The department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) is putting out to tender the contract to maintain and curate the National Fruit Collections at Brogdale.
Responsibility for maintenance of the collections rests with Brogdale Horticultural Trust and responsibility as scientific curator lies with Imperial College, London.
The contracts are being put out to tender in line with government guidelines on procurement of research in order to ensure best value. In a statement inviting bids, Defra said the tenders would be welcomed either to carry out the maintenance or the curating, or both from the existing site at Brogdale Farm in Faversham or an alternative site.
Tenders must be submitted by May 14 and new contracts - with a maximum duration of five years in the first instatnce - will run from April 1, 2008.