlooked, are the threads that weave together the vast urban fabric - giving depth, meaning and identity to the places we inhabit… These forms guide footsteps, foster community and craft the everyday narratives that give a city its soul’.

Participants are encouraged to submit their public realm concepts across seven specified zones in Dubai, each with a unique character, density and rhythm. These include residential areas, suburbs, industrial zones and cultural centres.

‘This is an opportunity to influence the everyday experiences that define Dubai's urban landscape. Participants are invited to think beyond the monumental, shape the everyday and help define the future of one of the world's most ambitious cities.’

  • Dubai Urban Elements Design Challenge.
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    Dubai Urban Elements Design Challenge. Credit: Buildner / Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai
  • Dubai Urban Elements Design Challenge.
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    Dubai Urban Elements Design Challenge. Credit: Buildner / Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai
  • Dubai Urban Elements Design Challenge.
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    Dubai Urban Elements Design Challenge. Credit: Buildner / Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai
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Alongside small-scale architecture, other key areas of focus are cultural sensitivity, sustainability and public engagement.

According to the competition brief, ‘all awarded proposals will be evaluated for their potential future development as part of Dubai’s ongoing urban enhancement initiatives’.

Eligibility Free to enter and open to all, regardless of professional qualifications or experience.​ Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (four team members maximum).

Registration fees Competition is free to enter for a set number of entries, then a bidding system comes into operation and participants will need to submit portfolios and motivation letters to be considered for acceptance. Post-registration account verification includes a €4.95 fee. 

Prizes 1st prize, €250,000; 2nd prize, €140,000; 3rd prize, €50,000. Plus six honourable mentions with prizes of €10,000 each. All winning designs will be considered for development.

Judging panel To be announced.

Requirements Four A2 presentation boards and up to 20 supporting images to explain the proposal.

Evaluation criteria Innovation and creativity, 30 per cent; addressing context and identity, 30 per cent; constructability and cost, 20 per cent; sustainability, 20 per cent.

Other dates Submissions, 11.59pm, 28 May 2025. Winners announced, 1 July 2025.

To register, enter and find out more, go the competition website

Competition contact contact@buildner.com


 

Children's House Project by Ziyu Guo – winner of Kaira Looro 2022.
Children's House Project by Ziyu Guo – winner of Kaira Looro 2022. Credit: Kaira Looro architecture competition by humantiarian organisation Balouo Salo

Project contest

KAIRA LOORO ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION 2025

Humanitarian organisation Balouo Salo calls for innovative template designs for a Sub-Saharan Africa nursery school

Deadline: Register by 15 May 2025

The 2025 edition of this annual international humanitarian architecture contest invites architects, students, designers, engineers and young professionals from around the world to design an architectural model for a nursery school in rural Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the brief, ‘the lack of quality educational facilities in many rural areas… poses a significant barrier to children’s development. Education plays a crucial role in nurturing cognitive skills, emotional growth and social abilities, preparing them to face life’s challenges with resilience and creativity. However, in many of these regions, children are deprived of these fundamental opportunities due to the absence of safe and stimulating environments’.

The objective is to create a safe and inclusive cohesive space that promotes children’s wellbeing and development by integrating education, socialisation, play and exploration.

The name Kaira Looro comes from the Mandinga language of Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, and Mali. It means ‘building peace’ or ‘architecture for peace’.

‘This is not just a design challenge,’ say the organisers, ‘but also an invitation to contribute to a legacy of sustainability, creativity and community empowerment.’

The nursery school should not be larger than 650 square metres and must include classrooms, offices, educational and play areas, a medical room, dining hall, storage and sanitary facilities. ‘Participants must also consider the challenges of building in rural areas where the lack of skilled labour and heavy machinery can pose significant obstacles.’

In addition to cash awards, the three main prizes include internships at some of the world’s most renowned and award-winning architecture practices (see Prizes, below).

The first prize project, once verified for its technological, humanitarian and economic feasibility, will be constructed as a charitable project by Balouo Salo. Construction will be co-funded from the proceeds of the competition, ie the registration fees, which will constitute a chari­table donation.

Balouo Salo is an independent charitable organisation that develops humanitarian projects to improve the living conditions of rural communities in developing countries. It was founded in 2013 in Catania, Sicily by architect, engineer and current president of the organisation, Raoul Vecchio, and Jali Diabate, a Senegalese musician and interpreter who wanted to help his home community. Balouo Salo means ‘a bridge to life’ in Mandinka.

  • Primary School Project by Artha Krisiantara – winner of Kaira Loro 2023.
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    Primary School Project by Artha Krisiantara – winner of Kaira Loro 2023. Credit: Kaira Looro architecture competition by humantiarian organisation Balouo Salo
  • Women's Centre Project by Juan Pablo Lopez Isabella – winner of Kaira Looro 2021.
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    Women's Centre Project by Juan Pablo Lopez Isabella – winner of Kaira Looro 2021. Credit: Kaira Looro architecture competition by humantiarian organisation Balouo Salo
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Registration From €90 to €120 per team.

Prizes First, €5,000 and internship at Kengo Kuma & Associates (Tokyo) and construction of the project as a humanitarian initiative; Second, €2,000 and internship at one of Benedetta Tagliabue EMBT (Barcelona), Amanda Levete Architects (London) or SBGA Blengini Ghirardelli (Milan); Third, €1,000 and internship as per second prize. The competition also recognises special and honourable mentions, as well as 35 finalists.

Eligibility Participants can enter individually or in teams with a maximum of five people. At least one member must be 35 or under at the time of regi­stration.

Procedure Single stage contest requiring designs. The objective of the contest is to raise awareness of humanitarian topics in the international community while raising funds to build charitable projects to which the proceeds are donated.

Submission requirements A1 board presenting the proposal; one cover; maximum 1,000 words on the design concept, use of materials, construction process; quantity and cost estimation of construction materials only. Note that the total cost estimation must not exceed €70,000. See the competition brief for full details.

Evaluation criteria Architectural quality; construction and materials; flexibility and integration with the environment.

Jury panel Kengo Kuma, Kengo Kuma & Associates; Benedetta Tagliabue, Bendetta Tagliabue EMBT; Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, Ramón Vilalta, all RCR Arquitectes; David Adjaye, Ajaye Associates; Amanda Levete, AL_A; Agostino Ghirardelli, SBGA Blengini Ghirardelli; Mario Cucinella, Mario Cucinella Architects; Giancarlo Mazzanti, El Equipo Mazzanti; Manuel Aires Mateus, Aires Mateus e Associados; Raul Pantaleo, TAM Associati; Emmanuelle Moureaux, Emmanuelle Moureaux INC; Saad El Kabbaj, Driss Kettani, Mohamed Amine Siana, all Rabat.

Other dates Submissions, 11.59pm, 10 June 2025. Jury evaluation, 23 to 29 June 2025. Winners announced, 8 July 2025.

To enter or find out more, go to the competition website

Competition contact info@kairalooro.com


 

Aerial view of Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London.
Aerial view of Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London. Credit: Alexey Fedorenko / Shutterstock

Contract

UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

£10m, 14-lot dynamic purchasing system (DPS) for buildings and works across three campuses

Deadline: 5pm, 31 January 2029

The university, which has its main campus in and around the Christopher Wren-designed buildings now known as Old Royal Naval College on Park Row in Greenwich, south-east London, is looking to establish a professional services DPS that will run from April 2025 to February 2029.

Awarded university status in 1993, the institution was, from 1970, part of Thames Polytechnic and, before that, Woolwich Polytechnic, the second-oldest polytechnic in the UK - established in 1890. There are three campuses: two in London - the main campus and Avery Hill - and one in Medway, Kent.

The estate includes not only the historic 17th century buildings and UNESCO World Heritage site of the Greenwich campus, but a Victorian Winter Garden at Avery Hill and Edwardian ex-Royal Navy site at Medway. Modern building stock includes Stockwell Street Library by Heneghan Peng Architects, shortlisted for the 2015 RIBA Stirling Prize, and the grade II listed Dreadnought building and halls of residence on King William Walk, refurbished by Dannatt Johnson Architects in the 1990s and again in 2018.

The university has net zero targets of 2030 for the Medway and Avery Hill campuses; 2033 for Greenwich.

According to the scope, DPS services will include architecture, project management, civil and structural engineering, cost management, mechanical and electrical (including building services), principal designers, acoustics, multidisciplinary, surveying, rent, rates and valuations, net zero and sustainability, fire consultancy, planning, and landscape architecture.

The architecture lot (Lot 1) covers all core service disciplines, plus conservation architecture, counter terrorism advice and design, environmental services, interior design, BIM, urban and rural areas mapping, architectural design contests, planning, landscape services, and urban planning.

Lot 6 is for principal designers; Lot 8, multidisciplinary; Lot 13, urban planning; Lot 14, landscape architecture.

A minimum of one candidate will be allocated to each lot. Maximum value of each call-off is expected to be around £2 million. Estimated total value of the DPS is £10 million.

Procedure Restricted procedure.

Location Greenwich, London.

To apply or find out more, see the contract notice

Buyer contact Procurement and Commercial Services, 0208 331 8000, tenders@gre.ac.uk


 

Buildings along the shores of Lerwick in Shetland, including (along the horizon, from top left): the 1939 Janet Courtney Hostel (white building), the 1861 Anderson Institute and the 1923 Bruce Hostel.
Buildings along the shores of Lerwick in Shetland, including (along the horizon, from top left): the 1939 Janet Courtney Hostel (white building), the 1861 Anderson Institute and the 1923 Bruce Hostel. Credit: Todamo / Shutterstock

Contract

LISTED SCHOOL BUILDING REFURBISHMENT, LERWICK

Former 1939 boarder accommodation in Shetlands is being repurposed for affordable housing

Deadline: 12 noon, 11 April 2025

Shetland Islands Council is looking to appoint an architectural and principal designer to work on the refurbishment of the former Janet Courtney Hostel on the Knab peninsula in Lerwick.

The hostel sits on a six-hectare site south of Lerwick Old Town formerly occupied by the Anderson High School, which relocated to nearby Clickimin in 2017. Up until then it was used as student accommodation for pupils from outlying areas in Shetland who boarded during the week.   

It dates from 1939 and is one of a core collection of three historic listed buildings, the others being the Islands’ only main high school from 1861, the Anderson Institute; and The Bruce Hostel, built between 1914 and 1923 to accommodate ‘the daughters of the gentlefolk of Shetland’. There is also an open green space in front of the buildings considered by Historic Environment Scotland to form part of their setting. The wider site has been cleared of ad-hoc additions that dated from the 1960s and 1970s.

The Janet Courtney Hostel refurbishment is part of a programme of works outlined in a Knab Redevelopment Masterplan drawn up by 7N Architects in 2018 and adopted by the council a year later.

According to the brief, ‘the building has remained unoccupied, falling into a state of disrepair. Lack of heating and natural ventilation has contributed to the rate at which the building fabric has deteriorated. However, with the decision to convert the building to provide modern, energy efficient flats, district heating has been reinstalled to… reduce the rate of decay in the building fabric in preparation for refurbishment works’.

 

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Plans are to provide a combination of one, two and three bedroom flats - up to 19 in total - for use as affordable housing by Shetland Islands Council.

Works cover RIBA stages 1 to 7, including full design and specification of drawings and documents, acquisition of consents, assisting in the appointment of a contractor and full chief architect duties onsite. The appointment will also include the role of lead designer.

For stage one, bidders are required to ‘provide evidence of working in a remote location within Shetland (or other similarly remote location) only accessible by boat or plane [and] detail top five challenges associated with location’. 

Further projects under the masterplan will include repurposing the Anderson Institute building as a cultural hub and provision of public realm across the site. The Bruce Hostel building is being marketed for sale.

Second stage tender documentation is not yet available.

Procedure Restricted procedure: selection questionnaires followed by invitations to tender (five candidates).

Location Knab Peninsula, Lerwick, Shetland Islands.

Other dates Dispatch of invitations to tender, 22 April 2025. Tender returns, 16 May 2025. Contract award, June 2025. Contract, from July 2025.

To apply or find out more, see the contract notice

Buyer contact Graeme MacDonald, 01595 744595, contract.admin@shetland.gov.uk


 

Staffordshire County Council building.
Staffordshire County Council building. Credit: Asscanio / Shutterstock

Contract

STAFFORDSHIRE MMC FRAMEWORK

County council announces £45m modern methods of construction agreement

Deadline: 12 noon, 7 April 2025

The framework is designed to supply services on an ad-hoc, call-off basis for predominantly educational projects, but will also cover Staffordshire’s general public sector estate across health, community and daycare facilities, libraries, housing, offices, general public buildings and industrial units.  

According to the brief, it may also include ‘general associated construction services, service installations, design services and associated infrastructure works, including hard or soft landscaping’. Works will range from new build, extensions and refurbishments to alterations, replacements and installations on projects that will typically range from £500,000 to £2 million.

A maximum of three participants will be appointed and call-offs will be via direct award or mini competition.

Evaluation criteria are 70 per cent price; 30 per cent quality. Estimated total value of the framework is £45 million over four years.

Procedure Open procedure.

Location Predominantly Staffordshire, West Midlands.

Other dates Intention to award notices, 30 June 2025. Contracts, 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2028, with option to extend to 31 October 2029.

To apply or find out more, see the contract notice

Buyer contact Audrey Taylor, 01785 278611, audrey.taylor@staffordshire.gov.uk


 

The Great Court, British Museum, Bloomsbury in 2001.
The Great Court, British Museum, Bloomsbury in 2001. Credit: Janet Hall / RIBA Collections

Contract

BRITISH MUSEUM CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FRAMEWORK

Four-year agreement will include ‘new buildings and/or significant reconfiguration of existing wings’

Deadline: 5pm, 30 December 2025

The Trustees of the British Museum are setting up a construction services agreement for their Estates and Capital Projects Department.

The museum on Great Russell Street in Bloomsbury, central London was designed from 1823 by Robert Smirke in the Greek Revival style. Norman Foster’s redesigned two-acre Great Court with its steel and glass roof - the largest covered square in Europe - opened in 2000.

This is a seven-lot framework, covering: 1 Project management (value £12 million); 2 Quantity surveying and commercial management (£4 million); 3 Mechanical and electrical (£7 million); 4 Architecture and interior design (£12 million); 5 Structural and civil engineering (£7 million); 6 Fire safety engineering (£4 million); 7 Surveying (£2 million). Tenders may be submitted for all lots.

Reading Room, British Museum, Bloomsbury, in 1960.
Reading Room, British Museum, Bloomsbury, in 1960. Credit: Eric de Maré / RIBA Collections

Projects will range from strategic reviews and light-touch refreshments to complex standalone security or safety renewal and refurbishments, and masterplan projects ‘including new buildings and / or significant reconfiguration of existing wings’. The works will cover front-of-house and back-of-house spaces.

The total value of the framework is around £48 million.

Last month the Museum announced that Paris-based practice Lina Ghotmeh Architecture had been selected to lead the redesign of its Western Range galleries following an international competition. The commission is thought to be one of the largest and most prestigious in the world.

Procedure Two-stage, restricted procedure: 10 candidates will be shortlisted for Lot 4; eight candidates for each of the remaining lots.

Location Central London.

Other dates Contracts date, 1 January 2026 to 31 July 2029.

To apply or find out more, see the contract notice

Buyer contact 0207 323 8000, procurement@britishmuseum.org


 

British Council cultural centre in South Jakarta, Indonesia.
British Council cultural centre in South Jakarta, Indonesia. Credit: Poetra.RH / Shutterstock

Contract

BRITISH COUNCIL GLOBAL ESTATES DPS, 2025 to 29

UK charity’s dynamic purchasing system will cover construction projects ‘across all the regions we work in’

Deadline: extended to 5pm, 23 March 2029

UK cultural organisation, British Council has over 150 offices located across the Americas, UK, Europe and wider Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and South Asia. The charity's in-house Global Estates department manages all its facilities and property.

According to the construction DPS scope, the department wants ‘to improve the cost-effectiveness, space efficiency and sustainability metrics of the global estate against identified benchmarks, whilst working with the strategic business units and geographical directors to adapt and adjust the portfolio to meet changing business requirements over time’.

Technical and professional services covered will include: architecture and design, space planning, project management, MEP, environmental, building, construction, fire, hazard and risk, geophysical / geological, testing and analysis, and security.

Construction projects and programmes will include: new build, refurbishment, extensions, alterations, maintenance, fit-out, life cycle works, heritage / historic buildings, structures, infrastructure and modern state-of-the-art building.

Tender documents also state that ‘due to the need to meet all potential demand, British Council may appoint several suppliers for each geographical location for each type of service required’.

The British Council is a public body specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It was founded in 1934 and works in over 200 countries and territories. The council receives grant-in-aid funding from the UK government and its remaining income comes from partnership agreements, contracts, philanthropy and its teaching and exams.

Evaluation criteria are: 50 per cent quality; 10 per cent social value; 40 per cent commercial.

Procedure Open procedure (above threshold).

Locations International.

Other dates Initial decisions, 24 to 28 March 2025. Contracts, 7 April 2025 to 7 April 2029.

To apply or find out more, see the contract notice

Buyer contact Maria Matas Sebastia, British Council, Maria.MatasSebastia@britishcouncil.org


 

The William Sutton Prize.
The William Sutton Prize. Credit: Clarion Housing Group

Ideas competition

WILLIAM SUTTON PRIZE, SIXTH EDITION

£125k contest calls for ‘innovators and disruptors’ to submit groundbreaking solutions that transform the lives of social housing residents

Deadline: 12 noon, 8 April 2025

Clarion Housing Group’s latest iteration of its annual competition has boosted its total prize pot to mark the organisation’s 125th anniversary. The £125,000 fund will be split between the winners of two categories themed around sustainability and connected communities.

The Sustainability: Regenerative Places prize will be awarded to organisations or individuals with ideas that contribute to the restoration and preservation of the natural world. Of particular interest are: regenerative and climate resilient design; retrofitting and renewable energy; resource efficiency and carbon reduction; biodiversity and recovering nature; and wellbeing and placemaking.  

The Connected Communities prize (in partnership with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art) aims to foster innovative solutions that enhance community ties, promote inclusion and strengthen the social fabric of Clarion neighbourhoods. Key focus areas are: innovative technology solutions; intergenerational interventions; social inclusion; and community spaces.

The William Sutton Prize is named after the Victorian philanthropist whose legacy created Clarion Housing Group. Past winners include: Building with Nature and The Green Partnership; Bell Phillips Architects; Mole Architects, Pride of Place Living; Hackney School of Food; and Ecomotive and SNUG Homes.

Prizes Sustainability: Regenerative Places’ total prize pot is £75,000, which can support up to five projects with bids between £5,000 and £50,000; the Connected Communities’ total prize pot is £50,000 for up to five projects with £5,000 to £25,000 bids. All winners also receive a 12 to 18 month tailored package of business support and the chance to collaborate with Clarion and their partners and sector-leading experts to turn their boldest and brightest ideas into reality.

Eligibility Applications can be accepted from individuals, not-for-profit and commercial organisations. Individuals must be over 18 years old and residing in the UK and organisations must be registered to work in England. Successful projects should take place in England. According to the Guidance, for both categories the organisers are ‘particularly interested in hearing from architects, designers, planners, social and tech entrepreneurs, engineers, scientists, academics, construction contractors and social enterprises or CICs. Previous experience in the social housing sector isn’t essential’. Charitable organisations and community groups are also encouraged to enter the Connected Communities prize.

Procedure Entrants will be whittled down to a shortlist and then a list of finalists who will pitch to the juries ahead of a winners’ announcement at the awards ceremony in London.

Submission requirements Online application form and six images or documents. ‘We will not require a detailed budget or business plan; however, the judges will need to understand the estimated costs to demonstrate how the prize money will be used for the development or enhancement of your idea. Entries will be judged on the quality and potential of the idea, not a detailed business plan.’ See the online Guidance for full details.

Judging panels: Sustainability: Regenerative Places: Jock Lennox (chair), Clarion Housing Group; Bukky Bird, Barratt Developments; Greg Fitzgerald, Vistry Group; Tara Gbolade, Gbolade Design Studio; Peter Murray, New London Architecture; Miles Lewis and Nick Wood, Clarion Housing Group. Connected Communities: David Orr (chair), Clarion Housing Association; Andrew van Doorn OBE, HACT; Chris McGinley, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, the Royal College of Art; Matt Harvey-Agyemang, The POoR Collective; Michelle Reynolds, Phil Miles and David Hunter, Clarion Housing Group.

Other dates and deadlines Applicant webinar, 19 February 2025 (email the address below). Shortlist, June 2025. Finalist announcements, July 2025. Pitches to judges, 10 July 2025. Awards ceremony, September 2025. Collaborations with Clarion, from October 2025.

For registration and online application forms, visit clarionfutures.flexigrant.com

To find out more, go to the competition website

Competition contact williamsuttonprize@clarionhg.com


 

The Alder Centre, Liverpool by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris: winner of 2024 RIBA North West Client of the Year for The Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust.
The Alder Centre, Liverpool by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris: winner of 2024 RIBA North West Client of the Year for The Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust. Credit: Infinite 3D

Public information notice

CONSTRUCTION AND OFFSITE SOLUTIONS FRAMEWORK

CCS launches early market engagement for £80bn agreement

Deadline: Approach to market, 21 January 2026

The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has published a prior information notice for a seven-year, pan-government construction framework.

The agreement, which is valued at £80 billion, launches in 2026 and will allow buyers with building asset or infrastructure projects to access suppliers in the traditional and modern methods of construction sectors, including those providing architectural, engineering and inspection services.

Users of the framework will include central government departments (Health, Education, Culture, Media and Sport, Local Communities and Housing, Defence and Security, Government Policy and Infrastructure), public bodies, those working on their behalf and all public sector organisations across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and overseas.

According to the notice, the CCS will ‘continue partnering with NHS England to deliver the fifth generation of the Procure Framework (P24) for the provision of design and construction solutions for NHS capital projects’.

UK and international suppliers are invited to participate in an early market engagement from January 2025, after which the lotting structure around value, location and sector will be published.

Procedure To be announced.

Location UK-wide and overseas.

Other dates Expressions of interest via email to construction@crowncommercial.gov.uk by 12 noon, 13 December 2024. Framework active, 31 October 2026 to 30 October 2034.

To apply or find out more, see the prior information notice

Buyer contact 0345 410 2222, supplier@crowncommercial.gov.uk


 

For updates on the latest competitions, contests and contracts follow #ribajopportunities @RIBAJ

If you have a competition or contest you want architects to know about, email details to julie.butterworth@riba.org


 

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Gare de Villejuif-Gustave Roussy, where lines 14 and 15 of the new Grand Paris Express intersect, is a colossal effort of civil engineering by Dominique Perrault Architecture

Gare de Villejuif-Gustave Roussy Villejuif, part of Paris's new orbital metro, is a dramatic effort of civil engineering

Create an object, installation, building or urban intervention that plays on the idea of scale, to create wonder, drama or even shock. Using SterlingOSB Zero as a material for transforming spatial perception, you could win £2,500

Competition: create an object, installation, building or urban intervention that plays on the idea of scale, to create wonder, drama or even shock

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