NEP Bow Tie are the current provider of the Broadcast Operations and Maintenance contract at the Senedd, home to Welsh Parliament, in Cardiff, UK. The 2022 Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the contract outlined a number of key aims for delivery. These included upgrading the broadcasting infrastructure to replace critical end-of-life equipment and move towards a broadcast-over-IP infrastructure model to enhance business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities. The programme also included the refit of the broadcast system in the Siambr, the primary meeting chamber of the Welsh Parliament, in response to the potential need to extend the Siambr to accommodate additional Members by the Seventh Senedd.

Further objectives in the Senedd contract called the Senedd Aims, included improving the encoding of live streams to make it easier to distribute all live streams and recorded footage across a range of platforms, and streamlining operational processes to reduce the number of tasks required to run meetings. Finally, the contract aimed to advance development of hybrid and virtual business systems to ensure meetings can be delivered in the most resilient manner possible.

“Following the award of the contract in late 2022, NEP Bow Tie began consulting with the Senedd’s AV Services team. Early discussions enabled both parties to quickly agree on the core infrastructure principles to be deployed across the Senedd estate, supporting the transition of the broadcast systems in line with the Senedd’s defined aims,” said Duncan Davidson Smith, Managing Director of NEP Bow Tie.

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Since that time, NEP Bow Tie has worked closely with the Senedd to fully overhaul and replace many of the estate’s core broadcast and AV systems. Designed, managed and delivered by the NEP Bow Tie team, core elements of this huge transition included:

• Installation of a resilient, SDN managed, SMPTE 2110-7 core. Built across two refurbished primary equipment rooms at either end of the Senedd estate with the ability to run independently. Satellite equipment rooms deployed for 2110-7, AES67 and DANTE consolidation.
• Consultancy upon the installation of fully resilient power solutions for broadcast.
• Installation of a fully resilient DANTE network with AES67 handoff.
• Establishment of a new Broadcast MCR, to include SMPTE 2110, software driven multiviewers for advanced system monitoring, stream management and health diagnostics, an over-arching control system, KVM routing and network management.
• Installation of SMPTE 2110 PTZ cameras to all broadcast spaces.
• SMPTE 2110 Gateway and processing.
• SMPTE 2110 vision switching to include remote panels for future single operator committee provision.
• Wireless conferencing systems.
• Custom wired conferencing systems.
• Installation of new Broadcast encoders and a software gateway providing protection and monitoring for broadcast content between facilities

During 2025 and 2026, NEP Bow Tie worked in partnership with the Senedd’s AV Services team, FM, and third-party contractors to re-design and implement the renewal and expansion of the Senedd Siambr. The space has been increased to accommodate 96 members starting in 2026.

“It has been a pleasure to work alongside the whole Senedd team and the wider contractor community in the delivery of this incredible new facility for the people of Wales. I hope that the flexibility of this new broadcast system will enable the Senedd to continue driving their technical ambitions for the coverage of Welsh politics for many years to come,” said Gareth Phillips, Head of Engineering and Technology, NEP Bow Tie.

“This return to the Siambr marks an important milestone for our Senedd. Our debating chamber has been transformed to meet the needs of a larger parliament and a new era of Welsh democracy as we look ahead to the election on 7 May. This is a building shaped around openness, sustainability and the people we serve, and the changes reflect the next chapter in our democratic journey,” said Llywydd of the Senedd, Rt Hon Elin Jones MS.

View the Senedd press release at this link: Members return to the Siambr after redevelopment.