{ "uri": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/api/1.0/ocdsRecordPackages/ocds-h6vhtk-065b89", "publisher": { "name": "Cabinet Office", "scheme": "GB-GOR", "uid": "D2", "uri": "https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office" }, "publishedDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "license": "http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/", "publicationPolicy": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-contracting", "version": "1.1", "extensions": [ "https://standard.open-contracting.org/profiles/eu/latest/en/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_amendment_rationale_classifications_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_budget_breakdown_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_contract_completion_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_documentation_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_pagination_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_suitability_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/portaledcahn/ocds_Links_extension/main/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cabinetoffice/ocds_uk_extension/main/extension.json" ], "packages": [ "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/api/1.0/ocdsRecordPackages/ocds-h6vhtk-065b89" ], "records": [ { "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-065b89", "releases": [ { "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-065b89", "id": "016667-2026", "tag": [ "planning" ], "date": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "initiationType": "tender", "parties": [ { "name": "Portsmouth City Council", "id": "GB-PPON-PCNL-5714-PRZV", "identifier": { "scheme": "GB-PPON", "id": "PCNL-5714-PRZV" }, "address": { "streetAddress": "Civic Offices, Guildhall Square", "locality": "Portsmouth", "postalCode": "PO1 2AL", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom", "region": "UKJ31" }, "contactPoint": { "email": "procurement@portsmouthcc.gov.uk" }, "roles": [ "buyer" ], "details": { "classifications": [ { "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE", "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment", "description": "Public authority - sub-central government" } ] } } ], "buyer": { "id": "GB-PPON-PCNL-5714-PRZV", "name": "Portsmouth City Council" }, "planning": { "milestones": [ { "id": "engagement", "type": "engagement", "description": "INTRODUCTION\nPortsmouth City Council (the Council) is undertaking a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to inform the future procurement strategy for catering and event services at Southsea Castle.\nTo ensure effective engagement with organisations, and in the interests of transparency and fair and equal treatment set out within the Procurement Act 23, the Council has instigated this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) process via issue of a PME Notice on the Central Government Find a Tender Service / Central Digital Platform.\nThrough the PME exercise suitably qualified and experienced operators will have the opportunity to participate in a site tour of the premises on 10th March at 16:30 - 19:00 and take part in 1-1 discussions with key Council officers. \nThe 1-1 meetings will generally be held on-line via Microsoft Teams between 10th - 18th March, although the Council may also be able to offer in person meetings at the Council's Civic Offices. The Council currently has 4 1.5-hour meeting slots available which will be allocated on a first come first served basis to operators who can meet the minimum experience requirements detailed below.\nIf more than 4 qualifying operators express interest in 1-1 meetings the council will endeavour to make further meeting slots available but cannot provide any guarantees, as such interested operators are encouraged to submit formal expressions of interest as a matter of urgency. Where meeting slots cannot be allocated the Council will give operators an opportunity to provide written feedback. \nThe feedback gained through this process will inform the development of the operational, commercial and contractual positions taken by the Council when the formal procurement process is undertaken, as well as informing the design and programme for the actual procurement process. \nEXPRESSION OF INTEREST PROCESS & PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS\nAttendance at the site visit, and participation in any subsequent one‑to‑one meetings, will be limited to Operators who have completed and submitted the accompanying Expression of Interest (EOI) form via In‑tend using the correspondence function . \nIn the first instance, interested Operators must complete the EOI form and return it via In‑tend, confirming their interest in taking part in the site visit and the 1‑to‑1 discussions. The EOI form requests operators to provide the following information for up to two case studies, which must be in relation to current operations or operations that have ceased within the last 12 months:\n•\tDaily restaurant or café operations of a minimum of 30 covers\n•\tEvent catering delivery of a minimum of 100 covers\n•\tBar operation and management\nThese minimum requirements are expected to form part of the pass/fail Conditions of Participation in the subsequent procurement process. Operators who are unable to evidence the stated level of relevant experience will not be eligible to take part in this PME process or bid for the future opportunity.\nThe expression of interest form requests Operators to provide the following information:\n•\tGeneral company information\n•\tDetails of previous experience managing a hospitality business; whether a café, restaurant or catering company \n•\tAvailability for meetings on:\no\tSlot 1 - Tuesday 10th March - Either 11:00 - 12:30 or 11:30 - 13:00\no\tSlot 2 - Wednesday 11th March - 09:30 - 11:00\no\tSlot 3 - Thursday 12th March - Either 15:00 - 16:30 or 15:30 - 17:00\no\tSlot 4 - Wednesday 18th March 13:00 - 14:30\n•\tNames of delegates who will attend the site visit and/or the 1-2-1 meetings, including their role and email address.\nIn addition to submission pf the EOI operators will also be required to complete and submit a Conflict of Interest (COI) Statement using the form provided. Further information in respect of Conflict of Interest is included within the further documentation accessible via the Council's e-sourcing solution In-tend.\nNB: Operators should note that there is no obligation to take part in this exercise and that if they do not take part, it will not preclude them from any subsequent related procurement process. Engaging Operators will not receive preferential treatment in the subsequent procurement process, and this is in no way an indication of the selection of any organisation or a guarantee of future work.\nCOUNICL TEAM\nThe key Council officers who will attend the 1-1 meetings are as follows:\n•\tClaire Looney - Partnership and Commissioning Manager - PCC Culture Leisure and Regulatory Services \n•\tJacqueline Braks - Events and weddings manager, Southsea Castle - PCC Culture Leisure and Regulatory Services \n•\tRichard Lock - Assistant Director Procurement - PCC Finance and Resources\n•\tSimon Courtney - Senior Procurement Professional - PCC Finance and Resources\n•\tShannon Penfold - Trainee Procurement Professional - PCC Finance and Resources\nPME & PROCUREMENT ADMINISTRATION\nThe Council will administrate the preliminary market engagement and future formal procurement process using its e-sourcing system In-Tend which will be used for:\n•\tAccess to and issue of information and documentation \n•\tClarification requests and response\n•\tExpression of interest submission \n•\tAllocation of 1-1 meeting slots\n•\tIssue of tender documentation\n•\tSubmission of tender responses\n•\tIssue of Award Decision notification\nThe In-tend system can be accessed for free using the following link: \nhttps://in-tendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home\nPME SUPPORTING INFORMATION\nThe following documents have been included as part of the PME Briefing pack via In-tend:\n•\tSouthsea Castle - PME Brief (this document)\n•\tSouthsea Castle - PME 1-1 EOI\n•\tCastle Website: https://southseacastle.co.uk/\n•\tConflict of Interest Statement\n•\tConflicts of Interest Declaration Form\n•\tIntend Guidance, Supporting Information & Clarification Process.\nPME FEEBACK AREAS \nAs the council explores options for the new catering arrangements for Southsea Castle, it is keen to seek input from the market in respect of interest, ambitions, vision, commercials, contract, maintenance, procurement strategy, etc. to inform the future formal procurement process. \nThrough undertaking 1-1 discussions with operators the Council will seek information on and input into the following headline areas, further detail on these discussion points are included within the PME Brief document accessible via In-tend:\n1.\tExperience, Capacity & Growth Ambitions\n2.\tVision for the Catering Offer \n3.\tOpportunities for Weddings, Corporate Events & Private Hire\n4.\tCommunity, Cultural and Local Partnerships\n5.\tMarketing, Communications & Customer Service - Launch and Ongoing Strategy\n6.\tInvestment, Building Improvements & Maintenance \n7.\tCommercial Viability & Business Model Options\n8.\tPartnership Working, Performance Reporting & Contract Management Expectations\n9.\tProcurement Process, Mobilisation & Transition Planning\n10.\tContractual Parameters and Limitations\nCONFLICTS ASSESSMENT \nThe Procurement Act 2023 requires the Council to identify and keep under review actual and potential conflicts of interest. The Council must also mitigate conflicts of interest and address circumstances which the Council considers are likely to cause a reasonable person to wrongly believe there to be a conflict or potential conflict of interest.\nA conflict of interest arises when an individual's personal interests, relationships, or activities have the potential to interfere with their impartiality or the integrity of the procurement process. This may include financial, personal, familial, or business interests that could improperly influence, or be perceived to influence, their decisions or actions.\nOperators should refer to Conflicts of Interest Declaration Form accessible via In-tend for further details of the Council's duty regarding conflict of interests.\nOperators should complete and submit one conflict of interest declaration per organisation in word format.", "dueDate": "2026-03-20T23:59:59Z", "status": "scheduled" } ], "documents": [ { "id": "016667-2026", "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice", "noticeType": "UK2", "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender", "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016667-2026", "datePublished": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "format": "text/html" } ] }, "tender": { "id": "P00005202", "legalBasis": { "id": "2023/54", "scheme": "UKPGA", "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents" }, "title": "Southsea Castle - Catering & Events Concession Opportunity - Preliminary Market Engagement", "description": "Portsmouth City Council (the Council) is undertaking a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to inform the future procurement strategy for catering and event services at Southsea Castle. \nAs a visitor attraction and site of importance, the council aims to, through this procurement process, deliver new areas of growth for Southsea Castle. The successful operator must have a desire to create a destination cafe / restaurant and enhance the catering offer for private events and weddings.\nTHE SITE\nSouthsea Castle, built in 1544 by King Henry VIII as part of his coastal defence scheme, is a historic, Scheduled Ancient Monument and a site of national importance. \nSouthsea Castle now operates as a visitor attraction and museum, restaurant, and historic wedding & events venue. The Castle attracts upwards of 10,000 visitors per month over the summer season, and offers members of the public free access to the castle keep, ramparts, shop & viewing rooms from April - October. \nThe restaurant in Southsea Castle is open all year round, and the Castle hosts numerous events throughout the season, in particular weddings & corporate events, as well as community events. During the opening season, there are also local makers market's hosted in the marquee, as well as heritage tours and talks hosted by the museums team. All events hosted by the museums team are aimed at engaging with the local community and increasing the visitor experience at Southsea Castle. \nThe Castle courtyard, keep, ramparts and museum rooms are open to the public from 10am - 5pm, Tues - Sunday's and bank holidays, from April - October, and are closed over the winter period. The restaurant is open all year round, currently from 9.30am - 5pm every day in the summer season, and Wed-Sun 9.30am - 5pm in the winter season. It would be a requirement that on days the castle is open to the public that the restaurant is also open.\nCONCESSION AGREEMENT & COMMERCIAL MODEL\nThe current concession agreement for the Southsea Castle catering operation is based on a hybrid commercial model that combines both fixed and performance‑based rental elements. \nUnder the existing arrangement, the operator pays the Council an annual base rent of £32,000. This figure reflects the minimum financial return the Council would expect to achieve in order to ensure the asset remains commercially viable. The Council would also expect this base rent to be uplifted annually, in line with CPI, to maintain the real value of the income over the duration of the agreement. The Council will likely seek to increase the rental income it currently receives through the procurement process but is keen to understand the markets position through the PME process before finalising its commercial strategy. \nIn addition to this guaranteed rent, the concession agreement includes a turnover‑share mechanism, through which the operator pays a percentage of gross revenue generated from restaurant operations, café trade, weddings, corporate events, and other hospitality activities. \nThe Council is likely to include for a revenue share element within the future procurement as either a mandatory or optional bidding element. The Council is also considering applying minimum and maximum revenue % values through the bidding process. Again, the Council is keen to take feedback from the market on this commercial element via the PME process. \nThe existing commercial model reflects the scale of the operation, which has historically generated an anticipated annual turnover in the region of £500,000 to £600,000, dependent on seasonal trading patterns and the volume of weddings and events delivered. \nInitial considerations include adopting a revised lease term comprising an initial 5 year period, with options to extend the total term to 15-20 years, subject to performance and at the discretion of the council. This structure should support operator investment in catering equipment, bar infrastructure, interior fit out and service improvements, whilst ensuring the Council maintains a financially robust and sustainable partnership arrangement. \nHowever, the Council is keen to gain feedback through the PME process on any mutual benefits that a longer than 5-year base term could deliver as well as provision of different extension options. \nFUTURE PROCUREMENT STRATEGY\nAt this stage, the Council has not yet determined the exact procurement process that will follow this Pre‑Market Engagement (PME). However, based on the nature of the requirement, the feedback received to date, it is most likely that the Council will adopt a Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP) under the Procurement Act 2023.\nThe CFP offers the flexibility for a procurement approach similar to Competitive Dialogue under the previous Public Contract Regulations 2015, and the Council anticipates structuring the process in two stages, as follows:\nSTAGE 1 - INITIAL PROPOSALS\nOperators will be invited to submit tender proposals demonstrating how they intend to deliver the catering operation at Southsea Castle, including commercial, operational, heritage sensitive and visitor experience considerations. These submissions will be evaluated against published criteria, taking into account qualitative and pricing elements.\nIn addition to the assessment of tender submissions, Operators should be aware that progression to the subsequent stages of the procurement will be subject to meeting a set of Conditions of Participation. These are expected to include, but may not be limited to:\n•\tFinancial standing requirements\n•\tMinimum experience criteria, including the ability to evidence delivery of catering, restaurant, bar and event operations of a comparable scale.\n•\tInsurance requirements, such as public liability, employer's liability, and product liability at levels to be set out in the tender documents.\n•\tMandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds, as required under the Procurement Act 2023, which all Operators must formally declare.\n•\tDebarment checks, undertaken via the government's Central Digital Platform, which all Operators must be registered on as part of the tender process.\n•\tRelevant professional and operational accreditations, where applicable (e.g., food safety, environmental health, sustainability credentials, licensing compliance).\n•\tHealth & Safety and Environmental Health record.\nStage 2 - Shortlist & Refinement\nA shortlist of the highest‑scoring Operators will be invited to refine their proposals in greater detail. This stage is expected to include further dialogue, solution development, and clarification of operational and commercial models before final tenders are submitted. It is likely that a maximum of 3 highest scoring operators will be invited to submit 2nd stage best and final offer bids. \nSTAGE 2 - SINGLE COMPLIANT BIDDER / HIGHEST SCORING BIDDER SCENARIO\nIf, at the conclusion of Stage 1, only one bidder meets the minimum requirements and is capable of delivering the contract, or multiple compliant bids are received but at stage 1 assessment the highest scoring bidder's score is significantly higher (probably more than 20% margin to be applied) than the next placed bidder, the Council reserves the right to engage directly with that operator on a negotiated basis to complete the procurement. This will be carried out in compliance with the flexibility afforded by the CFP under the Procurement Act 2023.\nISSUE OF CONTRACT TENDER NOTICE\nThe Council will confirm the chosen procurement route in due course, by issuing a Contract Tender Notice outlining the key details and requirements. The Council anticipates that this opportunity will be classified as an above-threshold concession under the Procurement Act 2023. This will be confirmed upon publication of the tender notice.\nPME & PROCUREMENT TIMETABLE\nThe Council are intending to run the PME and the subsequent envisaged tender process under the following Procurement Programme:\n1.\tPublish PME Notice - Tuesday 24th February 2026\n2.\tSite visit and briefing - Tuesday 10th March 2026 from 16:30 to 19:00\n3.\t1-2-1 supplier discussion - From Tuesday 10th March 2026 to Wednesday 18th March 2026\n4.\tIssue of Tender Notice and 1st Stage Call for Applications & Invitation to Participate in Dialogue - Monday 13th April 2026\n5.\tSite Visit (condition of tendering) - Monday 27th April 2026 between 14:00 and 15:30\n6.\t1-2-1 dialogue meetings - From Monday 4th May 2026 to Friday 15th May 2026\n7.\tRequest for clarification deadline - Wednesday 20th May 2026 by 16:00\n8.\t1st Stage CFP proposals return - Tuesday 26th May 2026 by 12:00\n9.\t1st Stage CFP shortlisting decision notification - Friday 5th June 2026\n10.\tIssue of 2nd Stage Invitation to Partake in Further Dialogue & Submit Tendered Proposals - Monday 22nd June 2026\n11.\t2nd stage dialogue meetings - From Monday 29th June 2026 to Friday 3rd July 2026\n12.\tRequest for clarification deadline - Wednesday 8th July 2026 by 16:00\n13.\tDeadline for submission of 2nd stage tendered proposals - Friday 17th July 2026 by 12:00\n14.\tEvaluation of 2nd stage tender proposals including for any post tender clarification & negotiation meetings - Monday 20th July 2026 to Friday 7th August 2026\n15.\tNotification of award decision, issue of assessment summaries and publication of Contract Award Notice - Monday 17th August 2026\n16.\tStandstill Period - Tuesday 18th August 2026 to Thursday 27th August 2026\n17.\tPreferred bidder secured and confirmation of contract award - Friday 28th August 2026\n18.\tContract Start - Monday 1st February 2027", "items": [ { "id": "1", "additionalClassifications": [ { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55310000", "description": "Restaurant waiter services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55320000", "description": "Meal-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55330000", "description": "Cafeteria services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55400000", "description": "Beverage-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55520000", "description": "Catering services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "79952000", "description": "Event services" } ], "deliveryAddresses": [ { "region": "UKJ31", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom" } ], "relatedLot": "1" } ], "value": { "amountGross": 18392153, "amount": 15326794, "currency": "GBP" }, "mainProcurementCategory": "services", "specialRegime": [ "concession" ], "aboveThreshold": true, "lots": [ { "id": "1", "suitability": { "sme": true }, "contractPeriod": { "startDate": "2027-02-01T00:00:00Z", "endDate": "2032-01-31T23:59:59Z", "maxExtentDate": "2047-01-31T23:59:59Z" }, "hasRenewal": true, "status": "planning" } ], "communication": { "futureNoticeDate": "2026-04-13T23:59:59+01:00" }, "status": "planning" }, "language": "en", "extensions": [ "https://standard.open-contracting.org/profiles/eu/latest/en/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_amendment_rationale_classifications_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_budget_breakdown_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_contract_completion_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_documentation_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_pagination_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_suitability_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/portaledcahn/ocds_Links_extension/main/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cabinetoffice/ocds_uk_extension/main/extension.json" ] }, { "id": "058675-2026", "tag": [ "tender" ], "date": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "initiationType": "tender", "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-065b89", "parties": [ { "name": "Portsmouth City Council", "id": "GB-PPON-PCNL-5714-PRZV", "identifier": { "scheme": "GB-PPON", "id": "PCNL-5714-PRZV" }, "address": { "streetAddress": "Civic Offices, Guildhall Square", "locality": "Portsmouth", "postalCode": "PO1 2AL", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom", "region": "UKJ31" }, "contactPoint": { "email": "procurement@portsmouthcc.gov.uk" }, "roles": [ "buyer" ], "details": { "classifications": [ { "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE", "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment", "description": "Public authority - sub-central government" } ] } } ], "buyer": { "id": "GB-PPON-PCNL-5714-PRZV", "name": "Portsmouth City Council" }, "tender": { "id": "P00005202", "legalBasis": { "id": "2023/54", "scheme": "UKPGA", "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents" }, "title": "Southsea Castle Catering and Events Concession Opportunity - Portsmouth 2026", "description": "Portsmouth City Council (\"the Council\") is inviting tenders from suitably qualified and experienced catering and events operators for the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, under a long term commercial arrangement comprising a combination of rental income and an incentivised revenue share mechanism.\nThe council is using a single stage competitive flexible procedure for the procurement of this contract, which includes conditions of participation and detailed tender proposals to be submitted at the same time. \nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement:\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nTenderers are invited to submit a response for one lot only, selecting the contract term option which best reflects their proposed delivery model, investment approach and commercial offer.\nThe Council intends to award a single contract under either Lot 1 or Lot 2, based on the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT).\nAward of the contract is targeted for 21st September 2026. The successful operator will be required to seamlessly commence operations under a lease with associated concession arrangement from 1st February 2027 following expiry of the lease held with the current incumbent operator on 31st January 2027. \nSouthsea Castle \nSouthsea Castle, built in 1544 by King Henry VIII as part of his coastal defence scheme, is a historic, Scheduled Ancient Monument and a site of national importance. \nSouthsea Castle now operates as a visitor attraction and museum, restaurant, and historic wedding & events venue. The Castle attracts upwards of 10,000 visitors per month over the summer season and offers members of the public free access to the castle keep, ramparts, shop & viewing rooms from April - October. \nThe restaurant in Southsea Castle is open all year round, and the Castle hosts numerous events throughout the season, in particular weddings & corporate events, as well as community events. \nDuring the opening season, there are also local makers market's hosted in the marquee, as well as heritage tours and talks hosted by the museums team. All events hosted by the museums team are aimed at engaging with the local community and increasing the visitor experience at Southsea Castle\nThe Castle courtyard, keep, ramparts and museum rooms are open to the public from 10am - 5pm, Tues - Sunday's and bank holidays, from April - October, and are closed over the winter period. The restaurant is open all year round, currently from 9.30am - 5pm every day in the summer season, and Wed-Sun 9.30am - 5pm in the winter season.\nPermitted Uses, Opening Times & Access\nThe permitted use of Southsea Castle comprises a combination of public-facing restaurant operations and a programme of private and operator-led events, with defined parameters around access, capacity and shared use. The restaurant and café, located within the western side of the castle courtyard, provide approximately 60 internal covers and up to 54 external covers (subject to layout). The space can also accommodate private events of up to 60 seated or 80 standing guests. The operator is required to provide a daily service as a minimum between 9:30am and 5:00pm, with flexibility for evening trading and private hire where this does not conflict with Council-managed bookings.\nPrivate events are delivered across a range of spaces. The marquee is the primary large-scale event space, with a capacity of up to 120 seated or 200 standing guests, and is managed by the Council. This space is used for weddings and corporate functions but may also be utilised by the operator as part of their own event programme, including catering and bar provision. The castle keep is also used for ceremonies and smaller events but remains under Council control and is not available for operator-led events.\nAdditional areas, including the castle ramparts and an ancillary bar or function room, may be used to support events where appropriate and subject to approval. These spaces provide flexibility to enhance the visitor and event experience whilst ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements.\nThe operator will share access to back-of-house and storage areas with the Council, including spaces used for equipment, stock and event furniture. These arrangements require coordinated use and may be reviewed periodically to ensure suitability.\nOperations must also accommodate external events. At times, large-scale events may restrict or suspend access to the castle, during which the operator will not be permitted to trade. In contrast, other events may increase footfall and present additional trading opportunities, with the Council providing advance notice where required.\nThe operator must ensure the site remains open to the public for a minimum of 50 weeks per year and deliver a catering and events offer that supports growth. This includes providing catering for Council-managed events and developing an independent programme of activities outside core hours to enhance the site's profile as a destination venue.\nAll activities must reflect the building's status as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, ensuring a balance between commercial use and the preservation of the site.\nRevenue Share and Lease Fee\nThe lease will be subject to rental fee and revenue share payments from the operator to the Council. The Council is targeting a minimum guaranteed annual rental payment of £32,000 over initial 5 years of the lease. Rental payments are to be made in advance on a quarterly basis. \nOperators will be required to propose a revenue share percentage to the Council in Year 1, which should not fall below 3% and not be higher than 10%, without justification. Where a proposal falls below or above this range, the Council may consider the bid to be abnormally low or abnormally high and reserves the right to undertake further investigation and seek clarification from the bidder.\nThe proposed revenue share percentage is not expected to reduce following Year 1. Where a bidder proposes a reduction in revenue share percentage over the contract term, the Council reserves the right to investigate the rationale and set aside the bid where this cannot be satisfactorily justified.\nThe revenue share percentage proposed by operators may vary over the term of the agreement but must always be within the range stated. Revenue share payments are to be made within 30 days at the end of each contract year.\nBased upon current revenue and subject to indexation the Council estimates that the successful Operator could achieve a turnover figure of approx. £600K. However, the Council considers that there are significant opportunities to increase revenue though investment, events, food offer, advertising, etc. which could have a major positive impact upon revenue generation, potentially increasing revenue generation. \nBased on an estimated annual turnover of £600,000 in Year 1, the Council anticipates that the total value of the concession opportunity over the potential 10-year contract term could be in the region of £7 million to £8 million. However, it should be noted that all estimates in respect of the value of the business opportunity are purely indicative and provided to comply with the requirements of the Procurement Act 23 in relation to publication of estimated contract values. All figures are non-binding, the Council is providing no guarantees and accepting no liability in the event that the actual value of the business opportunity over the term of the contract falls significantly above or below the guide estimates provided. \nThe specification includes for clearly defined performance standards, service levels and KPIs covering the following areas:\n•\tKPI 1 - Customer Experience & Destination Offer\n•\tKPI 2 - Event Delivery & Programme Growth\n•\tKPI 3 - Catering Quality & Operational Standards\n•\tKPI 4 - Commercial Performance & Open Book Reporting\n•\tKPI 5 - Compliance, Health & Safety & Asset Stewardship\n•\tKPI 6 - Partnership Working, Communication & Community Engagement\nThe Council is seeking to establish a partnership relationship with the successful Operator based on the following principles \n•\tProactive collaboration and co-operation with the Council including attendance at the Strategic and Operational Boards.\n•\tProactive collaboration and co-operation with other current and future stakeholders in the City and the immediate surrounds.\n•\tPartnership working with locally based public, private and third-party organisations.\n•\tWorking with community groups to support activities and events where appropriate.\nThe Operator will be required to align with the Council's Social Value Policy in a manner which provides targeted meaningful impact to individuals, communities, the environment and local economy. \nAll repairs to the spaces occupied must be undertaken with the necessary permissions in place from both Historic England and the Council which reflects the status of the Castle as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.", "status": "active", "items": [ { "id": "1", "additionalClassifications": [ { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55310000", "description": "Restaurant waiter services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55320000", "description": "Meal-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55330000", "description": "Cafeteria services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55400000", "description": "Beverage-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55500000", "description": "Canteen and catering services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "79952000", "description": "Event services" } ], "deliveryAddresses": [ { "region": "UKJ31", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom" } ], "relatedLot": "1" }, { "id": "2", "additionalClassifications": [ { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55310000", "description": "Restaurant waiter services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55320000", "description": "Meal-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55330000", "description": "Cafeteria services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55400000", "description": "Beverage-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55500000", "description": "Canteen and catering services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "79952000", "description": "Event services" } ], "deliveryAddresses": [ { "region": "UKJ31", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom" } ], "relatedLot": "2" } ], "value": { "amountGross": 9840000, "amount": 8200000, "currency": "GBP" }, "procurementMethod": "open", "procurementMethodDetails": "Competitive flexible procedure", "procedure": { "features": "In respect of application of the Procurement Act 23, the Council's position is that the contract falls under the definition of a concession contract as set out within Section 8 of the Procurement Act 2023 and that therefore only the aspects of the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 that apply to 'special regime' contracts are of relevance to this procurement process and management of the resultant contract.\nThe council is using a single stage competitive flexible procedure for the procurement of this contract, which includes conditions of participation and detailed tender proposals to be submitted at the same time.\nThe Council will run the procurement process to secure the Operator using the Competitive Flexible Procedure as defined within the Procurement Act 23. The Council has designed a process that includes for:\n•\tPre Tender submission dialogue\n•\tPost Tender submission negotiation\n•\tRefinement of specification, contractual / lease terms and commercial model during the process\n•\tSite tours & bidders briefing\n•\tPost award finalisation of contract terms, lease & commercial arrangements\n•\tDue diligence including for take up of client references and visits to operator offices & operational sites, both pre and post award\nPreliminary Market Engagement\nFollowing the Council's Preliminary Market Engagement (PME), which informed the development of the procurement strategy, feedback from the market indicated varying preferences in relation to contract length, investment recovery periods and commercial delivery models. \nIn particular, the PME highlighted that different operators adopt differing approaches to contract term depending on their business model, level of upfront investment, and appetite for revenue growth and operational risk. This included a distinction between operators preferring shorter initial terms with flexibility to extend, and those favouring longer initial terms to support investment and long-term planning. \nIn response to this feedback, the Council has structured the procurement into two alternative lots -\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nThe split lot approach ensures that the procurement remains flexible and responsive to market capability, while allowing the Council to determine, through evaluation, the most appropriate contract term for the delivery of the service.\nCentral Digital Platform\nOperators are required to register on the Central Digital Platform, and upload and/or check that their core Supplier information on the Central Digital Platform relating to their company information, Mandatory and Discretionary Exclusions, Connected Persons, and economic and financial standing is all up to date and accurate at the point of submitting both a Tender Response. Where relevant, Operators will also need to provide information concerning Associated Persons and intended Sub-contractors\nShould there be any inconsistency between this information and the information as submitted in response to this Procurement, the Operator will need to provide evidence as to the accuracy of their submission and failure to do so could result in the Operator being excluded for Improper Behaviour.\nGuidance on accessing the Central Digital Platform can be found here -\nhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-short-guides/suppliers-how-to-register-your-organisation-and-first-administrator-on-find-a-tender-in-three-easy-steps-html \nAccess to tender document and programme\nThe Council will administrate the procurement using its e-sourcing system In-Tend, which will be used for:\n•\tAccess to and issue of procurement information and documentation\n•\tPre-tender submission clarification requests and response\n•\tTender submission\n•\tTender opening and access to responses\n•\tPost tender submission clarification requests and response\n•\tAward decision notification and feedback\nThe In-Tend system can be accessed free of charge via the following web link:\nhttps://intendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home \nThe Council are intending to follow the subsequent Procurement Programme - \nIssue of Tender Notice & Invitation to Participate in Dialogue - 22/06/26\nSite Visit (condition of tendering) - 29/06/26 (17:00-19:00)\n1-2-1 dialogue meetings - From 13/07/26 to 24/07/26 2026\nRequest for clarification deadline - 29/07/26 by 16:00\nTender proposals return - 7/08/26 by 12:00\nTender Evaluation - 10/08/26 to 11/09/26\nOptional Operator Interviews - 7/09/26 to 11/09/26 2026\nNotification of award decision, issue of assessment summaries and publication of Contract Award Notice - 21/09/26\nStandstill Period - 21/09/26 to 30/09/26\nPreferred bidder secured and confirmation of contract award - 1/10/26\nContract Start - Monday 1st February 2027\nFailure to meet the deadlines set out above may result in an Operator's submission not being considered.\nMandatory Site Visit\nAttendance at the site visit is a mandatory requirement for any Operator wishing to submit a tender response. Operators who attended the site visit as part of the Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise will be deemed to have satisfied this requirement, however all Operators are permitted to attend. Failure to attend the scheduled site visit on Monday 19th June 2026 from 17:00 to 19:00 at Southsea Castle will result in the Operator being excluded from the procurement process.\nDialogue TEAMS Meetings\nOperators who wish to engage in an online TEAMS 1-1 clarification meeting/s with the Council prior to submission of their tender return must register via InTend using the correspondence function by 12:00 on Wednesday 8th July 2026. Only Operators who have attended the site visit/were involved in the Preliminary Market Engagement will be able to attend the dialogue meetings.\nThe 1-1 meetings will be held via TEAMS from Monday 13th July 2026 to Friday 24th July 2026.\n Operators may request up to 90 minutes of clarification meeting time with the Council which may be covered in one meeting or split between multiple (max 2) if required to accommodate diaries of particular Council and Operator project team members that may be required to attend to address particular clarification topics.\nIn registering Operators must provide the following information:\n•\tNames, positions and contact details (email & telephone number) of delegates (max of 4 delegates may attend)\n•\tPreferred dates and times for meetings\n•\tClarification questions, topics and themes\nThe Council will minute the meetings and provide the notes promptly with the particular Operator via InTend.\nWhere questions and responses are not commercially sensitive to an Operators particular approach they will be added to the Clarification Log and issued to all Operators via InTend.\nTender evaluation principles\nThe evaluation of responses takes place in two stages:\n•\tEvaluation of exclusion grounds and conditions of participation takes place first. Only when a Operator has satisfied these minimum requirements within the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) will evaluation proceed to the next stage.\n•\tEvaluation of award criteria takes place second and comprises evaluation of the responses to the Quality Assessment Questions (QAQ) and Pricing.\nMinimum requirements\nThe PSQ Preliminary Questions focus on the following sections that will be assessed on a pass/fail basis - \n1.\tOperator information\n2.\tGrounds for exclusion\n3.\tRelevant experience and contract examples\n4.\tFinancial capacity\n5.\tInsurance\n6.\tGDPR/ Data Protection \n7.\tHealth and Safety\n8.\tAccreditations\n9.\tPayments in contracts (information only)\n10.\tTackling Modern slavery (information only)\nAny Operator who does not meet the minimum requirements in the preliminary questions, will be excluded as not meeting the conditions of participation, and their submission will not be assessed any further.\nAward criteria\nWhere a Operator has satisfied the minimum requirements within the PSQ, their responses to the Quality Assessment Questions (QAQ) will then be evaluated against the following award criteria:\n•\tPrice 40%\n•\tQuality 60% \nFor details of the breakdown of how the Price and Quality are to be assessed see Award Criteria of this notice. The pricing will be assessed on a normalised basis, whilst the quality responses will be assessed on a weighted rate basis or pass/fail.\nFor a breakdown of the specific criteria to be used to evaluate an Operators quality assessment question submission, Operators should refer to Quality Assessment Question scoring matrices and refer to the Single Stage Competitive Flexible Procedure - Conditions of Participation and Invitation to Tender included in the tender pack available via the Council's e-tendering platform Intend.\nOptional Operator Interviews\nFollowing completion of the initial evaluation, the Council may invite the highest scoring bidder(s) for Lot 1 and/or Lot 2 to attend an interview. The purpose of the interview will be to clarify, validate and test the proposals submitted, including assumptions, deliverability and sustainability of the bidder's offer.\nFollowing completion of any interviews and final moderation, the Council will determine whether to proceed with Lot 1 or Lot 2, and will award the contract to the bidder achieving the highest final cost/quality score across the selected lot\nThe Council reserves the right, following completion of tender evaluation, to enter into discussions with the preferred bidder in respect of commercial terms, provided that any resulting agreement does not materially alter the substance of the tender submitted or undermine the integrity of the procurement process." }, "mainProcurementCategory": "services", "specialRegime": [ "concession" ], "aboveThreshold": true, "coveredBy": [ "GPA" ], "submissionMethodDetails": "https://in-tendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home", "submissionTerms": { "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed", "languages": [ "en" ] }, "tenderPeriod": { "endDate": "2026-08-07T12:00:00+01:00" }, "enquiryPeriod": { "endDate": "2026-07-29T16:00:00+01:00" }, "awardPeriod": { "endDate": "2026-09-21T23:59:59+01:00" }, "lots": [ { "id": "1", "title": "Standard Term Concession (5 + 5 years)", "description": "This Lot relates to the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, as described in the Competitive flexible procedure description of this notice.\nLot 1 represents the Council's baseline contract structure, comprising an initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years (maximum 10 years total).\nTenderers are required to submit a bid for Lot 1, which forms the core basis for evaluation and comparison across submissions.\nThe total estimated value of the concession opportunity is approximately £8,200,000 (excluding VAT), or £9,840,000 (including VAT), based on a maximum contract term of 10 years.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement. Only one lot will be awarded.\nDue to system limitations within the Find a Tender Service, the values attributed to each lot are required to be entered individually and are therefore displayed as cumulative. This does not reflect the actual procurement value.\nThe stated lot values should not be aggregated, and the overall value of the opportunity remains as set out above.", "status": "active", "value": { "amountGross": 9839998, "amount": 8199999, "currency": "GBP" }, "awardCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "quality", "name": "Quality", "description": "1.\tProposal \t35% \n1.1\tStrategic Vision & Catering Offer\t12.5%\n1.2\tEvents Strategy & Operational Delivery\t12.5%\n1.3\tRisk & Resilience\t5%\n1.4\tMarketing, Promotion & Customer Engagement\t5%\n2.\tMobilisation \t5% \n2.1\tMobilisation, Transition & Implementation\t5%\n3.\tResourcing \t10% \n3.1\tManagement Team & Operational Staff\t7.5%\n3.2\tSupply Chain & Sub-Contractors\t2.5%\n4.\tBusiness plan and financing\t10%\n4.1\tBusiness & Financial Model\t7.5%\n4.2\tOpen Book Working, Performance Targets & Reporting\t2.5%", "numbers": [ { "number": 60, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] }, { "type": "price", "name": "Income", "description": "5.