Official UK procurement notice
Mill Hall Arts & Events Centre Operator
Authority: Rochford District Council (Local council)·On behalf of: Essex County Council
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionRochford District Council intends to procure a suitably experienced and innovative Operator to manage, maintain, and deliver a high‑quality, commercially sustainable arts and events programme at The Mill Arts & Events Centre, Rayleigh, Essex.
The contract will be a 15‑year concessions-led Leasehold and Management Agreement, with an option to mutually agree to extend for a further 5 years (15 + 5). The appointed Operator will assume responsibility for programming, day‑to‑day operations, maintenance, customer experience, community access, and financial sustainability of the venue.
CPV: Other community, social and personal services · Recreational, cultural and sporting services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£5,000,000
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published sub-criteria (2)
- Technical: 60%
- Commercial: 40%
Published award criteria (2)
- Technical: This criterion will assess the bidder's ability to deliver a high‑quality, reliable and compliant service that meets all requirements set out in the specification. Evaluation will consider the robustness of the bidder's proposed methodology, their understanding of the scope, and the effectiveness of their delivery model. Bidders must clearly demonstrate how they will ensure service continuity, manage risks, monitor performance, and achieve the required outcomes throughout the contract duration. The assessment will also examine the bidder's resourcing proposals, including the skills, experience and capacity of key personnel, as well as the governance arrangements in place to oversee delivery. Bidders should outline their approach to continuous improvement, innovation, stakeholder engagement, and responsiveness to evolving needs over the life of the contract. Where applicable, this criterion will also evaluate the bidder's commitment to social value, environmental sustainability, and alignment with relevant organisational policies. Evidence‑based responses are expected, supported by examples of previous delivery, quality assurance processes, and measurable indicators demonstrating the bidder's capability to deliver the contract to a high standard.
- Commercial: This criterion will assess the completeness and credibility of each bidder's overall commercial offer, including the total contract price, all ongoing costs, and the structure of the proposed pricing model. Evaluation will consider value for money, long‑term affordability, and the financial viability of the solution. Assessors will examine how well the pricing model aligns with the bidder's business plan, including underlying assumptions, scalability, cost drivers, and any risks or dependencies that may impact cost over the contract term. The robustness, transparency, and sustainability of the pricing approach will be key factors in determining the strength of the commercial offer.
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Cancelled
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Concession
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 7 Nov 2025, 10:03 GMT
- Last source update
- 21 May 2026, 12:49 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 29 Jun 2026
- Authority reference
EPP0308- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-021315- Latest notice
- Procurement termination notice (UK12)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05dc68Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 24 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 17 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
procontract.due-north.com/Advert ↗
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Timeline
7 Nov 2025 → 1 Sept 2026 · 9 dates- Planning notice published352 days ago7 Nov 2025, 10:03 GMT
- Market engagement327 days ago1 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
Essex County Council, through the Essex Procurement Partnership, is carrying out Preliminary Market Engagement on behalf of Rochford District Council for the upcoming procurement of its Mill Hall Arts and Events Centre Operator tender. The Council is looking to appoint a supplier to manage and operate the Mill Arts and Events Centre. The contract will be formed of leasehold and management contract thereby transferring the operation of the Mill and all its activities to an external party. The Council will be seeking a long-term commitment with an experienced company, organisation or trust that combines prudent business planning as well as artistic vision and innovation. Your feedback will be invaluable in helping us ensure the contract is structured in a way that delivers value for money, promotes sustainability, and supports innovation.
To take part in this event please follow this link:
procontract.due-north.com/Advert ↗
Please provide responses where applicable. You are not required to answer every question - focus on areas relevant to your expertise or service offering.
- Next notice expected229 days ago9 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Tender notice published229 days ago10 Mar 2026, 12:59 GMT
- Clarification questions by191 days ago17 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline184 days ago24 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Latest notice published157 days ago21 May 2026, 12:49 BST
- Award decision expected by117 days ago29 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts54 days ago1 Sept 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
10 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 7 Nov 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published7 Nov 2025, 10:03 GMTUK2
- Planned procurement notice published3 Mar 2026, 12:22 GMTUK3
- Status changed to planned3 Mar 2026, 12:22 GMT
- Procurement method changed3 Mar 2026, 12:22 GMT
- Deadline published: 24 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST3 Mar 2026, 12:22 GMT
- Tender notice published10 Mar 2026, 12:59 GMTUK4
- Status changed to active10 Mar 2026, 12:59 GMT
- Deadline moved to 24 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST10 Mar 2026, 12:59 GMT+0 days · was 24 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
- Procurement termination notice published21 May 2026, 12:49 BSTUK12
- Status changed to complete21 May 2026, 12:49 BST
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2025-11: 1 release · 7 Nov 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| supplier not published | — | 1 May 2026 | CancelledNo tenders were received in response to this procurement; therefore, no contract has been awarded. |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeOther public bodies
- Essex County CouncilProcess contact pointProcuring entityProcuring on behalf of Rochford District Council
Official documents & specifications (5)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Procurement termination notice Procurement termination notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender