Following the Bank Committee's decision to construct new Head Offices (to the design of T Cecil Howitt) in Broad Street, a Tender Document was issued in April 1932. This Document consisted of 337 pages, the first section providing general information and conditions:

 

The remaining sections of the Tender Document contained detailed technical specifications under the headings listed in the following table. Many of these specifications are lengthy and extremely detailed, and only portions of them have been reproduced here - the main criteria being to include information that supplements the description of the building included in the 1933 souvenir booklet. As a consequence, 337 pages of the Tender Document have been summarised into 63 pages of this website. However, two of the shorter sections of the Tender document have been reproduced in full as an illustration of the general layout of the specifications:

 

Sections	Page Numbers
Taking Down, etc	44 to 46
Excavator	47 to 53
Concretor and Reinforced Concrete  Safe Deposit, etc	54 to 64
Drains	65 to 77
Bricklayer, Pavings and Patent Hollow Block Floors	78 to 108
Mason  York Stone, Slate, Reconstructed Stone, Portland Stone, Granite, and Marble	109 to 121
Asphalte	122 to 123
Hoardings and Gantry	124 to 134
Carpenter, Joiner, Rubber Paving, Linoleum and Ironmongery	135 to 191
Smith and Founder  Constructional Steelwork, Rod Reinforcement, B.R.C. Reinforcement,  Strong Room Reinforcement, Handrails, Catladders, Gratings, Windows,  Grilles, Strong Room Doors, Balustrades, Patent Glazing, etc	192 to 213
Plasterer	214 to 239
Plumber	240 to 259
Gasfitter	260 to 264
Electric Light and Power, Bells, Neon Lights, Clocks, Dictaphone and Telephones	265 to 276
Lifts	277 to 283
Vacuum Plant and Pneumatic Tube Plant	284 to 288
Hot Water Services	289 to 292
Heating	293 to 303
Ventilation	304 to 316
Glazier	317 to 322
Painter and Decorator	323 to 334
Summary	335 to 337

The builder bidding for the contract was required to allow for certain Provisional Amounts that were specified in the Tender Document. These Provisional Amounts provide an insight into the cost of a number of aspects of the new building:

Page Number	Description	Amount (£)
53	Trial Hole already executed	20
53	Temporary Hoardings	30
69	Connection to Public Sewer	45
95	Grates, Surrounds, Hearths, Chimney Pieces, Ranges, Gas Copper and Cooker	33
96	Bronze Sliding Doors	465
102	Floor Tiles and Skirting	205
103	Granolithic Pavings and Stairs	263
104	Granolithic Staircases	270
105	Terrazzo Pavings	210
106	Patent Hollow Block Floors and Flats with Casings	2,630
116	Portland Stone	10,800
117	Granite Plinth	2,080
118	Taking down & rebuilding Stone Arch to Masonic Temple with Gates	200
118	Stone Paving to three small areas at front and side	35
118	Marble Work to North East & North West Stairs & Landings  Marble Paving to Entrance Hall, Lobbies No 1 & 2	503
119	Marble Paving to Entrance Hall, Lobbies No 1 & 2,  Corridors No 1 & 2, Ante Rooms No 1 & 2	690
119	Marble Paving to Public Space	422
119	Marble Dadoes to Entrance Hall, Lobbies No 1 & 2,  Corridors No 1 & 2, Ante Rooms No 1 & 2	2,010
120	Marble Finishings and Linings to Banking Hall	3,585
120	Marble Shelves (2) with brackets over radiators	4
123	Asphalte Tanking to Basement and covering to Flats	1,265
130	Granite Footpath Crossing	27
130	Electrical Installation to Hoarding	25
134	Temporary Lighting Points (3) controlled from Masonic Table	12
149	1" tongued & grooved Japanese Oak Flooring	168
149	1" Oak Block Flooring	41
150	1" Teak Block Flooring	278
170	Quarter Veneering to Door Panels	14
173	Wall Panelling and Screens	1,060
174	Walnut Panelling etc to Walls of General Manager's Room	267
175	Walnut Panelling etc to Walls of Committee Room	489
175	Wall and Ceiling Finishings to Luncheon Room	155
182	Battleship Linoleum in Ruboleum	309
183	Bitumen felt underlining to Linoleum	7
183	Rubber Paving	552
185	Bronze semi-circular Fanlight	148
185	Ironmongery	272
195	Constructional Steelwork	6,590
196	Steel interlacing mattress or other approved Strong Room reinforcement	1,500
200	Iron Fireproof Door	18
201	Aluminium Sills	89
201	Bronze Letter Slip	10
201	Bronze Door and Frame to Letter Box	3
201	Bronze Rail to Balcony	3
201	Metal Windows	329
203	Metal Sash Windows	348
203	Metal Casements (20) to Lantern Lights	44
204	Lantern Lights (12) with Concrete Frame	319
205	Laylights (24)	190
205	Wrot Iron External Grilles to Windows	69
206	Wrot Iron External Grilles to Stairs Windows	24
206	Internal Wrot Iron Grilles to Stairs Windows	24
206	Wrot Iron Grilles and Gates to Internal Corridors	110
207	Wrot Iron Internal Grilles to Lifts and Stairs	98
207	Strong Room Steel Doors and Frames	1,975
208	Night Safe	180
208	Bronze Grilles to Windows	238
209	Bronze Grilles to Radiator Recesses	18
209	Bronze Lamps to Loggia	134
209	Bronze Folding Doors to Balcony	35
210	Bronze Doors and Grilles to Banking Hall	3,081
210	Bronze Vestibule Door in two leaves with frame & architraves	335
211	Patent Glazing with all flashings, wall bearers, gutters and lead safes under gutters	319
212	Wrot Iron Balustrade	54
212	Wrot Iron Balustrade	322
233	Fibrous Plaster Modelled Panels	20
234	Glazed Wall Tiling, Skirtings, etc executed complete on cement backing	214
235	Fibrous Plaster Work to Banking Hall	843
236	Fibrous Plaster Work to Entrance Hall, Lobbies 1 & 2, Corridors 1 & 2	376
236	Fibrous Plaster Work to North East & North West Stairs, Basement Corridor No 1,  Basement Lobbies Nos 1 & 2, First Floor Corridors Nos 1 & 2, Second Floor Corridor No 1  & two Vestibules extending landings	324
237	Fibrous Plaster Work to Barrel Ceiling and Spandrill End to Committee Room	157
237	Stuc Work	874
244	Rainwater Heads	4
248	Waste Pipe Heads	4
252	1" Connection to Main in Broad Street with piping up to and including meter in  Basement and all excavations and making good roadway and footpath	28
253	Sanitary Fittings	174
262	2" Gas Service from Main with connection and all piping up to and including meter in  Basement and all excavations and making good roadway	6
263	6" Gas Service from Main with connection and all piping up to and including meter and  including connection to Boiler	146
263	Kitchen & Servery Fittings fixed complete with gas installation and connection	243
266	Electric Light & Power Installation	1,853
267	Electric Bells wired & fixed	98
268	Electric Alarm Bells wired & fixed	64
269	Neon Lights	531
270	Keepalite Plant	110
271	Electric Wiring to Clocks	69
274	Conduit Tubes for Dictaphones	50
275	Conduit Tubes for Telephones	90
278	Passenger Lift	1,675
279	Cork Lining to Motor Beds	51
280	Passenger and Book etc Lift	649
282	Cork Lining to Motor Bed	26
282	Service Lift	260
285	Vacuum Cleaning Plant	334
287	Pneumatic Tube Plant	309
290	Hot Water Services	520
294	Heating Installation	2,755
301	Iron Draught Stabilisers (3)	7
305	Mechanical Ventilation Installation	1,560
316	Bronze Ventilation Gratings (4)	10
321	Leaded Lights	96
321	Special Leaded Lights	130
321	Copper Light Glazing	140
334	Signwriting	20
336	Contingencies to be expended only as directed by the Architect	500
	Total:	61,368

After the Tender Document was issued, it was reviewed by the Midland Federation of Building Trades Employers who raised several comments on the clauses etc contained therein. Representatives of the Federation then met members of the Bank's Management Committee plus the Architect and Quantity Surveyor for the building - the meeting resulted in some minor changes to the Tender Document.

 

At the end of the tender process, the contract was awarded to W J Whittall & Son Limited. The amount of the contract is not known, buta report to the City Council stated that construction was completed £2,931 14s. 7d. under contract. The total cost of the building, including furniture and fittings, was approximately £85,000. In addition, the land was purchased for £13,441.