Official UK procurement notice
TD2317 - Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres
Authority: Derby City Council (Local council)·On behalf of: MAX ASSOCIATES (HOLDINGS) LIMITED
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Authority is undertaking a Procurement for the "Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres"
The Scope of the Contract will include the management of:
- Derby Arena (including Café 42)
- Springwood Leisure Centre
This procurement is not divided into Lots. The Council does not consider that subdivision into lots would be appropriate, as this could risk tendering the execution of the Contract excessively technically difficult or expensive, and the need to coordinate different operators for the lots could seriously risk undermining the proper performance of the Contract and achievement of the Services' outcomes.
The objective of the procurement will be to secure the most advantageous tender considering the Authority's strategic outcomes whilst maximising the payment to the Authority.
In undertaking this procurement, the Authority wishes to achieve the following outcomes:
- Establish a long-term partnership with an experienced operator
- Financial stability for the Centres through reduced costs and increased income due to a more commercial approach
- Capital investment by the Operator for backlog maintenance and future works at the facilities
- Planned and funded lifecycle investment, given age of facilities and future requirements
- Increased participation of the Centres
- Increased participation by those residents who are normally less likely to use a leisure centre
- Promotion of improved wellbeing for residents
- Positive impact on reducing physical activity and health inequality in the City
- Maximise Derby Arena's primary focus as a regional, national, and international, sports venue that supports the City's sporting aspirations.
It is anticipated that the Contract will commence in April 2027.
The estimated value of the contract over the maximum 20 year term is between £82m-£98.4m. This has been calculated based on the total turnover estimated to be generated by the Operator at the Leisure Centres over the maximum 20 year term.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 13 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT.
- How the procedure runs: Stage 1: Invitation to Participate The Council will publish a Procurement Notice and issue the Invitation to Tender (ITT) at the commencement of the procurement. The ITT applies to all stages of the Competitive Flexible Procedure and sets out the structure, requirements and rules for each stage. The ITT remains in force throughout the procedure, subject to any refinements or updated documents issued by the Council. The Council does not intend to re-issue the ITT at each stage. In Stage 1, suppliers will be required to complete a response to the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ). Responses to the PSQ will be assessed against the stated conditions of participation as detailed in the ITT Part One - Process Overview and associated assessment methodology. The Council intends to limit the number of participating suppliers invited to submit an Initial Tender at Stage 2 to a maximum of four (4) suppliers. Stage 2 - Invitation to Submit Initial Tender In Stage 2, Suppliers will be invited to submit Initial Tenders. Initial Tenders will be evaluated against the award criteria set out in the ITT. Following evaluation, the Council will invite a maximum of three (3) suppliers to participate in Stage 3. The Council is interested in exploring the possibility of adopting an agency model for the delivery of the Services at the Leisure Centres. Those suppliers which are shortlisted at Stage 2 will be invited to submit a non-mandatory variant tender (which would only be permitted in addition to the submission of each supplier's standard tender) to enable the Council to consider the potential benefits of an agency model further. The Council reserves the right not to progress with its exploration of an agency model and to cease its consideration of variant tenders at any time during the Procurement process. Stage 3 - Invitation to Participate in Negotiation Suppliers invited to Stage 3 will be required to participate in structured negotiations with the aim of exploring their proposals for the Services further. Stage 4 - Invitation to Submit Final Tenders (ISFT) In Stage 4, suppliers will be invited to submit final tenders. The Council will seek to award the Contract to the supplier which submits the most advantageous tender. This could be on the basis of a standard tender or variant tender (see ITT for details). Progression between stages will be managed through formal invitations issued via the E-Procurement System. Each invitation will confirm the stage, documents in force, submission requirements and timetable. Progression is not automatic. Further Details on the assessment criteria and shortlisting arrangements can be found in Part One - Process Overview of the tender pack. Documents are available at www.eastmidstenders.org Please search for TD2317 Please note: we will only accept expressions of interest through the e-tendering system.
CPV: Sports facilities operation services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£82,000,000
- Technical & professional ability
Set out in ITT Part One - Process Overview document.
