Re-opening and preserving the private collection at Oswaldtwistle Mill, which tells the story of the mill and its people, so it can be accessible to everyone, project-funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund
Oswaldtwistle Mill is seeking a freelance Project Evaluator as part of our project to preserve the historical documents of Moscow Mill and its community and make repairs so the Heritage Centre can reopen and be accessible to everyone.
As this contract is funded through a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, it is essential that it is completed on time. No budget increase will be possible. Failure to complete the contract and submit the final report by the specified date will result in a reduction in the final instalment.
About Oswaldtwistle Mill
Oswaldtwistle Mills Home & Lifestyle Centre is a multi-award-winning shopping destination set in lovely grounds, offering a unique blend of retail therapy and leisure, with a large outdoor picnic area and a free, well-stocked wildfowl reserve. The former weaving mill has over 100 retailers showcasing famous name brands and several eateries. The Heritage Centre is housed within the mill, and thanks to funding through a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, visitors will be able to engage with their heritage and the stories of survival of the mill.
About Preserving the historical documents of Moscow Mill and its community, and making repairs and adjustments so the Heritage Centre can re-open and be accessible to everyone project.
By the end of June 2027, the Heritage Centre will have reopened, the heritage will have been restored, and the site will be accessible to all. Volunteers and stakeholders will have been engaged throughout the process and offered heritage training to help protect the future of the heritage. The sustainability of the Heritage Centre will be supported initially through grants from Accrington Heritage Trust and subsequently from the new charity that is to be formed within this project.
This will be achieved by:
- Organising the repair of the roof and the access door.
- Advertising and recruitment of a freelance Project Manager to coordinate activities and tasks.
- Advertising and recruitment of a freelance Multi-Lingual Project Manager to ensure the stories of the Asian community who worked in mills are included in the collection.
- Packing up the collections in all rooms and logging them as they are packed. Initial cleaning, covering, and uncovering of the looms during the building works.
- Sourcing secure storage – several metal lockable cupboards, packing materials and boxes.
- Providing training, information and involvement of volunteers (up to 12) to be provided with four training sessions from Lancashire Archive. This will include Introduction to Collection Care & Packing collections, Basic Cataloguing of Collections Documentation, and Hazards in Museum Collections. These sessions will be delivered at the site.
- Two days of supervision of volunteers to undertake cataloguing and packing.
- Collaboration with the Steering Group to ensure ongoing support and smooth coordination of the project.
- Collaboration with a local school to develop a modern education pack aligned with the current Local History topic within the curriculum for Years 1 and 2 that can be incorporated into their studies
- Engagement with the Steering group, and 8 other local primary schools within the Mills footprint, community groups, Hyndburn Borough Council and stakeholders.
- Working with Accrington Heritage Trust to apply for grants for the upkeep of the Heritage Centre until a charity can be formed, plus phase 2 funding.
This work is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
About the invitation to tender
Oswaldtwistle Mill is looking to appoint a Project Evaluator to work with the Managing Director to develop and implement an evaluation methodology for the project.
Proposals are welcome from individuals or consultancies with an understanding of heritage, a proven track record of working within funded projects, and experience of interpretation.
The following outputs will be required:
- A start-up meeting with key staff.
- Agreement on research methods and methodologies.
- Interim progress meetings.
- Delivery of the final report.
The contract will begin in summer 2026 and be completed by the end of summer 2027.
The anticipated budget is £6,000 to include all expenses and VAT. The payment schedule will be:
- 33% on signing the contract
- 33% in May 2027
- 33% on delivery of the final report to Oswaldtwistle Mill, late summer 2027
Costs should include VAT and expenses, and include a breakdown of each person who will be working on the project, what their day rate is and how many days each member of the team will be allocated to complete the work.
Methodology
Please specify the methodology you plan to use to meet the aims and objectives of the work, or specify the approach you would like to apply to the work. You can propose a methodology, but we would like them to include ethical considerations, the groups we want to include in the research, and what sources of information you will share.
How to respond to this invitation to tender
To tender a proposal, please email Wendy Murphy, Engagement Manager, wendy@amazingaccrington.co.uk by Monday, 18th August 2026.
The proposal should cover the following points:
- Your understanding of the brief.
- Your proposed approach and research methods to be used.
- An outline plan including key deliverables, for example, in the form of a Gantt chart.
- Details of staff allocated to the project, together with experience of the individual staff members in carrying out similar projects. The project manager/lead contact should be identified.
- The allocation of days between members of the team and the daily rate of individual staff involved.
- An outline budget.
- Your relevant experience in similar projects, including examples of previous work.
- Two examples from previous clients and examples of successfully delivered projects.
This contract is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and made possible by money raised by National Lottery players.
