TenderlineUK
Procurement Intelligence
Search
Find a TenderAwardedContract award notice
Published 28 May 2025, 14:15 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Swale Leisure Centres Contract

Official notice

Authority: Swale Borough Council (Local council)

2 lotsServicesCompetitive flexible procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitableMax 1 lot per supplier
Sectors: Recreational, cultural and sporting services (92) Delivery: South East (UKJ4)
Published estimate£23,750,000total for 2 lots · £23,750,000 inc. VAT · 1 value update
Submissions closed 21 Aug 2025awarded 6 Oct 2026
Awarded to Sports & Leisure Management Ltd2 awards
Contract term 10 yrsends 31 Mar 2037 · up to 1 Apr 2042 with extensions · starts 1 Apr 2027

What is being bought2 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

Swale Borough Council - Leisure Service Provision in Swale, Kent.

The contract will involve Management & Operation of the Swale Leisure Facilities for the contract term.

Swale Borough Council currently owns two wet and dry leisure facilities, Sheppey Leisure Complex, Sheerness (incorporating Sheppey Healthy Living Centre and Sheerness

Swimming Pool) and Swallows Leisure Centre, Sittingbourne.

There were two lots, Lot 1 - both facilities plus the addition of Faversham Swimming pool (indoor and outdoor pools). Lot 2 - Swallows and Sheppey Leisure Complex only.

  • The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 14 Jul 2035, 23:59 BST.
  • How the procedure runs: Stage 1 - Invitation to participate / Procurement Specific Questionnaire Stage 2 - Invitation to submit Initial Tenders Stage 3 - Invitation to participate in dialogue (and/or negotiate) Stage 4 - Invitation to submit a final tender

CPV: Recreational, cultural and sporting services

Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure

2 lots · all with a published value (£23,750,000 together) · win at most 1 of them · same conditions of participation on every lot · same evaluation weights on every lot
Lot #1Sheppey, Swallows and FavershamAwardedRenewal 10 yrsSMEVCSEPublished value£14,750,000

The source published no individual description for this lot.

Contract period: 1 Apr 2027 – 31 Mar 2037 (10 yrs) · up to 1 Apr 2042 with extensionsValue: £14,750,000 exc. VAT · £14,750,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: South EastEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
Extensions: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to directly award additional or repeat, goods, works or services in accordance with Schedule 5, paragraph 8 of the Act. · The council may extend the contract by up to 5 years.Second stage: up to 6 candidates invited to tender
92000000 Recreational, cultural and sporting services
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)3
  • Economic & financial standing

    Legal Capacity - GDPR

    • Satisfactory credit check (low or very low risk score)
    • Net reserves sufficient to cover 6 months of net operating expenditure
    • Positive cash flow from operations
    • Average invoice payment days 30 days or less
    • No reported uncertainty regarding going concern status.

    Confirmation that the tenderer already has, or can commit to obtain, prior to the award of the contract, the levels of insurance cover indicated.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Technical Ability including contract examples and safeguarding.

  • Condition of participation

    Pass / Fail

    shortlisting
Lot #2Swallows and SheppeyAwardedRenewal 10 yrsVCSEPublished value£9,000,000

The source published no individual description for this lot.

Contract period: 1 Apr 2027 – 31 Mar 2037 (10 yrs) · up to 1 Apr 2042 with extensionsValue: £9,000,000 exc. VAT · £9,000,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: South EastEligibility: VCSE eligible
Extensions: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to directly award additional or repeat, goods, works or services in accordance with Schedule 5, paragraph 8 of the Act. · The council may extend the contract by up to 5 years.Second stage: up to 6 candidates invited to tender
92000000 Recreational, cultural and sporting services
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)3
  • Economic & financial standing

    Legal Capacity - GDPR

    • Satisfactory credit check (low or very low risk score)
    • Net reserves sufficient to cover 6 months of net operating expenditure
    • Positive cash flow from operations
    • Average invoice payment days 30 days or less
    • No reported uncertainty regarding going concern status.

    Confirmation that the tenderer already has, or can commit to obtain, prior to the award of the contract, the levels of insurance cover indicated.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Technical Ability including contract examples and safeguarding.

  • Condition of participation

    Pass / Fail

    shortlisting

What it takes to win
i

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 more
How bids were scored · same split on all 2 lots
Quality: 60%Price: 40%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Price
  • Quality
Lot distribution rule: Only 1 Lot will be awarded
Conditions of participation · identical on every lot3
  • Economic & financial standing

    Legal Capacity - GDPR

    • Satisfactory credit check (low or very low risk score)
    • Net reserves sufficient to cover 6 months of net operating expenditure
    • Positive cash flow from operations
    • Average invoice payment days 30 days or less
    • No reported uncertainty regarding going concern status.

    Confirmation that the tenderer already has, or can commit to obtain, prior to the award of the contract, the levels of insurance cover indicated.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Technical Ability including contract examples and safeguarding.

  • Condition of participation

    Pass / Fail

    shortlisting
What this means for your bid
  • 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
Competitive flexible procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Yes · next expected 14 Jul 2035
First published
28 May 2025, 14:15 BST
Last source update
7 Oct 2026, 11:10 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 31 Oct 2025
Authority reference
PA14
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-041183
Latest notice
Contract award notice (UK6)
Classification (CPV)
Recreational, cultural and sporting services
Delivery area
South East (UKJ4)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0527ff Find a Tender
Contract terms summary

Payments made within 30 days for valid, undisputed invoices.

Invoices should be submitted to [email protected]

How it runs

Stage 1 - Invitation to participate / Procurement Specific Questionnaire

Stage 2 - Invitation to submit Initial Tenders

Stage 3 - Invitation to participate in dialogue (and/or negotiate)

Stage 4 - Invitation to submit a final tender

Review and risk notes
Risks

Identified contract risks will be managed throughout the term of the Contract.

The age of the existing buildings and associated plant/equipment is an identified contract risk. Swallows Leisure centre was built in 1989, Sheerness Pool 1980, and Faversham outdoor pool 1964, with the indoor pool facility added in 1993. Building condition surveys for each site are available for Bidders to view, identifying priority works.

Where relevant, identified risks will be subject to negotiation e.g. level of capital investment, delay in opening of new Sheppey Healthy Living Centre, new pool is not developed at Sheppey, planning permission cannot be achieved at Faversham etc. The cost of these risks will be discussed by the Authority and the Bidder and made clear through submitted tenders.

The risks will be reflected in the Contract to enable permitted modifications under the Act.

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: ProContract (Due North) · Who buys & how to bid on ProContract
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · short registration with manual review; public opportunity list
Requests to participate (first stage)
21 Aug 2025, 12:00 BST
Submission deadline
21 Aug 2025, 12:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Expressions of Interest and Procurement Specific Questionnaires must be submitted via ProContract: procontract.due-north.com ↗

Clarifications during the PSQ stage must be submitted via the Portal. Any requests for clarification relating to the Procurement during subsequent stages must be submitted via email to [email protected]

Tenders must be submitted via email to: [email protected]

Timeline

28 May 2025 → 1 Apr 2027 · 9 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    28 May 2025, 14:15 BST
  2. Next notice expected
    2 Jul 2025, 00:59 BST
  3. Tender notice published
    18 Jul 2025, 09:49 BST
  4. Submission deadline
    21 Aug 2025, 12:00 BST
  5. Award decision expected by355 days ago
    31 Oct 2025, 23:59 GMT
  6. Assessment summaries sent15 days ago
    7 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
  7. Latest notice published15 days ago
    7 Oct 2026, 11:10 BST
  8. Standstill ends5 days ago
    16 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
  9. Today
    22 Oct 2026
  10. Contract startsin 161 days
    1 Apr 2027, 00:00 BST

Notice history

8 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 28 May 2025
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    28 May 2025, 14:15 BST
    UK2
  2. Tender notice published
    18 Jul 2025, 09:49 BST
    UK4
  3. Published value updated
    18 Jul 2025, 09:49 BST
  4. Status changed to active
    18 Jul 2025, 09:49 BST
  5. Procurement method changed
    18 Jul 2025, 09:49 BST
  6. Contract award notice published
    7 Oct 2026, 11:10 BST
    UK6
  7. Status changed to complete
    7 Oct 2026, 11:10 BST
  8. Contract signature expected
    21 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
    scheduled

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 2
Awarded value £7,326,0451 award exc. VAT
Bids received 41 from SMEs
Named bidders 4published on the award notice
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Lot 1 · Sheppey, Swallows and Faversham1 award
Sports & Leisure Management Ltd1 Apr 2027 – 31 Mar 2037 · up to 1 Apr 2042Extensions: The Council may extend the contract by periods of up to 5 years. · Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. The Authority reserves the right to directly award additional or repeat, goods, works or services in accordance with Schedule 5, paragraph 8 of the Act.£7,326,0456 Oct 2026standstill to 16 Oct 2026Standstill
Lot 2 · Swallows and Sheppey1 award
supplier not published—30 Mar 2026Awarded

Bid statistics published by the authority

LotBidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
1 · Sheppey, Swallows and Faversham4final-stage tenders12—
2 · Swallows and Sheppey0final-stage tenders00—

Who bid

Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Swale Borough Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PJVX-4924-XHDQ Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, South East, ME10 3HTContact name, email, phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

4 commercial parties on the notice · 1 awarded
  • SERCO LEISURE OPERATING LIMITEDBidder / tendererGB-COH: 04687478GB-PPON: PWWW-1875-XYTM Serco House 16 Bartley Wood Businesspark, Hook, South East, RG27 9UY
  • Sports and Leisure Management LtdAwarded supplierGB-CHC: 2204085GB-PPON: PTCY-3946-LHDG 2 Watling Drive, hinckley, East Midlands, LE10 3EYContact email
  • WEALDEN LEISURE LIMITEDBidder / tendererGB-COH: IP29336RGB-PPON: PVYN-8735-CJQM The Paddock 1 - 6 Carriers Way East Hoathly East Sussex, East Hoathly, East Sussex, South East, BN8 6AG
  • Your Leisure Kent LimitedBidder / tendererGB-COH: IP28889RGB-MPR: IP28889R Discovery Park, Innovation House, Innovation Way, Sandwich, Kent, South East, CT13 9FF

Official documents & specifications (5)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Bidding documents and specificationstenderBidding documents and specificationsAccess: Either on https://procontract.due-north.com/ via email or on https://www.delta-esourcing.com/

Notices published for this procedure