Abstract: We present our GRID architecture for engineering optimisation and design search. Our system will allow seamless access to an intelligent knowledge repository, a state-of-the-art collection of optimisation and search tools, industrial strength analysis codes, and distributed computing and data resources. We focus on the underlying open standards technologies required to implement the system, and give exemplars of how they are being exploited at present. Of particular importance is the interchange of data throughout the system, for which we have adopted W3C standards (e.g. XML), and the ability to link together each of the components in the form of web services. In particular we demonstrate how Condor may be offered as a web service.