- Condition of participationshortlisting
As set out in ITT Part One - Process Overview
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 award criteria (2)
- Price
- Quality
- Technical & professional ability
Set out in ITT Part One - Process Overview document.
- Condition of participationshortlisting
As set out in ITT Part One - Process Overview
- Price carries 60 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 6 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
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
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 13 Dec 2025
- First published
- 16 Sept 2025, 14:17 BST
- Last source update
- 9 Jan 2026, 16:23 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 30 Nov 2026
- Authority reference
TD2137 / DN800111- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-002024- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-059b61Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
Set out in Part Three - Specification
- How it runs
Stage 1: Invitation to Participate
The Council will publish a Procurement Notice and issue the Invitation to Tender (ITT) at the commencement of the procurement. The ITT applies to all stages of the Competitive Flexible Procedure and sets out the structure, requirements and rules for each stage. The ITT remains in force throughout the procedure, subject to any refinements or updated documents issued by the Council. The Council does not intend to re-issue the ITT at each stage.
In Stage 1, suppliers will be required to complete a response to the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ). Responses to the PSQ will be assessed against the stated conditions of participation as detailed in the ITT Part One - Process Overview and associated assessment methodology. The Council intends to limit the number of participating suppliers invited to submit an Initial Tender at Stage 2 to a maximum of four (4) suppliers.
Stage 2 - Invitation to Submit Initial Tender
In Stage 2, Suppliers will be invited to submit Initial Tenders. Initial Tenders will be evaluated against the award criteria set out in the ITT. Following evaluation, the Council will invite a maximum of three (3) suppliers to participate in Stage 3.
The Council is interested in exploring the possibility of adopting an agency model for the delivery of the Services at the Leisure Centres. Those suppliers which are shortlisted at Stage 2 will be invited to submit a non-mandatory variant tender (which would only be permitted in addition to the submission of each supplier's standard tender) to enable the Council to consider the potential benefits of an agency model further. The Council reserves the right not to progress with its exploration of an agency model and to cease its consideration of variant tenders at any time during the Procurement process.
Stage 3 - Invitation to Participate in Negotiation
Suppliers invited to Stage 3 will be required to participate in structured negotiations with the aim of exploring their proposals for the Services further.
Stage 4 - Invitation to Submit Final Tenders (ISFT)
In Stage 4, suppliers will be invited to submit final tenders. The Council will seek to award the Contract to the supplier which submits the most advantageous tender. This could be on the basis of a standard tender or variant tender (see ITT for details).
Progression between stages will be managed through formal invitations issued via the E-Procurement System. Each invitation will confirm the stage, documents in force, submission requirements and timetable. Progression is not automatic.
Further Details on the assessment criteria and shortlisting arrangements can be found in Part One - Process Overview of the tender pack.
Documents are available at www.eastmidstenders.org ↗
Please search for TD2317
Please note: we will only accept expressions of interest through the e-tendering system.
- Risks
Set out in Part Three - Specification
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 13 Feb 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadline
- 30 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 30 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Documents are available at www.eastmidstenders.org ↗
Please search for TD2317
Please note: we will only accept expressions of interest through the e-tendering system.
Timeline
16 Sept 2025 → 1 Apr 2027 · 9 dates- Planning notice published16 Sept 2025, 14:17 BST
- Market engagement383 days ago8 Oct 2025, 23:59 BST
Preliminary Market Engagement - Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres
- Contracting Authority Details
Name: Derby City Council
Address: Council House, Corporation St, Derby, DE1 2FS
Contact Point: Derby City Council procurement
Website: www.eastmidstenders.org ↗
Contract Type: Service /Concession
- Purpose of the Notice
This Notice is published to inform the market and gather feedback in relation to a potential future procurement for the Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres.
This is a Preliminary Market Engagement and not a call for competition.
- Description of the Requirement
The Authority is planning to undertake a Tender for the "Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres"
The Scope of the service includes Derby Arena; Springwood Leisure Centre; and potentially the Waterside Café, community room and sports facilities at Alvaston Park, and the Orangery and Kiosks at Markeaton Park. The Services Specification will be based on the Sport England template, made bespoke to this project.
- Requirement
The objective of the procurement will be to secure the most advantageous tender considering the Authority's strategic outcomes (set out in paragraph 3 below) whilst maximising the payment to the Authority.
In undertaking this procurement, the Authority wishes to achieve the following outcomes
- Establish a long-term partnership with an experience operator
- Financial stability for the Centres through reduced costs and increased income due to a more commercial approach
- Capital investment for backlog maintenance and future investment and operator)
- Planned and funded lifecycle investment, given age of facilities and future requirements
- Increased participation of the Centres
- Increased participation by those residents who are normally less likely to use a leisure centre
- Promotion of improved wellbeing for residents
- Positive impact on reducing physical activity and health inequality in the City
- Maximise Derby Arena's primary focus as a regional, national, and international, sports venue that supports the City's sporting aspirations.
It is anticipated that the Contract will commence in early 2027.
Prior to undertaking the formal procurement process, which is targeted to commence November 2025, Derby City Council is seeking to undertake Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) with the leisure operator market to enable the Authority to better define its service requirements and the procurement process. We are seeking engagement with potential suppliers to:
- Test with the market some of the contractual terms and conditions including use of an agency model.
- Consider how improvement works, and equipment replacement could be delivered and funded as part of the Contract.
- Test the market's appetite to include within the scope of tender, the management of park's catering and sports facilities.
- Understand the market's experience of working with library services as part of a leisure contract.
- Understand the level of interest from the market to tender for this contract.
- Response Instructions
If you wish to participate in this preliminary market engagement exercise, please follow the link to www.eastmidstenders.org ↗ and search for TD2317 - Preliminary Market Engagement Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres. This will enable you to download and complete the Questionnaire.
Please return the questionnaire together with any relevant information to support this process through the procurement portal www.eastmidstenders.org ↗ by midday on 8th October 2025.
- Disclaimer
This notice is not a call for competition.
Participation in this engagement will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement process.
The Contracting Authority is under no obligation to proceed with any procurement.
No Contract will be awarded as a result of this market engagement exercise.
- Transparency and Equal Treatment
Any relevant insights or clarifications arising from this engagement will be made available to all potential Suppliers as part of any future tender documentation, to ensure transparency and a level playing field.
- Anticipated Procurement Timeline
Market engagement: 15th September - 8th October 2025
Procurement notice publication (anticipated): November 2025
Invitation to submit Tender: January 2026
Evaluation of Tenders: April 2026
Dialogue - May 2026
Final Tenders: June / July 2026
Preferred Bidder Recommended: September 2026
Contract commencement: early 2027
Please note, this timetable may be altered.
- Next notice expected318 days ago12 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Tender notice published290 days ago9 Jan 2026, 16:23 GMT
- Clarification questions by269 days ago30 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Submission deadline269 days ago30 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Expressions of interest by255 days ago13 Feb 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Today26 Oct 2026
- Award decision expected byin 35 days30 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 156 days1 Apr 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
10 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 16 Sept 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published16 Sept 2025, 14:17 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published16 Sept 2025, 15:25 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published16 Sept 2025, 15:30 BSTUK2
- Planned procurement notice published20 Nov 2025, 16:52 GMTUK3
- Status changed to planned20 Nov 2025, 16:52 GMT
- Procurement method changed20 Nov 2025, 16:52 GMT
- Deadline published: 30 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT20 Nov 2025, 16:52 GMT
- Tender notice published9 Jan 2026, 16:23 GMTUK4
- Status changed to active9 Jan 2026, 16:23 GMT
- Procurement method changed9 Jan 2026, 16:23 GMT
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2025-09: 2 releases · 16 Sept 2025, 16 Sept 2025
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeOther public bodies
- MAX ASSOCIATES (HOLDINGS) LIMITEDProcuring entityConsultancy specialising in public sector sports, leisure, and cultural services
Official documents & specifications (5)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- 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
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender