Scope
Reference
RBGKEW1471
Description
We are looking to procure a supplier to initiate and close membership sales to prospective members face-to-face, on site at Kew Gardens. RBG, Kew has a successful membership scheme with over 100,000 members on around 80,000 memberships. This is made up of around 20,000 new sales and 60,000 renewals each year. We have ambitious plans to double our membership over the coming five years and we are seeking a partnership with a face-to-face membership sales agency to support this ambition.
We have an existing contract in place for this service, and our current contract for this service delivers up to 10% of our annual sales. We are seeking a supplier who can support us to grow this in line with our ambitious plans.
Membership sales pattern vary significantly depending on peak seasons and visitor flow. As a guide, our strongest sales days generate around 70 onsite sales, and we average around 15 on-site sales per day (through all our on-site channels both the front of house team and the sales agency)
Kew Gardens is a popular destination in South West London, currently the 13th most popular visitor attraction in the UK, and the #1 paid outdoor attraction, drawing almost 2 million visitors annually. We have huge potential to convert these visitors to members, and we are seeking a professional, experienced supplier to deliver this membership conversion. Secondary to membership sales, we expect the supplier to also deliver membership upgrades and renewals to existing members.
As well as being highly experienced in delivering sales in a face-to-face environment, we expect the supplier to have a high working knowledge of Kew Gardens and our membership scheme, including:
•Seasonal highlights and familiarity with the Gardens
•Current and future programming and events to draw visitors to a full years of membership
•Membership benefits, including seasonal offers
•RBG, Kew's brand and ethos as a world leading, pioneering scientific institution tackling the global challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change.
Upon appointment, the supplier will be given a full induction covering these points and will receive ongoing training which we expect all staff to attend to ensure they are able to provide knowledgeable and trusted interactions with visitors.
We anticipate the supplier will be experienced working in similar outdoor, visitor attraction environments and will have the necessary workforce to deliver year-round sales, dealing with peaks of visitor numbers which require higher staffing. The staffing pattern will be determined monthly, in collaboration with both RBG Kew and the supplier.
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Total value (estimated)
- £280,000 excluding VAT
- £336,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2028
- Possible extension to 1 April 2030
- 4 years, 1 day
Description of possible extension:
One extension option up to a maximum of 2 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 79342200 - Promotional services
- 79600000 - Recruitment services
- 79620000 - Supply services of personnel including temporary staff
- 98100000 - Membership organisation services
Contract locations
- UKI3 - Inner London - West
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
23 September 2025, 12:00am
Submission type
Tenders
Deadline for requests to participate
1 October 2025, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
7 January 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Generation | Sales Generation |
Quality | 30% |
| Day Rates | Day Rates |
Price | 20% |
| Staff Management | Staff Management |
Quality | 15% |
| Working with an organisation | Partnership |
Quality | 15% |
| Add on sales techniques | Add on sales |
Quality | 10% |
| EDI | EDI |
Quality | 10% |
Other information
Applicable trade agreements
- Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Competitive flexible procedure description
Stage 1 - Procurement Specific Questionnaire. The questionnaire will be used to asses suitable suppliers using conditions of participation questions. The top 5 highest scoring suppliers will be invited to Stage 2 Tender
Stage 2 - Tender Submission and supplier presentations
Documents
Associated tender documents
Part 1_ITT_F2F Membership Sales Services (READ THIS FIRST).pdf
Instructions to tender for whole process
Part 2_Specification_F2F Membership Sales FINAL.pdf
Specification of requirements for the contract
Contracting authority
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PGTT-3583-QXLN
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, The Herbarium, Kew Green
Richmond
TW9 3AE
United Kingdom
Region: UKI75 - Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames
Organisation type: Public authority - central government