Find a TenderPlanned procurementPreliminary market engagement notice
Published 21 Sept 2026, 16:01 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Electric Theatre - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice

Authority: Guildford Borough Council (Local council)

ServicesSME suitableVCSE suitable
Sectors: Recreational, cultural and sporting services (92) Delivery: Delivery location not published
Budget not disclosedValue not published
Tender notice expected 9 Nov 2026from the planned procurement notice
Contract term 25 yrsstarts 11 Jan 2027

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Electric Theatre is an iconic and historic building in the heart of Guildford, originally built as an electricity works in 1913 and converted into a theatre in 1997. The venue is currently vacant, with Guildford Borough Council assuming full responsibility for the building and its associated holding costs.

The Council has undertaken a programme of technical surveys and stakeholder engagement to establish a clear evidence base to inform the future of the asset, confirming both the significant cultural value of the venue and a strong community aspiration for its continued use as an arts and performance space. The Council intends to appoint an operator or leaseholder to run the venue on a lease or concession basis pending final classification and is undertaking preliminary market engagement to understand market capacity and appetite among cultural, community and commercial operators before finalising its procurement route and minimum requirements.

This is not a call for competition and does not commit the Council to commence a procurement process.

CPV: Artistic and literary creation and interpretation services · Entertainment services · Recreational, cultural and sporting services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1Lot 1Planned 25 yrsSMEVCSE
Contract period: 11 Jan 2027 — 10 Jan 2052 (25 yrs)Eligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
92000000 Recreational, cultural and sporting services92300000 Entertainment services92310000 Artistic and literary creation and interpretation services

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Planned procurement
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
21 Sept 2026, 16:01 BST
Last source update
21 Sept 2026, 16:01 BST
Latest notice
Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
Classification (CPV)
Artistic and literary creation and interpretation servicesEntertainment servicesRecreational, cultural and sporting services
Delivery area
Not published
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0776c0

How it was run

Submission deadline

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London
  1. Planning notice published2 days ago
    21 Sept 2026, 15:53 BST
  2. Market engagementin 38 days
    30 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
    To register interest for this tender please access via the below link, and login with your credentials if already registered on the SE Shared Service portal: https://www.sesharedservices.org.uk/esourcing If you are not registered on the SE Shared Services, and would like to place to submission for more…this tender, then please register your companies details via the below link. Once registered you will be able to access the tender documentation: https://www.in-tendhost.co.uk/sesharedservices/aspx/Home
  3. Tender notice expectedin 48 days
    9 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
  4. Contract startsin 110 days
    11 Jan 2027, 00:00 GMT

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Pipeline notice
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Notice history

2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 21 Sept 2026
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    21 Sept 2026, 16:01 BSTUK2
  2. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    21 Sept 2026, 15:53 BSTUK2

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Guildford Borough Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PRYN-3355-CPMV Millmead House, Millmead, Guildford, South East, GU2 4BB [email protected]

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure