Stage Infrastructure Preliminary Market Engagement

Castle Point Borough Council, supported by the Essex Procurement Partnership (EPP), is undertaking a pre-procurement market engagement exercise for the supply and installation of professional-grade stage technical infrastructure at the Mercury Hall, Paddocks Community Centre, Canvey Island, Essex. The Paddocks Community Centre has recently undergone a £2.3 million refurbishment. The Mercury Hall has a capacity of 500 seated / 560 standing and hosts a diverse programme of events including DJ nights, tribute shows, comedy evenings, bingo, fitness classes, amateur and school theatre productions, pantomime, and meetings. The Council wishes to procure a contractor to design, supply and install a complete stage technical infrastructure package. The scope includes: a flying and rigging system (motorised and manual elements, with LOLER certification at handover); a full stage lighting system with wash and profile fixtures, dimmable house lighting, and a front-of-house lighting desk with backstage simple controls; a professional sound system including a digital FOH desk, digital multicore, radio microphones, monitor wedges, DI boxes, and an assistive listening device; a motorised projection screen and suitable projector with HDMI connectivity; wireless communications headsets; and all associated cabling, power distribution, and control systems. The system must serve events ranging from simple fitness classes operated without a technician through to full theatrical productions, and should be future-proofed for at least ten years. The estimated budget for the project is £80,000-£95,000 for supply and installation, with a separate anticipated annual servicing requirement of approximately £1,500 per annum. HOW TO RESPOND: Please download the Market Engagement questionnaire document attached by following this link: https://procontract.due-north.com/Procurer/Advert/View?advertId=8e147aee-be26-f111-813c-005056b64545&fromAdvertEvent=True Complete all relevant sections and return your response via the Procontract messaging function for project EPP0344 by the deadline below. Participation in this market engagement is voluntary and will not advantage or disadvantage any organisation in any future procurement process. KEY DATES: Market Engagement Issued: 23 March 2026 Response Deadline: 7 April 2026 (12:00 noon) Tender Published (via Procontract): 13 April 2026 Site Visit: 24 April 2026 Tender Closes: 8 May 2026 Evaluation Complete: 26 May 2026 Contract Award and commencement: June 2026 CLARIFICATIONS: Any questions or requests for clarification should be submitted through the Procontract messaging function under project reference EPP0344. All clarification responses will be shared with all registered respondents (with any confidential information redacted). EPP and Castle Point Borough Council reserve the right to decline to answer any question if doing so would jeopardise a future procurement exercise. DISCLAIMER: This market engagement is for information-gathering purposes only. It is not an invitation to tender, a request for quotation, or a pre-qualification questionnaire. No contractual commitment will result from this exercise. The Council's current assessment is that a Procurement Act 2023 Open Tender will be the most appropriate route to market for the formal procurement, which will be published separately on Procontract under the same reference (EPP0344).