\tFinancial proposal\t40%\n5.1\tBase rent return to the Council\t25%\n5.2\tPercentage Revenue Share to the Council in year one\t5%\n5.3\tAverage Revenue Share over 10-year contract term\t10%", "numbers": [ { "number": 40, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] } ] }, "selectionCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "economic", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." }, { "type": "technical", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." } ] }, "suitability": { "sme": true }, "contractPeriod": { "startDate": "2027-02-01T00:00:00Z", "endDate": "2032-01-31T23:59:59Z", "maxExtentDate": "2037-01-31T23:59:59Z" }, "hasRenewal": true, "renewal": { "description": "Under Lot 1 - \nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of five years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of five years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10years.\nUnder Lot 2 - \nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of seven years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of three years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10 years." }, "hasOptions": true, "options": { "description": "The Council reserves the right to engage the next placed highest scoring Operator (ranked 2nd) to deliver the contract in the event that any of the following events occur during the award, mobilisation and delivery of the services during the initial base term as well as during any extension periods:\n•\tThe Council is unable to agree and execute terms of contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders\n•\t The preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders fails to mobilise and commence the services in line with the agreed programme, or is significantly delayed in meeting programme milestones and is highly likely to not commence services in line with the agreed programme\n•\tThe contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders is terminated due to:\no\tMaterial breach\no\tNon-material persistent breach\no\tFailure to meet service levels and KPIs\no\tNot meeting Conditions of Participation - Exclusion grounds, insurance, financial standing, accreditations, etc. \no\tInability to agree price increases in line with terms\no\tInability to agree price changes, specification changes, event in the event of materialisation of identified known risks\nThe next placed Operator will only be engaged at the Council's discretion and subject to the Operator evidencing ability to: \n•\tMeet all Conditions of Participation\n•\tDeliver the requirements as set out in the specification including for any updates made by the Council\n•\tHonour the terms & conditions included within the original procurement\n•\tDeliver the service delivery proposals included within their original tender submission as a minimum\n•\tHonour the pricing elements included for within their original tender submission, subject to reasonable application of relevant CPI indices, as a minimum with a requirement to mitigate any increases where possible \nIn the event that the Council is unable to reach agreement with the next placed Operator the Council may, at its sole discretion engage with the Operator that ranked immediately below the next placed Operator (ranked 3rd) from the evaluation process to deliver the contract subject to the requirements set out above. \nIn the event that agreement cannot be reached with the 3rd ranked Operator the council may engage with the 4th ranked Operator and so forth at its discretion for delivery of the contract." } }, { "id": "2", "title": "Extended Term Concession (7 + 3 years)", "description": "This Lot relates to the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, as described in the Competitive flexible procedure description of this notice. \nLot 2 provides an alternative contract structure, comprising an initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years (maximum 10 years total).\nSubmission for Lot 2 is optional. Tenderers submitting for this lot must clearly demonstrate the additional value, investment or benefits delivered as a result of the longer initial contract term.\nThe total estimated value of the concession opportunity is approximately £8,200,000 (excluding VAT), or £9,840,000 (including VAT), based on a maximum contract term of 10 years.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement. Only one lot will be awarded.\nDue to system limitations within the Find a Tender Service, the values attributed to each lot are required to be entered individually and are therefore displayed as cumulative. This does not reflect the actual procurement value.\nThe stated lot values should not be aggregated, and the overall value of the opportunity remains as set out above.", "status": "active", "value": { "amountGross": 2, "amount": 1, "currency": "GBP" }, "awardCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "quality", "name": "Quality", "description": "1.\tProposal \t35% \n1.1\tStrategic Vision & Catering Offer\t12.5%\n1.2\tEvents Strategy & Operational Delivery\t12.5%\n1.3\tRisk & Resilience\t5%\n1.4\tMarketing, Promotion & Customer Engagement\t5%\n2.\tMobilisation \t5% \n2.1\tMobilisation, Transition & Implementation\t5%\n3.\tResourcing \t10% \n3.1\tManagement Team & Operational Staff\t7.5%\n3.2\tSupply Chain & Sub-Contractors\t2.5%\n4.\tBusiness plan and financing\t10%\n4.1\tBusiness & Financial Model\t7.5%\n4.2\tOpen Book Working, Performance Targets & Reporting\t2.5%", "numbers": [ { "number": 60, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] }, { "type": "price", "name": "Income", "description": "5.\tFinancial proposal\t40%\n5.1\tBase rent return to the Council\t25%\n5.2\tPercentage Revenue Share to the Council in year one\t5%\n5.3\tAverage Revenue Share over 10-year contract term\t10%", "numbers": [ { "number": 40, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] } ] }, "selectionCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "economic", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." }, { "type": "technical", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." } ] }, "suitability": { "sme": true }, "contractPeriod": { "startDate": "2027-02-01T00:00:00Z", "endDate": "2032-01-31T23:59:59Z", "maxExtentDate": "2037-01-31T23:59:59Z" }, "hasRenewal": true, "renewal": { "description": "Under Lot 1 - \nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of five years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of five years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10years.\nUnder Lot 2 - \nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of seven years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of three years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10 years." }, "hasOptions": true, "options": { "description": "The Council reserves the right to engage the next placed highest scoring Operator (ranked 2nd) to deliver the contract in the event that any of the following events occur during the award, mobilisation and delivery of the services during the initial base term as well as during any extension periods:\n•\tThe Council is unable to agree and execute terms of contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders\n•\t The preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders fails to mobilise and commence the services in line with the agreed programme, or is significantly delayed in meeting programme milestones and is highly likely to not commence services in line with the agreed programme\n•\tThe contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders is terminated due to:\no\tMaterial breach\no\tNon-material persistent breach\no\tFailure to meet service levels and KPIs\no\tNot meeting Conditions of Participation - Exclusion grounds, insurance, financial standing, accreditations, etc. \no\tInability to agree price increases in line with terms\no\tInability to agree price changes, specification changes, event in the event of materialisation of identified known risks\nThe next placed Operator will only be engaged at the Council's discretion and subject to the Operator evidencing ability to: \n•\tMeet all Conditions of Participation\n•\tDeliver the requirements as set out in the specification including for any updates made by the Council\n•\tHonour the terms & conditions included within the original procurement\n•\tDeliver the service delivery proposals included within their original tender submission as a minimum\n•\tHonour the pricing elements included for within their original tender submission, subject to reasonable application of relevant CPI indices, as a minimum with a requirement to mitigate any increases where possible \nIn the event that the Council is unable to reach agreement with the next placed Operator the Council may, at its sole discretion engage with the Operator that ranked immediately below the next placed Operator (ranked 3rd) from the evaluation process to deliver the contract subject to the requirements set out above. \nIn the event that agreement cannot be reached with the 3rd ranked Operator the council may engage with the 4th ranked Operator and so forth at its discretion for delivery of the contract." } } ], "lotDetails": { "awardCriteriaDetails": "The procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement:\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nOperators may submit a bid under either or both lots invited to submit a response for one lot only, selecting the contract term option which best reflects their proposed delivery model, investment approach and commercial offer.\nFollowing completion of the initial evaluation, the Council may invite the highest scoring bidder(s)under the relevant lot to attend an interview. The purpose of the interview will be to clarify, validate and test the proposals submitted, including assumptions, deliverability and sustainability of the bidder's offer.\nNo new scoring criteria will be introduced at interview stage. However, information obtained through clarification may be used to review and, where appropriate, adjust the original quality scores where responses demonstrate that the tender submission is:\n- not fully understood,\n- not deliverable as proposed, or\n- materially inconsistent with the submitted response.\nAward Decision\nFollowing completion of any interviews and final moderation, the Council will determine whether to proceed with Lot 1 or Lot 2.\nTenders for both Lots will be evaluated on a consistent basis using the same evaluation criteria and weightings. The Council will compare the final evaluated scores across both Lots and award the contract to the tender achieving the highest overall score, whether submitted under Lot 1 or Lot 2.\nFor clarity, where the evaluation demonstrates that a bidder under Lot 2 achieves a higher overall score compared to all compliant bids under Lot 1, the Council may proceed to award the contract under Lot 2" }, "documents": [ { "id": "conflictOfInterest", "documentType": "conflictOfInterest", "description": "Not published" }, { "id": "A-16583", "documentType": "biddingDocuments", "description": "Summary PME report from the soft market testing.", "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-16583", "format": "application/pdf" }, { "id": "058675-2026", "documentType": "tenderNotice", "noticeType": "UK4", "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender", "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058675-2026", "datePublished": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "format": "text/html" } ], "hasRecurrence": true, "recurrence": { "dates": [ { "startDate": "2036-04-01T23:59:59+01:00" } ] }, "riskDetails": "The Council has identified the following known risks & opportunities that may occur during the duration of the term of the contract and may positively or negatively impact the scope, scale, value, timescales, end user demand, etc. related the contract:\n•\tDevelopment and changing demographics of Portsmouth area which could impact positively or negatively on operator revenues\n•\tMarco and micro environmental impacts on utilities and other costs which could impact operator costs\n•\tChanges to VAT levels and other impacts of taxation which could impact operator costs \n•\tLocal Government Review impacts including for assignment of contract to successor unitary authority and any new requirements / objectives of the new authority which may require alterations to the technical scope, contractual and commercial structure of the arrangements \n•\tUnforeseen maintenance requirements which could increase operator costs and impact revenues if closures are required\n•\tInflation and other cost of living impacts which could increase or decrease operator revenues and costs\n•\tChanges to National Living Wage, National Insurance and other factors which could impact operator employment costs\n•\tIncreased or decreased competition from other public or privately run facilities or attractions which could impact operator revenues\n•\tIntroduction of new technologies, systems and processes which could reduce operator costs and / or increase revenues as well as impacting technical scope\n•\tIntroduction of new activities through market innovations that could open up new operator revenue opportunities and impact technical scope\n•\tChanges to relevant government policy / legislation which could increase or decrease operator revenues & costs, as well as potentially mandating changes to the technical scope\n•\tAn endemic or pandemic event similar to Covid 19 which could increase costs and / or reduce demand.\nThe Council has identified the risks and opportunities above associated with the delivery of this contract. In accordance with Schedule 8 of the Procurement Act 2023, the Council reserves the right to modify the contract, without initiating a new procurement procedure, should any of these risks materialise during the contract term.\nAny such modification will be limited to addressing the consequences of the known risk and will not alter the overall nature of the contract. Where applicable, a Contract Change Notice will be published in accordance with the requirements of the Act.\nImpact of Local Government Reorganisation \nAs part of the wider Local Government Review (LGR), the Council has been required to engage with neighbouring authorities to explore future structural reform, shared service opportunities, and alignment of governance arrangements. \nThe UK Government has now confirmed its decision regarding Local Government Reorganisation across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Under the confirmed proposals, Portsmouth City Council will become part of a new, larger unitary authority covering the areas of Gosport, Fareham and Havant, and including Newlands, Horndean, Clanfield and Rowlands Castle. \nThe new unitary authority will formally come into existence on 1 April 2028, at which point Portsmouth City Council, as it currently exists, will be legally dissolved on 31 March 2028.\nUpon dissolution of the Council and vesting of the new unitary authority the contract established via this procurement process will automatically transfer to the new authority. \nThe operator will be legally required to continue honouring all commitments made under the terms of the contract let by the Council. \nIt is not anticipated that beyond the change of client authority that any other aspects of the specification, terms and other requirements are likely to be subject to any significant changes, although the Council is obviously not able to accurately predict the requirements and objectives of the future authority." }, "language": "en", "extensions": [ "https://standard.open-contracting.org/profiles/eu/latest/en/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_amendment_rationale_classifications_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_budget_breakdown_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_contract_completion_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_documentation_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_pagination_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_suitability_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/portaledcahn/ocds_Links_extension/main/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cabinetoffice/ocds_uk_extension/main/extension.json" ] }, { "id": "070301-2026", "tag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "date": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "initiationType": "tender", "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-065b89", "parties": [ { "name": "Portsmouth City Council", "id": "GB-PPON-PCNL-5714-PRZV", "identifier": { "scheme": "GB-PPON", "id": "PCNL-5714-PRZV" }, "address": { "streetAddress": "Civic Offices, Guildhall Square", "locality": "Portsmouth", "postalCode": "PO1 2AL", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom", "region": "UKJ31" }, "contactPoint": { "email": "procurement@portsmouthcc.gov.uk" }, "roles": [ "buyer" ], "details": { "classifications": [ { "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE", "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment", "description": "Public authority - sub-central government" } ] } } ], "buyer": { "id": "GB-PPON-PCNL-5714-PRZV", "name": "Portsmouth City Council" }, "tender": { "id": "P00005202", "legalBasis": { "id": "2023/54", "scheme": "UKPGA", "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents" }, "title": "Southsea Castle Catering and Events Concession Opportunity - Portsmouth 2026", "description": "Portsmouth City Council (\"the Council\") is inviting tenders from suitably qualified and experienced catering and events operators for the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, under a long term commercial arrangement comprising a combination of rental income and an incentivised revenue share mechanism.\nThe council is using a single stage competitive flexible procedure for the procurement of this contract, which includes conditions of participation and detailed tender proposals to be submitted at the same time.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement:\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nTenderers are invited to submit a response for one lot only, selecting the contract term option which best reflects their proposed delivery model, investment approach and commercial offer.\nThe Council intends to award a single contract under either Lot 1 or Lot 2, based on the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT).\nAward of the contract is targeted for 21st September 2026. The successful operator will be required to seamlessly commence operations under a lease with associated concession arrangement from 1st February 2027 following expiry of the lease held with the current incumbent operator on 31st January 2027.\nSouthsea Castle\nSouthsea Castle, built in 1544 by King Henry VIII as part of his coastal defence scheme, is a historic, Scheduled Ancient Monument and a site of national importance.\nSouthsea Castle now operates as a visitor attraction and museum, restaurant, and historic wedding & events venue. The Castle attracts upwards of 10,000 visitors per month over the summer season and offers members of the public free access to the castle keep, ramparts, shop & viewing rooms from April - October.\nThe restaurant in Southsea Castle is open all year round, and the Castle hosts numerous events throughout the season, in particular weddings & corporate events, as well as community events.\nDuring the opening season, there are also local makers market's hosted in the marquee, as well as heritage tours and talks hosted by the museums team. All events hosted by the museums team are aimed at engaging with the local community and increasing the visitor experience at Southsea Castle\nThe Castle courtyard, keep, ramparts and museum rooms are open to the public from 10am - 5pm, Tues - Sunday's and bank holidays, from April - October, and are closed over the winter period. The restaurant is open all year round, currently from 9.30am - 5pm every day in the summer season, and Wed-Sun 9.30am - 5pm in the winter season.\nPermitted Uses, Opening Times & Access\nThe permitted use of Southsea Castle comprises a combination of public-facing restaurant operations and a programme of private and operator-led events, with defined parameters around access, capacity and shared use. The restaurant and café, located within the western side of the castle courtyard, provide approximately 60 internal covers and up to 54 external covers (subject to layout). The space can also accommodate private events of up to 60 seated or 80 standing guests. The operator is required to provide a daily service as a minimum between 9:30am and 5:00pm, with flexibility for evening trading and private hire where this does not conflict with Council-managed bookings.\nPrivate events are delivered across a range of spaces. The marquee is the primary large-scale event space, with a capacity of up to 120 seated or 200 standing guests, and is managed by the Council. This space is used for weddings and corporate functions but may also be utilised by the operator as part of their own event programme, including catering and bar provision. The castle keep is also used for ceremonies and smaller events but remains under Council control and is not available for operator-led events.\nAdditional areas, including the castle ramparts and an ancillary bar or function room, may be used to support events where appropriate and subject to approval. These spaces provide flexibility to enhance the visitor and event experience whilst ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements.\nThe operator will share access to back-of-house and storage areas with the Council, including spaces used for equipment, stock and event furniture. These arrangements require coordinated use and may be reviewed periodically to ensure suitability.\nOperations must also accommodate external events. At times, large-scale events may restrict or suspend access to the castle, during which the operator will not be permitted to trade. In contrast, other events may increase footfall and present additional trading opportunities, with the Council providing advance notice where required.\nThe operator must ensure the site remains open to the public for a minimum of 50 weeks per year and deliver a catering and events offer that supports growth. This includes providing catering for Council-managed events and developing an independent programme of activities outside core hours to enhance the site's profile as a destination venue.\nAll activities must reflect the building's status as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, ensuring a balance between commercial use and the preservation of the site.\nRevenue Share and Lease Fee\nThe lease will be subject to rental fee and revenue share payments from the operator to the Council. The Council is targeting a minimum guaranteed annual rental payment of £32,000 over initial 5 years of the lease. Rental payments are to be made in advance on a quarterly basis.\nOperators will be required to propose a revenue share percentage to the Council in Year 1, which should not fall below 3% and not be higher than 10%, without justification. Where a proposal falls below or above this range, the Council may consider the bid to be abnormally low or abnormally high and reserves the right to undertake further investigation and seek clarification from the bidder.\nThe proposed revenue share percentage is not expected to reduce following Year 1. Where a bidder proposes a reduction in revenue share percentage over the contract term, the Council reserves the right to investigate the rationale and set aside the bid where this cannot be satisfactorily justified.\nThe revenue share percentage proposed by operators may vary over the term of the agreement but must always be within the range stated. Revenue share payments are to be made within 30 days at the end of each contract year.\nBased upon current revenue and subject to indexation the Council estimates that the successful Operator could achieve a turnover figure of approx. £600K. However, the Council considers that there are significant opportunities to increase revenue though investment, events, food offer, advertising, etc. which could have a major positive impact upon revenue generation, potentially increasing revenue generation.\nBased on an estimated annual turnover of £600,000 in Year 1, the Council anticipates that the total value of the concession opportunity over the potential 10-year contract term could be in the region of £7 million to £8 million. However, it should be noted that all estimates in respect of the value of the business opportunity are purely indicative and provided to comply with the requirements of the Procurement Act 23 in relation to publication of estimated contract values. All figures are non-binding, the Council is providing no guarantees and accepting no liability in the event that the actual value of the business opportunity over the term of the contract falls significantly above or below the guide estimates provided.\nThe specification includes for clearly defined performance standards, service levels and KPIs covering the following areas:\n•\tKPI 1 - Customer Experience & Destination Offer\n•\tKPI 2 - Event Delivery & Programme Growth\n•\tKPI 3 - Catering Quality & Operational Standards\n•\tKPI 4 - Commercial Performance & Open Book Reporting\n•\tKPI 5 - Compliance, Health & Safety & Asset Stewardship\n•\tKPI 6 - Partnership Working, Communication & Community Engagement\nThe Council is seeking to establish a partnership relationship with the successful Operator based on the following principles\n•\tProactive collaboration and co-operation with the Council including attendance at the Strategic and Operational Boards.\n•\tProactive collaboration and co-operation with other current and future stakeholders in the City and the immediate surrounds.\n•\tPartnership working with locally based public, private and third-party organisations.\n•\tWorking with community groups to support activities and events where appropriate.\nThe Operator will be required to align with the Council's Social Value Policy in a manner which provides targeted meaningful impact to individuals, communities, the environment and local economy.\nAll repairs to the spaces occupied must be undertaken with the necessary permissions in place from both Historic England and the Council which reflects the status of the Castle as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.", "status": "active", "items": [ { "id": "1", "additionalClassifications": [ { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55310000", "description": "Restaurant waiter services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55320000", "description": "Meal-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55330000", "description": "Cafeteria services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55400000", "description": "Beverage-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55500000", "description": "Canteen and catering services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "79952000", "description": "Event services" } ], "deliveryAddresses": [ { "region": "UKJ31", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom" } ], "relatedLot": "1" }, { "id": "2", "additionalClassifications": [ { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55310000", "description": "Restaurant waiter services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55320000", "description": "Meal-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55330000", "description": "Cafeteria services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55400000", "description": "Beverage-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55500000", "description": "Canteen and catering services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "79952000", "description": "Event services" } ], "deliveryAddresses": [ { "region": "UKJ31", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom" } ], "relatedLot": "2" } ], "value": { "amountGross": 9840000, "amount": 8200000, "currency": "GBP" }, "procurementMethod": "open", "procurementMethodDetails": "Competitive flexible procedure", "procedure": { "features": "In respect of application of the Procurement Act 23, the Council's position is that the contract falls under the definition of a concession contract as set out within Section 8 of the Procurement Act 2023 and that therefore only the aspects of the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 that apply to 'special regime' contracts are of relevance to this procurement process and management of the resultant contract.\nThe council is using a single stage competitive flexible procedure for the procurement of this contract, which includes conditions of participation and detailed tender proposals to be submitted at the same time.\nThe Council will run the procurement process to secure the Operator using the Competitive Flexible Procedure as defined within the Procurement Act 23. The Council has designed a process that includes for:\n•\tPre Tender submission dialogue\n•\tPost Tender submission negotiation\n•\tRefinement of specification, contractual / lease terms and commercial model during the process\n•\tSite tours & bidders briefing\n•\tPost award finalisation of contract terms, lease & commercial arrangements\n•\tDue diligence including for take up of client references and visits to operator offices & operational sites, both pre and post award\nPreliminary Market Engagement\nFollowing the Council's Preliminary Market Engagement (PME), which informed the development of the procurement strategy, feedback from the market indicated varying preferences in relation to contract length, investment recovery periods and commercial delivery models.\nIn particular, the PME highlighted that different operators adopt differing approaches to contract term depending on their business model, level of upfront investment, and appetite for revenue growth and operational risk. This included a distinction between operators preferring shorter initial terms with flexibility to extend, and those favouring longer initial terms to support investment and long-term planning.\nIn response to this feedback, the Council has structured the procurement into two alternative lots -\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nThe split lot approach ensures that the procurement remains flexible and responsive to market capability, while allowing the Council to determine, through evaluation, the most appropriate contract term for the delivery of the service.\nCentral Digital Platform\nOperators are required to register on the Central Digital Platform, and upload and/or check that their core Supplier information on the Central Digital Platform relating to their company information, Mandatory and Discretionary Exclusions, Connected Persons, and economic and financial standing is all up to date and accurate at the point of submitting both a Tender Response. Where relevant, Operators will also need to provide information concerning Associated Persons and intended Sub-contractors\nShould there be any inconsistency between this information and the information as submitted in response to this Procurement, the Operator will need to provide evidence as to the accuracy of their submission and failure to do so could result in the Operator being excluded for Improper Behaviour.\nGuidance on accessing the Central Digital Platform can be found here -\nhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-short-guides/suppliers-how-to-register-your-organisation-and-first-administrator-on-find-a-tender-in-three-easy-steps-html\nAccess to tender document and programme\nThe Council will administrate the procurement using its e-sourcing \nsystem In-Tend, which will be used for:\n•\tAccess to and issue of procurement information and documentation\n•\tPre-tender submission clarification requests and response\n•\tTender submission\n•\tTender opening and access to responses\n•\tPost tender submission clarification requests and response\n•\tAward decision notification and feedback\nThe In-Tend system can be accessed free of charge via the following web link:\nhttps://intendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home\nThe Council are intending to follow the subsequent Procurement Programme -\nIssue of Tender Notice & Invitation to Participate in Dialogue - 22/06/26\nSite Visit (condition of tendering) - 29/06/26 (17:00-19:00)\n1-2-1 dialogue meetings - From 13/07/26 to 24/07/26 2026\nRequest for clarification deadline - 10/08/26 by 16:00\nTender proposals return - 21/08/26 by 12:00\nTender Evaluation - 24/08/26 to 11/09/26\nOptional Operator Interviews - 7/09/26 to 11/09/26\nNotification of award decision, issue of assessment summaries and publication of Contract Award Notice - 21/09/26\nStandstill Period - 21/09/26 to 30/09/26\nPreferred bidder secured and confirmation of contract award - 1/10/26\nContract Start - Monday 1st February 2027\nFailure to meet the deadlines set out above may result in an Operator's submission not being considered.\nMandatory Site Visit\nAttendance at the site visit is a mandatory requirement for any Operator wishing to submit a tender response. Operators who attended the site visit as part of the Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise will be deemed to have satisfied this requirement, however all Operators are permitted to attend. \nFailure to attend the scheduled site visit on Monday 19th June 2026 from 17:00 to 19:00 at Southsea Castle will result in the Operator being excluded from the procurement process.\nDialogue TEAMS Meetings\nOperators who wish to engage in an online TEAMS 1-1 clarification meeting/s with the Council prior to submission of their tender return must register via InTend using the correspondence function by 12:00 on Wednesday 8th July 2026. Only Operators who have attended the site visit/were involved in the Preliminary Market Engagement will be able to attend the dialogue meetings.\nThe 1-1 meetings will be held via TEAMS from Monday 13th July 2026 to Friday 24th July 2026.\nOperators may request up to 90 minutes of clarification meeting time with the Council which may be covered in one meeting or split between multiple (max 2) if required to accommodate diaries of particular Council and Operator project team members that may be required to attend to address particular clarification topics.\nIn registering Operators must provide the following information:\n•\tNames, positions and contact details (email & telephone number) of delegates (max of 4 delegates may attend)\n•\tPreferred dates and times for meetings\n•\tClarification questions, topics and themes\nThe Council will minute the meetings and provide the notes promptly with the particular Operator via InTend.\nWhere questions and responses are not commercially sensitive to an Operators particular approach they will be added to the Clarification Log and issued to all Operators via InTend.\nTender evaluation principles\nThe evaluation of responses takes place in two stages:\n•\tEvaluation of exclusion grounds and conditions of participation takes place first. Only when a Operator has satisfied these minimum requirements within the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) will evaluation proceed to the next stage.\n•\tEvaluation of award criteria takes place second and comprises evaluation of the responses to the Quality Assessment Questions (QAQ) and Pricing.\nMinimum requirements\nThe PSQ Preliminary Questions focus on the following sections that will be assessed on a pass/fail basis -\n1.\tOperator information\n2.\tGrounds for exclusion\n3.\tRelevant experience and contract examples\n4.\tFinancial capacity\n5.\tInsurance\n6.\tGDPR/ Data Protection\n7.\tHealth and Safety\n8.\tAccreditations\n9.\tPayments in contracts (information only)\n10.\tTackling Modern slavery (information only)\nAny Operator who does not meet the minimum requirements in the preliminary questions, will be excluded as not meeting the conditions of participation, and their submission will not be assessed any further.\nAward criteria\nWhere a Operator has satisfied the minimum requirements within the PSQ, their responses to the Quality Assessment Questions (QAQ) will then be evaluated against the following award criteria:\n•\tPrice 40%\n•\tQuality 60%\nFor details of the breakdown of how the Price and Quality are to be assessed see Award Criteria of this notice. The pricing will be assessed on a normalised basis, whilst the quality responses will be assessed on a weighted rate basis or pass/fail.\nFor a breakdown of the specific criteria to be used to evaluate an Operators quality assessment question submission, Operators should refer to Quality Assessment Question scoring matrices and refer to the Single Stage Competitive Flexible Procedure - \nConditions of Participation and Invitation to Tender included in the tender pack available via the Council's e-tendering platform Intend.\nOptional Operator Interviews\nFollowing completion of the initial evaluation, the Council may invite the highest scoring bidder(s) for Lot 1 and/or Lot 2 to attend an interview. The purpose of the interview will be to clarify, validate and test the proposals submitted, including assumptions, deliverability and sustainability of the bidder's offer.\nFollowing completion of any interviews and final moderation, the Council will determine whether to proceed with Lot 1 or Lot 2, and will award the contract to the bidder achieving the highest final cost/quality score across the selected lot\nThe Council reserves the right, following completion of tender evaluation, to enter into discussions with the preferred bidder in respect of commercial terms, provided that any resulting agreement does not materially alter the substance of the tender submitted or undermine the integrity of the procurement process." }, "mainProcurementCategory": "services", "specialRegime": [ "concession" ], "aboveThreshold": true, "coveredBy": [ "GPA" ], "submissionMethodDetails": "https://in-tendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home", "submissionTerms": { "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed", "languages": [ "en" ] }, "tenderPeriod": { "endDate": "2026-08-21T12:00:00+01:00" }, "enquiryPeriod": { "endDate": "2026-08-10T16:00:00+01:00" }, "awardPeriod": { "endDate": "2026-09-21T23:59:59+01:00" }, "lots": [ { "id": "1", "title": "Standard Term Concession (5 + 5 years)", "description": "This Lot relates to the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, as described in the Competitive flexible procedure description of this notice.\nLot 1 represents the Council's baseline contract structure, comprising an initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years (maximum 10 years total).\nTenderers are required to submit a bid for Lot 1, which forms the core basis for evaluation and comparison across submissions.\nThe total estimated value of the concession opportunity is approximately £8,200,000 (excluding VAT), or £9,840,000 (including VAT), based on a maximum contract term of 10 years.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement. Only one lot will be awarded.\nDue to system limitations within the Find a Tender Service, the values attributed to each lot are required to be entered individually and are therefore displayed as cumulative. This does not reflect the actual procurement value.\nThe stated lot values should not be aggregated, and the overall value of the opportunity remains as set out above.", "status": "active", "value": { "amountGross": 9839998, "amount": 8199999, "currency": "GBP" }, "awardCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "quality", "name": "Quality", "description": "1.\tProposal \t35%\n1.1\tStrategic Vision & Catering Offer\t12.5%\n1.2\tEvents Strategy & Operational Delivery\t12.5%\n1.3\tRisk & Resilience\t5%\n1.4\tMarketing, Promotion & Customer Engagement\t5%\n2.\tMobilisation \t5%\n2.1\tMobilisation, Transition & Implementation\t5%\n3.\tResourcing \t10%\n3.1\tManagement Team & Operational Staff\t7.5%\n3.2\tSupply Chain & Sub-Contractors\t2.5%\n4.\tBusiness plan and financing\t10%\n4.1\tBusiness & Financial Model\t7.5%\n4.2\tOpen Book Working, Performance Targets & Reporting\t2.5%", "numbers": [ { "number": 60, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] }, { "type": "price", "name": "Income", "description": "5.\tFinancial proposal\t40%\n5.1\tBase rent return to the Council\t25%\n5.2\tPercentage Revenue Share to the Council in year one\t5%\n5.3\tAverage Revenue Share over 10-year contract term\t10%", "numbers": [ { "number": 40, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] } ] }, "selectionCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "economic", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." }, { "type": "technical", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." } ] }, "suitability": { "sme": true }, "contractPeriod": { "startDate": "2027-02-01T00:00:00Z", "endDate": "2032-01-31T23:59:59Z", "maxExtentDate": "2037-01-31T23:59:59Z" }, "hasRenewal": true, "renewal": { "description": "Under Lot 1 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of five years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of five years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10years.\nUnder Lot 2 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of seven years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of three years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10 years." }, "hasOptions": true, "options": { "description": "The Council reserves the right to engage the next placed highest scoring Operator (ranked 2nd) to deliver the contract in the event that any of the following events occur during the award, mobilisation and delivery of the services during the initial base term as well as during any extension periods:\n•\tThe Council is unable to agree and execute terms of contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders\n•\t The preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders fails to mobilise and commence the services in line with the agreed programme, or is significantly delayed in meeting programme milestones and is highly likely to not commence services in line with the agreed programme\n•\tThe contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders is terminated due to:\no\tMaterial breach\no\tNon-material persistent breach\no\tFailure to meet service levels and KPIs\no\tNot meeting Conditions of Participation - Exclusion grounds, insurance, financial standing, accreditations, etc.\no\tInability to agree price increases in line with terms\no\tInability to agree price changes, specification changes, event in the event of materialisation of identified known risks\nThe next placed Operator will only be engaged at the Council's discretion and subject to the Operator evidencing ability to:\n•\tMeet all Conditions of Participation\n•\tDeliver the requirements as set out in the specification including for any updates made by the Council\n•\tHonour the terms & conditions included within the original procurement\n•\tDeliver the service delivery proposals included within their original tender submission as a minimum\n•\tHonour the pricing elements included for within their original tender submission, subject to reasonable application of relevant CPI indices, as a minimum with a requirement to mitigate any increases where possible\nIn the event that the Council is unable to reach agreement with the next placed Operator the Council may, at its sole discretion engage with the Operator that ranked immediately below the next placed Operator (ranked 3rd) from the evaluation process to deliver the contract subject to the requirements set out above.\nIn the event that agreement cannot be reached with the 3rd ranked Operator the council may engage with the 4th ranked Operator and so forth at its discretion for delivery of the contract." } }, { "id": "2", "title": "Extended Term Concession (7 + 3 years)", "description": "This Lot relates to the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, as described in the Competitive flexible procedure description of this notice.\nLot 2 provides an alternative contract structure, comprising an initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years (maximum 10 years total).\nSubmission for Lot 2 is optional. Tenderers submitting for this lot must clearly demonstrate the additional value, investment or benefits delivered as a result of the longer initial contract term.\nThe total estimated value of the concession opportunity is approximately £8,200,000 (excluding VAT), or £9,840,000 (including VAT), based on a maximum contract term of 10 years.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement. Only one lot will be awarded.\nDue to system limitations within the Find a Tender Service, the values attributed to each lot are required to be entered individually and are therefore displayed as cumulative. This does not reflect the actual procurement value.\nThe stated lot values should not be aggregated, and the overall value of the opportunity remains as set out above.", "status": "active", "value": { "amountGross": 2, "amount": 1, "currency": "GBP" }, "awardCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "quality", "name": "Quality", "description": "1.\tProposal \t35%\n1.1\tStrategic Vision & Catering Offer\t12.5%\n1.2\tEvents Strategy & Operational Delivery\t12.5%\n1.3\tRisk & Resilience\t5%\n1.4\tMarketing, Promotion & Customer Engagement\t5%\n2.\tMobilisation \t5%\n2.1\tMobilisation, Transition & Implementation\t5%\n3.\tResourcing \t10%\n3.1\tManagement Team & Operational Staff\t7.5%\n3.2\tSupply Chain & Sub-Contractors\t2.5%\n4.\tBusiness plan and financing\t10%\n4.1\tBusiness & Financial Model\t7.5%\n4.2\tOpen Book Working, Performance Targets & Reporting\t2.5%", "numbers": [ { "number": 60, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] }, { "type": "price", "name": "Income", "description": "5.\tFinancial proposal\t40%\n5.1\tBase rent return to the Council\t25%\n5.2\tPercentage Revenue Share to the Council in year one\t5%\n5.3\tAverage Revenue Share over 10-year contract term\t10%", "numbers": [ { "number": 40, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] } ] }, "selectionCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "economic", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." }, { "type": "technical", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." } ] }, "suitability": { "sme": true }, "contractPeriod": { "startDate": "2027-02-01T00:00:00Z", "endDate": "2032-01-31T23:59:59Z", "maxExtentDate": "2037-01-31T23:59:59Z" }, "hasRenewal": true, "renewal": { "description": "Under Lot 1 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of five years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of five years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10years.\nUnder Lot 2 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of seven years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of three years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10 years." }, "hasOptions": true, "options": { "description": "The Council reserves the right to engage the next placed highest scoring Operator (ranked 2nd) to deliver the contract in the event that any of the following events occur during the award, mobilisation and delivery of the services during the initial base term as well as during any extension periods:\n•\tThe Council is unable to agree and execute terms of contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders\n•\t The preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders fails to mobilise and commence the services in line with the agreed programme, or is significantly delayed in meeting programme milestones and is highly likely to not commence services in line with the agreed programme\n•\tThe contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders is terminated due to:\no\tMaterial breach\no\tNon-material persistent breach\no\tFailure to meet service levels and KPIs\no\tNot meeting Conditions of Participation - Exclusion grounds, insurance, financial standing, accreditations, etc.\no\tInability to agree price increases in line with terms\no\tInability to agree price changes, specification changes, event in the event of materialisation of identified known risks\nThe next placed Operator will only be engaged at the Council's discretion and subject to the Operator evidencing ability to:\n•\tMeet all Conditions of Participation\n•\tDeliver the requirements as set out in the specification including for any updates made by the Council\n•\tHonour the terms & conditions included within the original procurement\n•\tDeliver the service delivery proposals included within their original tender submission as a minimum\n•\tHonour the pricing elements included for within their original tender submission, subject to reasonable application of relevant CPI indices, as a minimum with a requirement to mitigate any increases where possible\nIn the event that the Council is unable to reach agreement with the next placed Operator the Council may, at its sole discretion engage with the Operator that ranked immediately below the next placed Operator (ranked 3rd) from the evaluation process to deliver the contract subject to the requirements set out above.\nIn the event that agreement cannot be reached with the 3rd ranked Operator the council may engage with the 4th ranked Operator and so forth at its discretion for delivery of the contract." } } ], "lotDetails": { "awardCriteriaDetails": "The procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement:\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nOperators may submit a bid under either or both lots invited to submit a response for one lot only, selecting the contract term option which best reflects their proposed delivery model, investment approach and commercial offer.\nFollowing completion of the initial evaluation, the Council may invite the highest scoring bidder(s)under the relevant lot to attend an interview. The purpose of the interview will be to clarify, validate and test the proposals submitted, including assumptions, deliverability and sustainability of the bidder's offer.\nNo new scoring criteria will be introduced at interview stage. However, information obtained through clarification may be used to review and, where appropriate, adjust the original quality scores where responses demonstrate that the tender submission is:\n- not fully understood,\n- not deliverable as proposed, or\n- materially inconsistent with the submitted response.\nAward Decision\nFollowing completion of any interviews and final moderation, the Council will determine whether to proceed with Lot 1 or Lot 2.\nTenders for both Lots will be evaluated on a consistent basis using the same evaluation criteria and weightings. The Council will compare the final evaluated scores across both Lots and award the contract to the tender achieving the highest overall score, whether submitted under Lot 1 or Lot 2.\nFor clarity, where the evaluation demonstrates that a bidder under Lot 2 achieves a higher overall score compared to all compliant bids under Lot 1, the Council may proceed to award the contract under Lot 2" }, "documents": [ { "id": "conflictOfInterest", "documentType": "conflictOfInterest", "description": "Not published" }, { "id": "A-16583", "documentType": "biddingDocuments", "description": "Summary PME report from the soft market testing.", "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-16583", "format": "application/pdf" }, { "id": "070301-2026", "documentType": "tenderNotice", "noticeType": "UK4", "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender", "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070301-2026", "datePublished": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "format": "text/html" } ], "hasRecurrence": true, "recurrence": { "dates": [ { "startDate": "2036-04-01T23:59:59+01:00" } ] }, "riskDetails": "The Council has identified the following known risks & opportunities that may occur during the duration of the term of the contract and may positively or negatively impact the scope, scale, value, timescales, end user demand, etc. related the contract:\n•\tDevelopment and changing demographics of Portsmouth area which could impact positively or negatively on operator revenues\n•\tMarco and micro environmental impacts on utilities and other costs which could impact operator costs\n•\tChanges to VAT levels and other impacts of taxation which could impact operator costs\n•\tLocal Government Review impacts including for assignment of contract to successor unitary authority and any new requirements / objectives of the new authority which may require alterations to the technical scope, contractual and commercial structure of the arrangements\n•\tUnforeseen maintenance requirements which could increase operator costs and impact revenues if closures are required\n•\tInflation and other cost of living impacts which could increase or decrease operator revenues and costs\n•\tChanges to National Living Wage, National Insurance and other factors which could impact operator employment costs\n•\tIncreased or decreased competition from other public or privately run facilities or attractions which could impact operator revenues\n•\tIntroduction of new technologies, systems and processes which could reduce operator costs and / or increase revenues as well as impacting technical scope\n•\tIntroduction of new activities through market innovations that could open up new operator revenue opportunities and impact technical scope\n•\tChanges to relevant government policy / legislation which could increase or decrease operator revenues & costs, as well as potentially mandating changes to the technical scope\n•\tAn endemic or pandemic event similar to Covid 19 which could increase costs and / or reduce demand.\nThe Council has identified the risks and opportunities above associated with the delivery of this contract. In accordance with Schedule 8 of the Procurement Act 2023, the Council reserves the right to modify the contract, without initiating a new procurement procedure, should any of these risks materialise during the contract term.\nAny such modification will be limited to addressing the consequences of the known risk and will not alter the overall nature of the contract. Where applicable, a Contract Change Notice will be published in accordance with the requirements of the Act.\nImpact of Local Government Reorganisation\nAs part of the wider Local Government Review (LGR), the Council has been required to engage with neighbouring authorities to explore future structural reform, shared service opportunities, and alignment of governance arrangements.\nThe UK Government has now confirmed its decision regarding Local Government Reorganisation across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Under the confirmed proposals, Portsmouth City Council will become part of a new, larger unitary authority covering the areas of Gosport, Fareham and Havant, and including Newlands, Horndean, Clanfield and Rowlands Castle.\nThe new unitary authority will formally come into existence on 1 April 2028, at which point Portsmouth City Council, as it currently exists, will be legally dissolved on 31 March 2028.\nUpon dissolution of the Council and vesting of the new unitary authority the contract established via this procurement process will automatically transfer to the new authority.\nThe operator will be legally required to continue honouring all commitments made under the terms of the contract let by the Council.\nIt is not anticipated that beyond the change of client authority that any other aspects of the specification, terms and other requirements are likely to be subject to any significant changes, although the Council is obviously not able to accurately predict the requirements and objectives of the future authority.", "amendments": [ { "description": "The tender return deadline has been extend to Friday 21st August 2026, and the clarification deadline is now Monday 10th August 2026.", "id": "070301-2026" } ] }, "language": "en", "extensions": [ "https://standard.open-contracting.org/profiles/eu/latest/en/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_amendment_rationale_classifications_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_budget_breakdown_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_contract_completion_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_documentation_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_pagination_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_suitability_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/portaledcahn/ocds_Links_extension/main/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cabinetoffice/ocds_uk_extension/main/extension.json" ] } ], "compiledRelease": { "tag": [ "compiled" ], "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-065b89-2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "date": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-065b89", "initiationType": "tender", "parties": [ { "id": "GB-PPON-PCNL-5714-PRZV", "name": "Portsmouth City Council", "identifier": { "scheme": "GB-PPON", "id": "PCNL-5714-PRZV" }, "address": { "streetAddress": "Civic Offices, Guildhall Square", "locality": "Portsmouth", "postalCode": "PO1 2AL", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom", "region": "UKJ31" }, "contactPoint": { "email": "procurement@portsmouthcc.gov.uk" }, "roles": [ "buyer" ], "details": { "classifications": [ { "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE", "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment", "description": "Public authority - sub-central government" } ] } } ], "buyer": { "id": "GB-PPON-PCNL-5714-PRZV", "name": "Portsmouth City Council" }, "planning": { "milestones": [ { "id": "engagement", "type": "engagement", "description": "INTRODUCTION\nPortsmouth City Council (the Council) is undertaking a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to inform the future procurement strategy for catering and event services at Southsea Castle.\nTo ensure effective engagement with organisations, and in the interests of transparency and fair and equal treatment set out within the Procurement Act 23, the Council has instigated this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) process via issue of a PME Notice on the Central Government Find a Tender Service / Central Digital Platform.\nThrough the PME exercise suitably qualified and experienced operators will have the opportunity to participate in a site tour of the premises on 10th March at 16:30 - 19:00 and take part in 1-1 discussions with key Council officers. \nThe 1-1 meetings will generally be held on-line via Microsoft Teams between 10th - 18th March, although the Council may also be able to offer in person meetings at the Council's Civic Offices. The Council currently has 4 1.5-hour meeting slots available which will be allocated on a first come first served basis to operators who can meet the minimum experience requirements detailed below.\nIf more than 4 qualifying operators express interest in 1-1 meetings the council will endeavour to make further meeting slots available but cannot provide any guarantees, as such interested operators are encouraged to submit formal expressions of interest as a matter of urgency. Where meeting slots cannot be allocated the Council will give operators an opportunity to provide written feedback. \nThe feedback gained through this process will inform the development of the operational, commercial and contractual positions taken by the Council when the formal procurement process is undertaken, as well as informing the design and programme for the actual procurement process. \nEXPRESSION OF INTEREST PROCESS & PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS\nAttendance at the site visit, and participation in any subsequent one‑to‑one meetings, will be limited to Operators who have completed and submitted the accompanying Expression of Interest (EOI) form via In‑tend using the correspondence function . \nIn the first instance, interested Operators must complete the EOI form and return it via In‑tend, confirming their interest in taking part in the site visit and the 1‑to‑1 discussions. The EOI form requests operators to provide the following information for up to two case studies, which must be in relation to current operations or operations that have ceased within the last 12 months:\n•\tDaily restaurant or café operations of a minimum of 30 covers\n•\tEvent catering delivery of a minimum of 100 covers\n•\tBar operation and management\nThese minimum requirements are expected to form part of the pass/fail Conditions of Participation in the subsequent procurement process. Operators who are unable to evidence the stated level of relevant experience will not be eligible to take part in this PME process or bid for the future opportunity.\nThe expression of interest form requests Operators to provide the following information:\n•\tGeneral company information\n•\tDetails of previous experience managing a hospitality business; whether a café, restaurant or catering company \n•\tAvailability for meetings on:\no\tSlot 1 - Tuesday 10th March - Either 11:00 - 12:30 or 11:30 - 13:00\no\tSlot 2 - Wednesday 11th March - 09:30 - 11:00\no\tSlot 3 - Thursday 12th March - Either 15:00 - 16:30 or 15:30 - 17:00\no\tSlot 4 - Wednesday 18th March 13:00 - 14:30\n•\tNames of delegates who will attend the site visit and/or the 1-2-1 meetings, including their role and email address.\nIn addition to submission pf the EOI operators will also be required to complete and submit a Conflict of Interest (COI) Statement using the form provided. Further information in respect of Conflict of Interest is included within the further documentation accessible via the Council's e-sourcing solution In-tend.\nNB: Operators should note that there is no obligation to take part in this exercise and that if they do not take part, it will not preclude them from any subsequent related procurement process. Engaging Operators will not receive preferential treatment in the subsequent procurement process, and this is in no way an indication of the selection of any organisation or a guarantee of future work.\nCOUNICL TEAM\nThe key Council officers who will attend the 1-1 meetings are as follows:\n•\tClaire Looney - Partnership and Commissioning Manager - PCC Culture Leisure and Regulatory Services \n•\tJacqueline Braks - Events and weddings manager, Southsea Castle - PCC Culture Leisure and Regulatory Services \n•\tRichard Lock - Assistant Director Procurement - PCC Finance and Resources\n•\tSimon Courtney - Senior Procurement Professional - PCC Finance and Resources\n•\tShannon Penfold - Trainee Procurement Professional - PCC Finance and Resources\nPME & PROCUREMENT ADMINISTRATION\nThe Council will administrate the preliminary market engagement and future formal procurement process using its e-sourcing system In-Tend which will be used for:\n•\tAccess to and issue of information and documentation \n•\tClarification requests and response\n•\tExpression of interest submission \n•\tAllocation of 1-1 meeting slots\n•\tIssue of tender documentation\n•\tSubmission of tender responses\n•\tIssue of Award Decision notification\nThe In-tend system can be accessed for free using the following link: \nhttps://in-tendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home\nPME SUPPORTING INFORMATION\nThe following documents have been included as part of the PME Briefing pack via In-tend:\n•\tSouthsea Castle - PME Brief (this document)\n•\tSouthsea Castle - PME 1-1 EOI\n•\tCastle Website: https://southseacastle.co.uk/\n•\tConflict of Interest Statement\n•\tConflicts of Interest Declaration Form\n•\tIntend Guidance, Supporting Information & Clarification Process.\nPME FEEBACK AREAS \nAs the council explores options for the new catering arrangements for Southsea Castle, it is keen to seek input from the market in respect of interest, ambitions, vision, commercials, contract, maintenance, procurement strategy, etc. to inform the future formal procurement process. \nThrough undertaking 1-1 discussions with operators the Council will seek information on and input into the following headline areas, further detail on these discussion points are included within the PME Brief document accessible via In-tend:\n1.\tExperience, Capacity & Growth Ambitions\n2.\tVision for the Catering Offer \n3.\tOpportunities for Weddings, Corporate Events & Private Hire\n4.\tCommunity, Cultural and Local Partnerships\n5.\tMarketing, Communications & Customer Service - Launch and Ongoing Strategy\n6.\tInvestment, Building Improvements & Maintenance \n7.\tCommercial Viability & Business Model Options\n8.\tPartnership Working, Performance Reporting & Contract Management Expectations\n9.\tProcurement Process, Mobilisation & Transition Planning\n10.\tContractual Parameters and Limitations\nCONFLICTS ASSESSMENT \nThe Procurement Act 2023 requires the Council to identify and keep under review actual and potential conflicts of interest. The Council must also mitigate conflicts of interest and address circumstances which the Council considers are likely to cause a reasonable person to wrongly believe there to be a conflict or potential conflict of interest.\nA conflict of interest arises when an individual's personal interests, relationships, or activities have the potential to interfere with their impartiality or the integrity of the procurement process. This may include financial, personal, familial, or business interests that could improperly influence, or be perceived to influence, their decisions or actions.\nOperators should refer to Conflicts of Interest Declaration Form accessible via In-tend for further details of the Council's duty regarding conflict of interests.\nOperators should complete and submit one conflict of interest declaration per organisation in word format.", "dueDate": "2026-03-20T23:59:59Z", "status": "scheduled" } ], "documents": [ { "id": "016667-2026", "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice", "noticeType": "UK2", "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender", "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016667-2026", "datePublished": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "format": "text/html" } ] }, "tender": { "id": "P00005202", "legalBasis": { "id": "2023/54", "scheme": "UKPGA", "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents" }, "title": "Southsea Castle Catering and Events Concession Opportunity - Portsmouth 2026", "description": "Portsmouth City Council (\"the Council\") is inviting tenders from suitably qualified and experienced catering and events operators for the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, under a long term commercial arrangement comprising a combination of rental income and an incentivised revenue share mechanism.\nThe council is using a single stage competitive flexible procedure for the procurement of this contract, which includes conditions of participation and detailed tender proposals to be submitted at the same time.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement:\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nTenderers are invited to submit a response for one lot only, selecting the contract term option which best reflects their proposed delivery model, investment approach and commercial offer.\nThe Council intends to award a single contract under either Lot 1 or Lot 2, based on the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT).\nAward of the contract is targeted for 21st September 2026. The successful operator will be required to seamlessly commence operations under a lease with associated concession arrangement from 1st February 2027 following expiry of the lease held with the current incumbent operator on 31st January 2027.\nSouthsea Castle\nSouthsea Castle, built in 1544 by King Henry VIII as part of his coastal defence scheme, is a historic, Scheduled Ancient Monument and a site of national importance.\nSouthsea Castle now operates as a visitor attraction and museum, restaurant, and historic wedding & events venue. The Castle attracts upwards of 10,000 visitors per month over the summer season and offers members of the public free access to the castle keep, ramparts, shop & viewing rooms from April - October.\nThe restaurant in Southsea Castle is open all year round, and the Castle hosts numerous events throughout the season, in particular weddings & corporate events, as well as community events.\nDuring the opening season, there are also local makers market's hosted in the marquee, as well as heritage tours and talks hosted by the museums team. All events hosted by the museums team are aimed at engaging with the local community and increasing the visitor experience at Southsea Castle\nThe Castle courtyard, keep, ramparts and museum rooms are open to the public from 10am - 5pm, Tues - Sunday's and bank holidays, from April - October, and are closed over the winter period. The restaurant is open all year round, currently from 9.30am - 5pm every day in the summer season, and Wed-Sun 9.30am - 5pm in the winter season.\nPermitted Uses, Opening Times & Access\nThe permitted use of Southsea Castle comprises a combination of public-facing restaurant operations and a programme of private and operator-led events, with defined parameters around access, capacity and shared use. The restaurant and café, located within the western side of the castle courtyard, provide approximately 60 internal covers and up to 54 external covers (subject to layout). The space can also accommodate private events of up to 60 seated or 80 standing guests. The operator is required to provide a daily service as a minimum between 9:30am and 5:00pm, with flexibility for evening trading and private hire where this does not conflict with Council-managed bookings.\nPrivate events are delivered across a range of spaces. The marquee is the primary large-scale event space, with a capacity of up to 120 seated or 200 standing guests, and is managed by the Council. This space is used for weddings and corporate functions but may also be utilised by the operator as part of their own event programme, including catering and bar provision. The castle keep is also used for ceremonies and smaller events but remains under Council control and is not available for operator-led events.\nAdditional areas, including the castle ramparts and an ancillary bar or function room, may be used to support events where appropriate and subject to approval. These spaces provide flexibility to enhance the visitor and event experience whilst ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements.\nThe operator will share access to back-of-house and storage areas with the Council, including spaces used for equipment, stock and event furniture. These arrangements require coordinated use and may be reviewed periodically to ensure suitability.\nOperations must also accommodate external events. At times, large-scale events may restrict or suspend access to the castle, during which the operator will not be permitted to trade. In contrast, other events may increase footfall and present additional trading opportunities, with the Council providing advance notice where required.\nThe operator must ensure the site remains open to the public for a minimum of 50 weeks per year and deliver a catering and events offer that supports growth. This includes providing catering for Council-managed events and developing an independent programme of activities outside core hours to enhance the site's profile as a destination venue.\nAll activities must reflect the building's status as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, ensuring a balance between commercial use and the preservation of the site.\nRevenue Share and Lease Fee\nThe lease will be subject to rental fee and revenue share payments from the operator to the Council. The Council is targeting a minimum guaranteed annual rental payment of £32,000 over initial 5 years of the lease. Rental payments are to be made in advance on a quarterly basis.\nOperators will be required to propose a revenue share percentage to the Council in Year 1, which should not fall below 3% and not be higher than 10%, without justification. Where a proposal falls below or above this range, the Council may consider the bid to be abnormally low or abnormally high and reserves the right to undertake further investigation and seek clarification from the bidder.\nThe proposed revenue share percentage is not expected to reduce following Year 1. Where a bidder proposes a reduction in revenue share percentage over the contract term, the Council reserves the right to investigate the rationale and set aside the bid where this cannot be satisfactorily justified.\nThe revenue share percentage proposed by operators may vary over the term of the agreement but must always be within the range stated. Revenue share payments are to be made within 30 days at the end of each contract year.\nBased upon current revenue and subject to indexation the Council estimates that the successful Operator could achieve a turnover figure of approx. £600K. However, the Council considers that there are significant opportunities to increase revenue though investment, events, food offer, advertising, etc. which could have a major positive impact upon revenue generation, potentially increasing revenue generation.\nBased on an estimated annual turnover of £600,000 in Year 1, the Council anticipates that the total value of the concession opportunity over the potential 10-year contract term could be in the region of £7 million to £8 million. However, it should be noted that all estimates in respect of the value of the business opportunity are purely indicative and provided to comply with the requirements of the Procurement Act 23 in relation to publication of estimated contract values. All figures are non-binding, the Council is providing no guarantees and accepting no liability in the event that the actual value of the business opportunity over the term of the contract falls significantly above or below the guide estimates provided.\nThe specification includes for clearly defined performance standards, service levels and KPIs covering the following areas:\n•\tKPI 1 - Customer Experience & Destination Offer\n•\tKPI 2 - Event Delivery & Programme Growth\n•\tKPI 3 - Catering Quality & Operational Standards\n•\tKPI 4 - Commercial Performance & Open Book Reporting\n•\tKPI 5 - Compliance, Health & Safety & Asset Stewardship\n•\tKPI 6 - Partnership Working, Communication & Community Engagement\nThe Council is seeking to establish a partnership relationship with the successful Operator based on the following principles\n•\tProactive collaboration and co-operation with the Council including attendance at the Strategic and Operational Boards.\n•\tProactive collaboration and co-operation with other current and future stakeholders in the City and the immediate surrounds.\n•\tPartnership working with locally based public, private and third-party organisations.\n•\tWorking with community groups to support activities and events where appropriate.\nThe Operator will be required to align with the Council's Social Value Policy in a manner which provides targeted meaningful impact to individuals, communities, the environment and local economy.\nAll repairs to the spaces occupied must be undertaken with the necessary permissions in place from both Historic England and the Council which reflects the status of the Castle as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.", "items": [ { "id": "1", "additionalClassifications": [ { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55310000", "description": "Restaurant waiter services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55320000", "description": "Meal-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55330000", "description": "Cafeteria services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55400000", "description": "Beverage-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55500000", "description": "Canteen and catering services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "79952000", "description": "Event services" } ], "deliveryAddresses": [ { "region": "UKJ31", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom" }, { "region": "UKJ31", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom" }, { "region": "UKJ31", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom" } ], "relatedLot": "1" }, { "id": "2", "additionalClassifications": [ { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55310000", "description": "Restaurant waiter services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55320000", "description": "Meal-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55330000", "description": "Cafeteria services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55400000", "description": "Beverage-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55500000", "description": "Canteen and catering services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "79952000", "description": "Event services" } ], "deliveryAddresses": [ { "region": "UKJ31", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom" }, { "region": "UKJ31", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom" } ], "relatedLot": "2" } ], "value": { "amountGross": 9840000, "amount": 8200000, "currency": "GBP" }, "mainProcurementCategory": "services", "specialRegime": [ "concession" ], "aboveThreshold": true, "lots": [ { "id": "1", "suitability": { "sme": true }, "contractPeriod": { "startDate": "2027-02-01T00:00:00Z", "endDate": "2032-01-31T23:59:59Z", "maxExtentDate": "2037-01-31T23:59:59Z" }, "hasRenewal": true, "status": "active", "title": "Standard Term Concession (5 + 5 years)", "description": "This Lot relates to the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, as described in the Competitive flexible procedure description of this notice.\nLot 1 represents the Council's baseline contract structure, comprising an initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years (maximum 10 years total).\nTenderers are required to submit a bid for Lot 1, which forms the core basis for evaluation and comparison across submissions.\nThe total estimated value of the concession opportunity is approximately £8,200,000 (excluding VAT), or £9,840,000 (including VAT), based on a maximum contract term of 10 years.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement. Only one lot will be awarded.\nDue to system limitations within the Find a Tender Service, the values attributed to each lot are required to be entered individually and are therefore displayed as cumulative. This does not reflect the actual procurement value.\nThe stated lot values should not be aggregated, and the overall value of the opportunity remains as set out above.", "value": { "amountGross": 9839998, "amount": 8199999, "currency": "GBP" }, "awardCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "quality", "name": "Quality", "description": "1.\tProposal \t35%\n1.1\tStrategic Vision & Catering Offer\t12.5%\n1.2\tEvents Strategy & Operational Delivery\t12.5%\n1.3\tRisk & Resilience\t5%\n1.4\tMarketing, Promotion & Customer Engagement\t5%\n2.\tMobilisation \t5%\n2.1\tMobilisation, Transition & Implementation\t5%\n3.\tResourcing \t10%\n3.1\tManagement Team & Operational Staff\t7.5%\n3.2\tSupply Chain & Sub-Contractors\t2.5%\n4.\tBusiness plan and financing\t10%\n4.1\tBusiness & Financial Model\t7.5%\n4.2\tOpen Book Working, Performance Targets & Reporting\t2.5%", "numbers": [ { "number": 60, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] }, { "type": "price", "name": "Income", "description": "5.\tFinancial proposal\t40%\n5.1\tBase rent return to the Council\t25%\n5.2\tPercentage Revenue Share to the Council in year one\t5%\n5.3\tAverage Revenue Share over 10-year contract term\t10%", "numbers": [ { "number": 40, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] } ] }, "selectionCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "economic", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." }, { "type": "technical", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." } ] }, "renewal": { "description": "Under Lot 1 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of five years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of five years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10years.\nUnder Lot 2 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of seven years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of three years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10 years." }, "hasOptions": true, "options": { "description": "The Council reserves the right to engage the next placed highest scoring Operator (ranked 2nd) to deliver the contract in the event that any of the following events occur during the award, mobilisation and delivery of the services during the initial base term as well as during any extension periods:\n•\tThe Council is unable to agree and execute terms of contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders\n•\t The preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders fails to mobilise and commence the services in line with the agreed programme, or is significantly delayed in meeting programme milestones and is highly likely to not commence services in line with the agreed programme\n•\tThe contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders is terminated due to:\no\tMaterial breach\no\tNon-material persistent breach\no\tFailure to meet service levels and KPIs\no\tNot meeting Conditions of Participation - Exclusion grounds, insurance, financial standing, accreditations, etc.\no\tInability to agree price increases in line with terms\no\tInability to agree price changes, specification changes, event in the event of materialisation of identified known risks\nThe next placed Operator will only be engaged at the Council's discretion and subject to the Operator evidencing ability to:\n•\tMeet all Conditions of Participation\n•\tDeliver the requirements as set out in the specification including for any updates made by the Council\n•\tHonour the terms & conditions included within the original procurement\n•\tDeliver the service delivery proposals included within their original tender submission as a minimum\n•\tHonour the pricing elements included for within their original tender submission, subject to reasonable application of relevant CPI indices, as a minimum with a requirement to mitigate any increases where possible\nIn the event that the Council is unable to reach agreement with the next placed Operator the Council may, at its sole discretion engage with the Operator that ranked immediately below the next placed Operator (ranked 3rd) from the evaluation process to deliver the contract subject to the requirements set out above.\nIn the event that agreement cannot be reached with the 3rd ranked Operator the council may engage with the 4th ranked Operator and so forth at its discretion for delivery of the contract." } }, { "id": "2", "title": "Extended Term Concession (7 + 3 years)", "description": "This Lot relates to the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, as described in the Competitive flexible procedure description of this notice.\nLot 2 provides an alternative contract structure, comprising an initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years (maximum 10 years total).\nSubmission for Lot 2 is optional. Tenderers submitting for this lot must clearly demonstrate the additional value, investment or benefits delivered as a result of the longer initial contract term.\nThe total estimated value of the concession opportunity is approximately £8,200,000 (excluding VAT), or £9,840,000 (including VAT), based on a maximum contract term of 10 years.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement. Only one lot will be awarded.\nDue to system limitations within the Find a Tender Service, the values attributed to each lot are required to be entered individually and are therefore displayed as cumulative. This does not reflect the actual procurement value.\nThe stated lot values should not be aggregated, and the overall value of the opportunity remains as set out above.", "status": "active", "value": { "amountGross": 2, "amount": 1, "currency": "GBP" }, "awardCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "quality", "name": "Quality", "description": "1.\tProposal \t35%\n1.1\tStrategic Vision & Catering Offer\t12.5%\n1.2\tEvents Strategy & Operational Delivery\t12.5%\n1.3\tRisk & Resilience\t5%\n1.4\tMarketing, Promotion & Customer Engagement\t5%\n2.\tMobilisation \t5%\n2.1\tMobilisation, Transition & Implementation\t5%\n3.\tResourcing \t10%\n3.1\tManagement Team & Operational Staff\t7.5%\n3.2\tSupply Chain & Sub-Contractors\t2.5%\n4.\tBusiness plan and financing\t10%\n4.1\tBusiness & Financial Model\t7.5%\n4.2\tOpen Book Working, Performance Targets & Reporting\t2.5%", "numbers": [ { "number": 60, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] }, { "type": "price", "name": "Income", "description": "5.\tFinancial proposal\t40%\n5.1\tBase rent return to the Council\t25%\n5.2\tPercentage Revenue Share to the Council in year one\t5%\n5.3\tAverage Revenue Share over 10-year contract term\t10%", "numbers": [ { "number": 40, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] } ] }, "selectionCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "type": "economic", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." }, { "type": "technical", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." } ] }, "suitability": { "sme": true }, "contractPeriod": { "startDate": "2027-02-01T00:00:00Z", "endDate": "2032-01-31T23:59:59Z", "maxExtentDate": "2037-01-31T23:59:59Z" }, "hasRenewal": true, "renewal": { "description": "Under Lot 1 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of five years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of five years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10years.\nUnder Lot 2 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of seven years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of three years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10 years." }, "hasOptions": true, "options": { "description": "The Council reserves the right to engage the next placed highest scoring Operator (ranked 2nd) to deliver the contract in the event that any of the following events occur during the award, mobilisation and delivery of the services during the initial base term as well as during any extension periods:\n•\tThe Council is unable to agree and execute terms of contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders\n•\t The preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders fails to mobilise and commence the services in line with the agreed programme, or is significantly delayed in meeting programme milestones and is highly likely to not commence services in line with the agreed programme\n•\tThe contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders is terminated due to:\no\tMaterial breach\no\tNon-material persistent breach\no\tFailure to meet service levels and KPIs\no\tNot meeting Conditions of Participation - Exclusion grounds, insurance, financial standing, accreditations, etc.\no\tInability to agree price increases in line with terms\no\tInability to agree price changes, specification changes, event in the event of materialisation of identified known risks\nThe next placed Operator will only be engaged at the Council's discretion and subject to the Operator evidencing ability to:\n•\tMeet all Conditions of Participation\n•\tDeliver the requirements as set out in the specification including for any updates made by the Council\n•\tHonour the terms & conditions included within the original procurement\n•\tDeliver the service delivery proposals included within their original tender submission as a minimum\n•\tHonour the pricing elements included for within their original tender submission, subject to reasonable application of relevant CPI indices, as a minimum with a requirement to mitigate any increases where possible\nIn the event that the Council is unable to reach agreement with the next placed Operator the Council may, at its sole discretion engage with the Operator that ranked immediately below the next placed Operator (ranked 3rd) from the evaluation process to deliver the contract subject to the requirements set out above.\nIn the event that agreement cannot be reached with the 3rd ranked Operator the council may engage with the 4th ranked Operator and so forth at its discretion for delivery of the contract." } } ], "communication": { "futureNoticeDate": "2026-04-13T23:59:59+01:00" }, "status": "active", "procurementMethod": "open", "procurementMethodDetails": "Competitive flexible procedure", "procedure": { "features": "In respect of application of the Procurement Act 23, the Council's position is that the contract falls under the definition of a concession contract as set out within Section 8 of the Procurement Act 2023 and that therefore only the aspects of the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 that apply to 'special regime' contracts are of relevance to this procurement process and management of the resultant contract.\nThe council is using a single stage competitive flexible procedure for the procurement of this contract, which includes conditions of participation and detailed tender proposals to be submitted at the same time.\nThe Council will run the procurement process to secure the Operator using the Competitive Flexible Procedure as defined within the Procurement Act 23. The Council has designed a process that includes for:\n•\tPre Tender submission dialogue\n•\tPost Tender submission negotiation\n•\tRefinement of specification, contractual / lease terms and commercial model during the process\n•\tSite tours & bidders briefing\n•\tPost award finalisation of contract terms, lease & commercial arrangements\n•\tDue diligence including for take up of client references and visits to operator offices & operational sites, both pre and post award\nPreliminary Market Engagement\nFollowing the Council's Preliminary Market Engagement (PME), which informed the development of the procurement strategy, feedback from the market indicated varying preferences in relation to contract length, investment recovery periods and commercial delivery models.\nIn particular, the PME highlighted that different operators adopt differing approaches to contract term depending on their business model, level of upfront investment, and appetite for revenue growth and operational risk. This included a distinction between operators preferring shorter initial terms with flexibility to extend, and those favouring longer initial terms to support investment and long-term planning.\nIn response to this feedback, the Council has structured the procurement into two alternative lots -\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nThe split lot approach ensures that the procurement remains flexible and responsive to market capability, while allowing the Council to determine, through evaluation, the most appropriate contract term for the delivery of the service.\nCentral Digital Platform\nOperators are required to register on the Central Digital Platform, and upload and/or check that their core Supplier information on the Central Digital Platform relating to their company information, Mandatory and Discretionary Exclusions, Connected Persons, and economic and financial standing is all up to date and accurate at the point of submitting both a Tender Response. Where relevant, Operators will also need to provide information concerning Associated Persons and intended Sub-contractors\nShould there be any inconsistency between this information and the information as submitted in response to this Procurement, the Operator will need to provide evidence as to the accuracy of their submission and failure to do so could result in the Operator being excluded for Improper Behaviour.\nGuidance on accessing the Central Digital Platform can be found here -\nhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-short-guides/suppliers-how-to-register-your-organisation-and-first-administrator-on-find-a-tender-in-three-easy-steps-html\nAccess to tender document and programme\nThe Council will administrate the procurement using its e-sourcing \nsystem In-Tend, which will be used for:\n•\tAccess to and issue of procurement information and documentation\n•\tPre-tender submission clarification requests and response\n•\tTender submission\n•\tTender opening and access to responses\n•\tPost tender submission clarification requests and response\n•\tAward decision notification and feedback\nThe In-Tend system can be accessed free of charge via the following web link:\nhttps://intendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home\nThe Council are intending to follow the subsequent Procurement Programme -\nIssue of Tender Notice & Invitation to Participate in Dialogue - 22/06/26\nSite Visit (condition of tendering) - 29/06/26 (17:00-19:00)\n1-2-1 dialogue meetings - From 13/07/26 to 24/07/26 2026\nRequest for clarification deadline - 10/08/26 by 16:00\nTender proposals return - 21/08/26 by 12:00\nTender Evaluation - 24/08/26 to 11/09/26\nOptional Operator Interviews - 7/09/26 to 11/09/26\nNotification of award decision, issue of assessment summaries and publication of Contract Award Notice - 21/09/26\nStandstill Period - 21/09/26 to 30/09/26\nPreferred bidder secured and confirmation of contract award - 1/10/26\nContract Start - Monday 1st February 2027\nFailure to meet the deadlines set out above may result in an Operator's submission not being considered.\nMandatory Site Visit\nAttendance at the site visit is a mandatory requirement for any Operator wishing to submit a tender response. Operators who attended the site visit as part of the Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise will be deemed to have satisfied this requirement, however all Operators are permitted to attend. \nFailure to attend the scheduled site visit on Monday 19th June 2026 from 17:00 to 19:00 at Southsea Castle will result in the Operator being excluded from the procurement process.