NLW Data Foundry development

Tender description

The National Library of Wales (NLW) is seeking a suitably qualified supplier to design, develop, host, and support a new Data Foundry platformThe NLW Data Foundry will act as a national hub for cultural-heritage data, bringing together datasets created through crowdsourcing, digitisation, research projects, and external partners.It will provide a modular, open-standards-based platform that enables users to access, interact with, and reuse data — supporting discovery, analysis, and storytelling through tools such as IIIF, APIs, and open data interfaces.Data Foundry Delivery – Design, build and implement the platform by 30 June 2026, within a maximum budget of £140,000.The Foundry must support data aggregation, search, curation, visualisation, and API access, and include exhibition and storytelling tools built on open standards.All deliverables must be accessible, bilingual (Welsh/English), open-source, and compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility and Welsh Language Standards. The Data Foundry must be delivered defect- and usability-guaranteed for eight months post go-live. Suppliers must meet ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials Plus standards.The Library expects an agile and collaborative delivery approach, with regular workshops, prototyping, and user testing to ensure the platform meets both technical and user-experience objectives.