\nDialogue TEAMS Meetings\nOperators who wish to engage in an online TEAMS 1-1 clarification meeting/s with the Council prior to submission of their tender return must register via InTend using the correspondence function by 12:00 on Wednesday 8th July 2026. Only Operators who have attended the site visit/were involved in the Preliminary Market Engagement will be able to attend the dialogue meetings.\nThe 1-1 meetings will be held via TEAMS from Monday 13th July 2026 to Friday 24th July 2026.\nOperators may request up to 90 minutes of clarification meeting time with the Council which may be covered in one meeting or split between multiple (max 2) if required to accommodate diaries of particular Council and Operator project team members that may be required to attend to address particular clarification topics.\nIn registering Operators must provide the following information:\n•\tNames, positions and contact details (email & telephone number) of delegates (max of 4 delegates may attend)\n•\tPreferred dates and times for meetings\n•\tClarification questions, topics and themes\nThe Council will minute the meetings and provide the notes promptly with the particular Operator via InTend.\nWhere questions and responses are not commercially sensitive to an Operators particular approach they will be added to the Clarification Log and issued to all Operators via InTend.\nTender evaluation principles\nThe evaluation of responses takes place in two stages:\n•\tEvaluation of exclusion grounds and conditions of participation takes place first. Only when a Operator has satisfied these minimum requirements within the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) will evaluation proceed to the next stage.\n•\tEvaluation of award criteria takes place second and comprises evaluation of the responses to the Quality Assessment Questions (QAQ) and Pricing.\nMinimum requirements\nThe PSQ Preliminary Questions focus on the following sections that will be assessed on a pass/fail basis -\n1.\tOperator information\n2.\tGrounds for exclusion\n3.\tRelevant experience and contract examples\n4.\tFinancial capacity\n5.\tInsurance\n6.\tGDPR/ Data Protection\n7.\tHealth and Safety\n8.\tAccreditations\n9.\tPayments in contracts (information only)\n10.\tTackling Modern slavery (information only)\nAny Operator who does not meet the minimum requirements in the preliminary questions, will be excluded as not meeting the conditions of participation, and their submission will not be assessed any further.\nAward criteria\nWhere a Operator has satisfied the minimum requirements within the PSQ, their responses to the Quality Assessment Questions (QAQ) will then be evaluated against the following award criteria:\n•\tPrice 40%\n•\tQuality 60%\nFor details of the breakdown of how the Price and Quality are to be assessed see Award Criteria of this notice. The pricing will be assessed on a normalised basis, whilst the quality responses will be assessed on a weighted rate basis or pass/fail.\nFor a breakdown of the specific criteria to be used to evaluate an Operators quality assessment question submission, Operators should refer to Quality Assessment Question scoring matrices and refer to the Single Stage Competitive Flexible Procedure - \nConditions of Participation and Invitation to Tender included in the tender pack available via the Council's e-tendering platform Intend.\nOptional Operator Interviews\nFollowing completion of the initial evaluation, the Council may invite the highest scoring bidder(s) for Lot 1 and/or Lot 2 to attend an interview. The purpose of the interview will be to clarify, validate and test the proposals submitted, including assumptions, deliverability and sustainability of the bidder's offer.\nFollowing completion of any interviews and final moderation, the Council will determine whether to proceed with Lot 1 or Lot 2, and will award the contract to the bidder achieving the highest final cost/quality score across the selected lot\nThe Council reserves the right, following completion of tender evaluation, to enter into discussions with the preferred bidder in respect of commercial terms, provided that any resulting agreement does not materially alter the substance of the tender submitted or undermine the integrity of the procurement process." }, "coveredBy": [ "GPA" ], "submissionMethodDetails": "https://in-tendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home", "submissionTerms": { "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed", "languages": [ "en" ] }, "tenderPeriod": { "endDate": "2026-08-21T12:00:00+01:00" }, "enquiryPeriod": { "endDate": "2026-08-10T16:00:00+01:00" }, "awardPeriod": { "endDate": "2026-09-21T23:59:59+01:00" }, "lotDetails": { "awardCriteriaDetails": "The procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement:\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nOperators may submit a bid under either or both lots invited to submit a response for one lot only, selecting the contract term option which best reflects their proposed delivery model, investment approach and commercial offer.\nFollowing completion of the initial evaluation, the Council may invite the highest scoring bidder(s)under the relevant lot to attend an interview. The purpose of the interview will be to clarify, validate and test the proposals submitted, including assumptions, deliverability and sustainability of the bidder's offer.\nNo new scoring criteria will be introduced at interview stage. However, information obtained through clarification may be used to review and, where appropriate, adjust the original quality scores where responses demonstrate that the tender submission is:\n- not fully understood,\n- not deliverable as proposed, or\n- materially inconsistent with the submitted response.\nAward Decision\nFollowing completion of any interviews and final moderation, the Council will determine whether to proceed with Lot 1 or Lot 2.\nTenders for both Lots will be evaluated on a consistent basis using the same evaluation criteria and weightings. The Council will compare the final evaluated scores across both Lots and award the contract to the tender achieving the highest overall score, whether submitted under Lot 1 or Lot 2.\nFor clarity, where the evaluation demonstrates that a bidder under Lot 2 achieves a higher overall score compared to all compliant bids under Lot 1, the Council may proceed to award the contract under Lot 2" }, "documents": [ { "id": "conflictOfInterest", "documentType": "conflictOfInterest", "description": "Not published" }, { "id": "A-16583", "documentType": "biddingDocuments", "description": "Summary PME report from the soft market testing.", "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-16583", "format": "application/pdf" }, { "id": "058675-2026", "documentType": "tenderNotice", "noticeType": "UK4", "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender", "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058675-2026", "datePublished": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "format": "text/html" }, { "id": "070301-2026", "documentType": "tenderNotice", "noticeType": "UK4", "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender", "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070301-2026", "datePublished": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "format": "text/html" } ], "hasRecurrence": true, "recurrence": { "dates": [ { "startDate": "2036-04-01T23:59:59+01:00" } ] }, "riskDetails": "The Council has identified the following known risks & opportunities that may occur during the duration of the term of the contract and may positively or negatively impact the scope, scale, value, timescales, end user demand, etc. related the contract:\n•\tDevelopment and changing demographics of Portsmouth area which could impact positively or negatively on operator revenues\n•\tMarco and micro environmental impacts on utilities and other costs which could impact operator costs\n•\tChanges to VAT levels and other impacts of taxation which could impact operator costs\n•\tLocal Government Review impacts including for assignment of contract to successor unitary authority and any new requirements / objectives of the new authority which may require alterations to the technical scope, contractual and commercial structure of the arrangements\n•\tUnforeseen maintenance requirements which could increase operator costs and impact revenues if closures are required\n•\tInflation and other cost of living impacts which could increase or decrease operator revenues and costs\n•\tChanges to National Living Wage, National Insurance and other factors which could impact operator employment costs\n•\tIncreased or decreased competition from other public or privately run facilities or attractions which could impact operator revenues\n•\tIntroduction of new technologies, systems and processes which could reduce operator costs and / or increase revenues as well as impacting technical scope\n•\tIntroduction of new activities through market innovations that could open up new operator revenue opportunities and impact technical scope\n•\tChanges to relevant government policy / legislation which could increase or decrease operator revenues & costs, as well as potentially mandating changes to the technical scope\n•\tAn endemic or pandemic event similar to Covid 19 which could increase costs and / or reduce demand.\nThe Council has identified the risks and opportunities above associated with the delivery of this contract. In accordance with Schedule 8 of the Procurement Act 2023, the Council reserves the right to modify the contract, without initiating a new procurement procedure, should any of these risks materialise during the contract term.\nAny such modification will be limited to addressing the consequences of the known risk and will not alter the overall nature of the contract. Where applicable, a Contract Change Notice will be published in accordance with the requirements of the Act.\nImpact of Local Government Reorganisation\nAs part of the wider Local Government Review (LGR), the Council has been required to engage with neighbouring authorities to explore future structural reform, shared service opportunities, and alignment of governance arrangements.\nThe UK Government has now confirmed its decision regarding Local Government Reorganisation across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Under the confirmed proposals, Portsmouth City Council will become part of a new, larger unitary authority covering the areas of Gosport, Fareham and Havant, and including Newlands, Horndean, Clanfield and Rowlands Castle.\nThe new unitary authority will formally come into existence on 1 April 2028, at which point Portsmouth City Council, as it currently exists, will be legally dissolved on 31 March 2028.\nUpon dissolution of the Council and vesting of the new unitary authority the contract established via this procurement process will automatically transfer to the new authority.\nThe operator will be legally required to continue honouring all commitments made under the terms of the contract let by the Council.\nIt is not anticipated that beyond the change of client authority that any other aspects of the specification, terms and other requirements are likely to be subject to any significant changes, although the Council is obviously not able to accurately predict the requirements and objectives of the future authority.", "amendments": [ { "id": "070301-2026", "description": "The tender return deadline has been extend to Friday 21st August 2026, and the clarification deadline is now Monday 10th August 2026." } ] }, "language": "en", "extensions": [ "https://standard.open-contracting.org/profiles/eu/latest/en/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_amendment_rationale_classifications_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_budget_breakdown_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_contract_completion_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_documentation_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_pagination_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_suitability_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/portaledcahn/ocds_Links_extension/main/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cabinetoffice/ocds_uk_extension/main/extension.json" ] }, "versionedRelease": { "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-065b89", "initiationType": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "tender" } ], "parties": [ { "id": "GB-PPON-PCNL-5714-PRZV", "name": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "Portsmouth City Council" } ], "identifier": { "scheme": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "GB-PPON" } ], "id": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "PCNL-5714-PRZV" } ] }, "address": { "streetAddress": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "Civic Offices, Guildhall Square" } ], "locality": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "Portsmouth" } ], "postalCode": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "PO1 2AL" } ], "country": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "GB" } ], "countryName": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "United Kingdom" } ], "region": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "UKJ31" } ] }, "contactPoint": { "email": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "procurement@portsmouthcc.gov.uk" } ] }, "roles": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": [ "buyer" ] } ], "details": { "classifications": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": [ { "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE", "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment", "description": "Public authority - sub-central government" } ] } ] } } ], "buyer": { "id": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "GB-PPON-PCNL-5714-PRZV" } ], "name": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "Portsmouth City Council" } ] }, "planning": { "milestones": [ { "id": "engagement", "type": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "engagement" } ], "description": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "INTRODUCTION\nPortsmouth City Council (the Council) is undertaking a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to inform the future procurement strategy for catering and event services at Southsea Castle.\nTo ensure effective engagement with organisations, and in the interests of transparency and fair and equal treatment set out within the Procurement Act 23, the Council has instigated this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) process via issue of a PME Notice on the Central Government Find a Tender Service / Central Digital Platform.\nThrough the PME exercise suitably qualified and experienced operators will have the opportunity to participate in a site tour of the premises on 10th March at 16:30 - 19:00 and take part in 1-1 discussions with key Council officers. \nThe 1-1 meetings will generally be held on-line via Microsoft Teams between 10th - 18th March, although the Council may also be able to offer in person meetings at the Council's Civic Offices. The Council currently has 4 1.5-hour meeting slots available which will be allocated on a first come first served basis to operators who can meet the minimum experience requirements detailed below.\nIf more than 4 qualifying operators express interest in 1-1 meetings the council will endeavour to make further meeting slots available but cannot provide any guarantees, as such interested operators are encouraged to submit formal expressions of interest as a matter of urgency. Where meeting slots cannot be allocated the Council will give operators an opportunity to provide written feedback. \nThe feedback gained through this process will inform the development of the operational, commercial and contractual positions taken by the Council when the formal procurement process is undertaken, as well as informing the design and programme for the actual procurement process. \nEXPRESSION OF INTEREST PROCESS & PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS\nAttendance at the site visit, and participation in any subsequent one‑to‑one meetings, will be limited to Operators who have completed and submitted the accompanying Expression of Interest (EOI) form via In‑tend using the correspondence function . \nIn the first instance, interested Operators must complete the EOI form and return it via In‑tend, confirming their interest in taking part in the site visit and the 1‑to‑1 discussions. The EOI form requests operators to provide the following information for up to two case studies, which must be in relation to current operations or operations that have ceased within the last 12 months:\n•\tDaily restaurant or café operations of a minimum of 30 covers\n•\tEvent catering delivery of a minimum of 100 covers\n•\tBar operation and management\nThese minimum requirements are expected to form part of the pass/fail Conditions of Participation in the subsequent procurement process. Operators who are unable to evidence the stated level of relevant experience will not be eligible to take part in this PME process or bid for the future opportunity.\nThe expression of interest form requests Operators to provide the following information:\n•\tGeneral company information\n•\tDetails of previous experience managing a hospitality business; whether a café, restaurant or catering company \n•\tAvailability for meetings on:\no\tSlot 1 - Tuesday 10th March - Either 11:00 - 12:30 or 11:30 - 13:00\no\tSlot 2 - Wednesday 11th March - 09:30 - 11:00\no\tSlot 3 - Thursday 12th March - Either 15:00 - 16:30 or 15:30 - 17:00\no\tSlot 4 - Wednesday 18th March 13:00 - 14:30\n•\tNames of delegates who will attend the site visit and/or the 1-2-1 meetings, including their role and email address.\nIn addition to submission pf the EOI operators will also be required to complete and submit a Conflict of Interest (COI) Statement using the form provided. Further information in respect of Conflict of Interest is included within the further documentation accessible via the Council's e-sourcing solution In-tend.\nNB: Operators should note that there is no obligation to take part in this exercise and that if they do not take part, it will not preclude them from any subsequent related procurement process. Engaging Operators will not receive preferential treatment in the subsequent procurement process, and this is in no way an indication of the selection of any organisation or a guarantee of future work.\nCOUNICL TEAM\nThe key Council officers who will attend the 1-1 meetings are as follows:\n•\tClaire Looney - Partnership and Commissioning Manager - PCC Culture Leisure and Regulatory Services \n•\tJacqueline Braks - Events and weddings manager, Southsea Castle - PCC Culture Leisure and Regulatory Services \n•\tRichard Lock - Assistant Director Procurement - PCC Finance and Resources\n•\tSimon Courtney - Senior Procurement Professional - PCC Finance and Resources\n•\tShannon Penfold - Trainee Procurement Professional - PCC Finance and Resources\nPME & PROCUREMENT ADMINISTRATION\nThe Council will administrate the preliminary market engagement and future formal procurement process using its e-sourcing system In-Tend which will be used for:\n•\tAccess to and issue of information and documentation \n•\tClarification requests and response\n•\tExpression of interest submission \n•\tAllocation of 1-1 meeting slots\n•\tIssue of tender documentation\n•\tSubmission of tender responses\n•\tIssue of Award Decision notification\nThe In-tend system can be accessed for free using the following link: \nhttps://in-tendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home\nPME SUPPORTING INFORMATION\nThe following documents have been included as part of the PME Briefing pack via In-tend:\n•\tSouthsea Castle - PME Brief (this document)\n•\tSouthsea Castle - PME 1-1 EOI\n•\tCastle Website: https://southseacastle.co.uk/\n•\tConflict of Interest Statement\n•\tConflicts of Interest Declaration Form\n•\tIntend Guidance, Supporting Information & Clarification Process.\nPME FEEBACK AREAS \nAs the council explores options for the new catering arrangements for Southsea Castle, it is keen to seek input from the market in respect of interest, ambitions, vision, commercials, contract, maintenance, procurement strategy, etc. to inform the future formal procurement process. \nThrough undertaking 1-1 discussions with operators the Council will seek information on and input into the following headline areas, further detail on these discussion points are included within the PME Brief document accessible via In-tend:\n1.\tExperience, Capacity & Growth Ambitions\n2.\tVision for the Catering Offer \n3.\tOpportunities for Weddings, Corporate Events & Private Hire\n4.\tCommunity, Cultural and Local Partnerships\n5.\tMarketing, Communications & Customer Service - Launch and Ongoing Strategy\n6.\tInvestment, Building Improvements & Maintenance \n7.\tCommercial Viability & Business Model Options\n8.\tPartnership Working, Performance Reporting & Contract Management Expectations\n9.\tProcurement Process, Mobilisation & Transition Planning\n10.\tContractual Parameters and Limitations\nCONFLICTS ASSESSMENT \nThe Procurement Act 2023 requires the Council to identify and keep under review actual and potential conflicts of interest. The Council must also mitigate conflicts of interest and address circumstances which the Council considers are likely to cause a reasonable person to wrongly believe there to be a conflict or potential conflict of interest.\nA conflict of interest arises when an individual's personal interests, relationships, or activities have the potential to interfere with their impartiality or the integrity of the procurement process. This may include financial, personal, familial, or business interests that could improperly influence, or be perceived to influence, their decisions or actions.\nOperators should refer to Conflicts of Interest Declaration Form accessible via In-tend for further details of the Council's duty regarding conflict of interests.\nOperators should complete and submit one conflict of interest declaration per organisation in word format." } ], "dueDate": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "2026-03-20T23:59:59Z" } ], "status": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "scheduled" } ] } ], "documents": [ { "id": "016667-2026", "documentType": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "marketEngagementNotice" } ], "noticeType": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "UK2" } ], "description": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender" } ], "url": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016667-2026" } ], "datePublished": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z" } ], "format": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "text/html" } ] } ] }, "tender": { "id": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "P00005202" } ], "legalBasis": { "id": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "2023/54" } ], "scheme": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "UKPGA" } ], "uri": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents" } ] }, "title": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "Southsea Castle - Catering & Events Concession Opportunity - Preliminary Market Engagement" }, { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "Southsea Castle Catering and Events Concession Opportunity - Portsmouth 2026" } ], "description": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "Portsmouth City Council (the Council) is undertaking a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to inform the future procurement strategy for catering and event services at Southsea Castle. \nAs a visitor attraction and site of importance, the council aims to, through this procurement process, deliver new areas of growth for Southsea Castle. The successful operator must have a desire to create a destination cafe / restaurant and enhance the catering offer for private events and weddings.\nTHE SITE\nSouthsea Castle, built in 1544 by King Henry VIII as part of his coastal defence scheme, is a historic, Scheduled Ancient Monument and a site of national importance. \nSouthsea Castle now operates as a visitor attraction and museum, restaurant, and historic wedding & events venue. The Castle attracts upwards of 10,000 visitors per month over the summer season, and offers members of the public free access to the castle keep, ramparts, shop & viewing rooms from April - October. \nThe restaurant in Southsea Castle is open all year round, and the Castle hosts numerous events throughout the season, in particular weddings & corporate events, as well as community events. During the opening season, there are also local makers market's hosted in the marquee, as well as heritage tours and talks hosted by the museums team. All events hosted by the museums team are aimed at engaging with the local community and increasing the visitor experience at Southsea Castle. \nThe Castle courtyard, keep, ramparts and museum rooms are open to the public from 10am - 5pm, Tues - Sunday's and bank holidays, from April - October, and are closed over the winter period. The restaurant is open all year round, currently from 9.30am - 5pm every day in the summer season, and Wed-Sun 9.30am - 5pm in the winter season. It would be a requirement that on days the castle is open to the public that the restaurant is also open.\nCONCESSION AGREEMENT & COMMERCIAL MODEL\nThe current concession agreement for the Southsea Castle catering operation is based on a hybrid commercial model that combines both fixed and performance‑based rental elements. \nUnder the existing arrangement, the operator pays the Council an annual base rent of £32,000. This figure reflects the minimum financial return the Council would expect to achieve in order to ensure the asset remains commercially viable. The Council would also expect this base rent to be uplifted annually, in line with CPI, to maintain the real value of the income over the duration of the agreement. The Council will likely seek to increase the rental income it currently receives through the procurement process but is keen to understand the markets position through the PME process before finalising its commercial strategy. \nIn addition to this guaranteed rent, the concession agreement includes a turnover‑share mechanism, through which the operator pays a percentage of gross revenue generated from restaurant operations, café trade, weddings, corporate events, and other hospitality activities. \nThe Council is likely to include for a revenue share element within the future procurement as either a mandatory or optional bidding element. The Council is also considering applying minimum and maximum revenue % values through the bidding process. Again, the Council is keen to take feedback from the market on this commercial element via the PME process. \nThe existing commercial model reflects the scale of the operation, which has historically generated an anticipated annual turnover in the region of £500,000 to £600,000, dependent on seasonal trading patterns and the volume of weddings and events delivered. \nInitial considerations include adopting a revised lease term comprising an initial 5 year period, with options to extend the total term to 15-20 years, subject to performance and at the discretion of the council. This structure should support operator investment in catering equipment, bar infrastructure, interior fit out and service improvements, whilst ensuring the Council maintains a financially robust and sustainable partnership arrangement. \nHowever, the Council is keen to gain feedback through the PME process on any mutual benefits that a longer than 5-year base term could deliver as well as provision of different extension options. \nFUTURE PROCUREMENT STRATEGY\nAt this stage, the Council has not yet determined the exact procurement process that will follow this Pre‑Market Engagement (PME). However, based on the nature of the requirement, the feedback received to date, it is most likely that the Council will adopt a Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP) under the Procurement Act 2023.\nThe CFP offers the flexibility for a procurement approach similar to Competitive Dialogue under the previous Public Contract Regulations 2015, and the Council anticipates structuring the process in two stages, as follows:\nSTAGE 1 - INITIAL PROPOSALS\nOperators will be invited to submit tender proposals demonstrating how they intend to deliver the catering operation at Southsea Castle, including commercial, operational, heritage sensitive and visitor experience considerations. These submissions will be evaluated against published criteria, taking into account qualitative and pricing elements.\nIn addition to the assessment of tender submissions, Operators should be aware that progression to the subsequent stages of the procurement will be subject to meeting a set of Conditions of Participation. These are expected to include, but may not be limited to:\n•\tFinancial standing requirements\n•\tMinimum experience criteria, including the ability to evidence delivery of catering, restaurant, bar and event operations of a comparable scale.\n•\tInsurance requirements, such as public liability, employer's liability, and product liability at levels to be set out in the tender documents.\n•\tMandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds, as required under the Procurement Act 2023, which all Operators must formally declare.\n•\tDebarment checks, undertaken via the government's Central Digital Platform, which all Operators must be registered on as part of the tender process.\n•\tRelevant professional and operational accreditations, where applicable (e.g., food safety, environmental health, sustainability credentials, licensing compliance).\n•\tHealth & Safety and Environmental Health record.\nStage 2 - Shortlist & Refinement\nA shortlist of the highest‑scoring Operators will be invited to refine their proposals in greater detail. This stage is expected to include further dialogue, solution development, and clarification of operational and commercial models before final tenders are submitted. It is likely that a maximum of 3 highest scoring operators will be invited to submit 2nd stage best and final offer bids. \nSTAGE 2 - SINGLE COMPLIANT BIDDER / HIGHEST SCORING BIDDER SCENARIO\nIf, at the conclusion of Stage 1, only one bidder meets the minimum requirements and is capable of delivering the contract, or multiple compliant bids are received but at stage 1 assessment the highest scoring bidder's score is significantly higher (probably more than 20% margin to be applied) than the next placed bidder, the Council reserves the right to engage directly with that operator on a negotiated basis to complete the procurement. This will be carried out in compliance with the flexibility afforded by the CFP under the Procurement Act 2023.\nISSUE OF CONTRACT TENDER NOTICE\nThe Council will confirm the chosen procurement route in due course, by issuing a Contract Tender Notice outlining the key details and requirements. The Council anticipates that this opportunity will be classified as an above-threshold concession under the Procurement Act 2023. This will be confirmed upon publication of the tender notice.\nPME & PROCUREMENT TIMETABLE\nThe Council are intending to run the PME and the subsequent envisaged tender process under the following Procurement Programme:\n1.\tPublish PME Notice - Tuesday 24th February 2026\n2.\tSite visit and briefing - Tuesday 10th March 2026 from 16:30 to 19:00\n3.\t1-2-1 supplier discussion - From Tuesday 10th March 2026 to Wednesday 18th March 2026\n4.\tIssue of Tender Notice and 1st Stage Call for Applications & Invitation to Participate in Dialogue - Monday 13th April 2026\n5.\tSite Visit (condition of tendering) - Monday 27th April 2026 between 14:00 and 15:30\n6.\t1-2-1 dialogue meetings - From Monday 4th May 2026 to Friday 15th May 2026\n7.\tRequest for clarification deadline - Wednesday 20th May 2026 by 16:00\n8.\t1st Stage CFP proposals return - Tuesday 26th May 2026 by 12:00\n9.\t1st Stage CFP shortlisting decision notification - Friday 5th June 2026\n10.\tIssue of 2nd Stage Invitation to Partake in Further Dialogue & Submit Tendered Proposals - Monday 22nd June 2026\n11.\t2nd stage dialogue meetings - From Monday 29th June 2026 to Friday 3rd July 2026\n12.\tRequest for clarification deadline - Wednesday 8th July 2026 by 16:00\n13.\tDeadline for submission of 2nd stage tendered proposals - Friday 17th July 2026 by 12:00\n14.\tEvaluation of 2nd stage tender proposals including for any post tender clarification & negotiation meetings - Monday 20th July 2026 to Friday 7th August 2026\n15.\tNotification of award decision, issue of assessment summaries and publication of Contract Award Notice - Monday 17th August 2026\n16.\tStandstill Period - Tuesday 18th August 2026 to Thursday 27th August 2026\n17.\tPreferred bidder secured and confirmation of contract award - Friday 28th August 2026\n18.\tContract Start - Monday 1st February 2027" }, { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "Portsmouth City Council (\"the Council\") is inviting tenders from suitably qualified and experienced catering and events operators for the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, under a long term commercial arrangement comprising a combination of rental income and an incentivised revenue share mechanism.\nThe council is using a single stage competitive flexible procedure for the procurement of this contract, which includes conditions of participation and detailed tender proposals to be submitted at the same time. \nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement:\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nTenderers are invited to submit a response for one lot only, selecting the contract term option which best reflects their proposed delivery model, investment approach and commercial offer.\nThe Council intends to award a single contract under either Lot 1 or Lot 2, based on the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT).\nAward of the contract is targeted for 21st September 2026. The successful operator will be required to seamlessly commence operations under a lease with associated concession arrangement from 1st February 2027 following expiry of the lease held with the current incumbent operator on 31st January 2027. \nSouthsea Castle \nSouthsea Castle, built in 1544 by King Henry VIII as part of his coastal defence scheme, is a historic, Scheduled Ancient Monument and a site of national importance. \nSouthsea Castle now operates as a visitor attraction and museum, restaurant, and historic wedding & events venue. The Castle attracts upwards of 10,000 visitors per month over the summer season and offers members of the public free access to the castle keep, ramparts, shop & viewing rooms from April - October. \nThe restaurant in Southsea Castle is open all year round, and the Castle hosts numerous events throughout the season, in particular weddings & corporate events, as well as community events. \nDuring the opening season, there are also local makers market's hosted in the marquee, as well as heritage tours and talks hosted by the museums team. All events hosted by the museums team are aimed at engaging with the local community and increasing the visitor experience at Southsea Castle\nThe Castle courtyard, keep, ramparts and museum rooms are open to the public from 10am - 5pm, Tues - Sunday's and bank holidays, from April - October, and are closed over the winter period. The restaurant is open all year round, currently from 9.30am - 5pm every day in the summer season, and Wed-Sun 9.30am - 5pm in the winter season.\nPermitted Uses, Opening Times & Access\nThe permitted use of Southsea Castle comprises a combination of public-facing restaurant operations and a programme of private and operator-led events, with defined parameters around access, capacity and shared use. The restaurant and café, located within the western side of the castle courtyard, provide approximately 60 internal covers and up to 54 external covers (subject to layout). The space can also accommodate private events of up to 60 seated or 80 standing guests. The operator is required to provide a daily service as a minimum between 9:30am and 5:00pm, with flexibility for evening trading and private hire where this does not conflict with Council-managed bookings.\nPrivate events are delivered across a range of spaces. The marquee is the primary large-scale event space, with a capacity of up to 120 seated or 200 standing guests, and is managed by the Council. This space is used for weddings and corporate functions but may also be utilised by the operator as part of their own event programme, including catering and bar provision. The castle keep is also used for ceremonies and smaller events but remains under Council control and is not available for operator-led events.\nAdditional areas, including the castle ramparts and an ancillary bar or function room, may be used to support events where appropriate and subject to approval. These spaces provide flexibility to enhance the visitor and event experience whilst ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements.\nThe operator will share access to back-of-house and storage areas with the Council, including spaces used for equipment, stock and event furniture. These arrangements require coordinated use and may be reviewed periodically to ensure suitability.\nOperations must also accommodate external events. At times, large-scale events may restrict or suspend access to the castle, during which the operator will not be permitted to trade. In contrast, other events may increase footfall and present additional trading opportunities, with the Council providing advance notice where required.\nThe operator must ensure the site remains open to the public for a minimum of 50 weeks per year and deliver a catering and events offer that supports growth. This includes providing catering for Council-managed events and developing an independent programme of activities outside core hours to enhance the site's profile as a destination venue.\nAll activities must reflect the building's status as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, ensuring a balance between commercial use and the preservation of the site.\nRevenue Share and Lease Fee\nThe lease will be subject to rental fee and revenue share payments from the operator to the Council. The Council is targeting a minimum guaranteed annual rental payment of £32,000 over initial 5 years of the lease. Rental payments are to be made in advance on a quarterly basis. \nOperators will be required to propose a revenue share percentage to the Council in Year 1, which should not fall below 3% and not be higher than 10%, without justification. Where a proposal falls below or above this range, the Council may consider the bid to be abnormally low or abnormally high and reserves the right to undertake further investigation and seek clarification from the bidder.\nThe proposed revenue share percentage is not expected to reduce following Year 1. Where a bidder proposes a reduction in revenue share percentage over the contract term, the Council reserves the right to investigate the rationale and set aside the bid where this cannot be satisfactorily justified.\nThe revenue share percentage proposed by operators may vary over the term of the agreement but must always be within the range stated. Revenue share payments are to be made within 30 days at the end of each contract year.\nBased upon current revenue and subject to indexation the Council estimates that the successful Operator could achieve a turnover figure of approx. £600K. However, the Council considers that there are significant opportunities to increase revenue though investment, events, food offer, advertising, etc. which could have a major positive impact upon revenue generation, potentially increasing revenue generation. \nBased on an estimated annual turnover of £600,000 in Year 1, the Council anticipates that the total value of the concession opportunity over the potential 10-year contract term could be in the region of £7 million to £8 million. However, it should be noted that all estimates in respect of the value of the business opportunity are purely indicative and provided to comply with the requirements of the Procurement Act 23 in relation to publication of estimated contract values. All figures are non-binding, the Council is providing no guarantees and accepting no liability in the event that the actual value of the business opportunity over the term of the contract falls significantly above or below the guide estimates provided. \nThe specification includes for clearly defined performance standards, service levels and KPIs covering the following areas:\n•\tKPI 1 - Customer Experience & Destination Offer\n•\tKPI 2 - Event Delivery & Programme Growth\n•\tKPI 3 - Catering Quality & Operational Standards\n•\tKPI 4 - Commercial Performance & Open Book Reporting\n•\tKPI 5 - Compliance, Health & Safety & Asset Stewardship\n•\tKPI 6 - Partnership Working, Communication & Community Engagement\nThe Council is seeking to establish a partnership relationship with the successful Operator based on the following principles \n•\tProactive collaboration and co-operation with the Council including attendance at the Strategic and Operational Boards.\n•\tProactive collaboration and co-operation with other current and future stakeholders in the City and the immediate surrounds.\n•\tPartnership working with locally based public, private and third-party organisations.\n•\tWorking with community groups to support activities and events where appropriate.\nThe Operator will be required to align with the Council's Social Value Policy in a manner which provides targeted meaningful impact to individuals, communities, the environment and local economy. \nAll repairs to the spaces occupied must be undertaken with the necessary permissions in place from both Historic England and the Council which reflects the status of the Castle as a Scheduled Ancient Monument." }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "Portsmouth City Council (\"the Council\") is inviting tenders from suitably qualified and experienced catering and events operators for the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, under a long term commercial arrangement comprising a combination of rental income and an incentivised revenue share mechanism.\nThe council is using a single stage competitive flexible procedure for the procurement of this contract, which includes conditions of participation and detailed tender proposals to be submitted at the same time.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement:\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nTenderers are invited to submit a response for one lot only, selecting the contract term option which best reflects their proposed delivery model, investment approach and commercial offer.\nThe Council intends to award a single contract under either Lot 1 or Lot 2, based on the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT).\nAward of the contract is targeted for 21st September 2026. The successful operator will be required to seamlessly commence operations under a lease with associated concession arrangement from 1st February 2027 following expiry of the lease held with the current incumbent operator on 31st January 2027.\nSouthsea Castle\nSouthsea Castle, built in 1544 by King Henry VIII as part of his coastal defence scheme, is a historic, Scheduled Ancient Monument and a site of national importance.\nSouthsea Castle now operates as a visitor attraction and museum, restaurant, and historic wedding & events venue. The Castle attracts upwards of 10,000 visitors per month over the summer season and offers members of the public free access to the castle keep, ramparts, shop & viewing rooms from April - October.\nThe restaurant in Southsea Castle is open all year round, and the Castle hosts numerous events throughout the season, in particular weddings & corporate events, as well as community events.\nDuring the opening season, there are also local makers market's hosted in the marquee, as well as heritage tours and talks hosted by the museums team. All events hosted by the museums team are aimed at engaging with the local community and increasing the visitor experience at Southsea Castle\nThe Castle courtyard, keep, ramparts and museum rooms are open to the public from 10am - 5pm, Tues - Sunday's and bank holidays, from April - October, and are closed over the winter period. The restaurant is open all year round, currently from 9.30am - 5pm every day in the summer season, and Wed-Sun 9.30am - 5pm in the winter season.\nPermitted Uses, Opening Times & Access\nThe permitted use of Southsea Castle comprises a combination of public-facing restaurant operations and a programme of private and operator-led events, with defined parameters around access, capacity and shared use. The restaurant and café, located within the western side of the castle courtyard, provide approximately 60 internal covers and up to 54 external covers (subject to layout). The space can also accommodate private events of up to 60 seated or 80 standing guests. The operator is required to provide a daily service as a minimum between 9:30am and 5:00pm, with flexibility for evening trading and private hire where this does not conflict with Council-managed bookings.\nPrivate events are delivered across a range of spaces. The marquee is the primary large-scale event space, with a capacity of up to 120 seated or 200 standing guests, and is managed by the Council. This space is used for weddings and corporate functions but may also be utilised by the operator as part of their own event programme, including catering and bar provision. The castle keep is also used for ceremonies and smaller events but remains under Council control and is not available for operator-led events.\nAdditional areas, including the castle ramparts and an ancillary bar or function room, may be used to support events where appropriate and subject to approval. These spaces provide flexibility to enhance the visitor and event experience whilst ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements.\nThe operator will share access to back-of-house and storage areas with the Council, including spaces used for equipment, stock and event furniture. These arrangements require coordinated use and may be reviewed periodically to ensure suitability.\nOperations must also accommodate external events. At times, large-scale events may restrict or suspend access to the castle, during which the operator will not be permitted to trade. In contrast, other events may increase footfall and present additional trading opportunities, with the Council providing advance notice where required.\nThe operator must ensure the site remains open to the public for a minimum of 50 weeks per year and deliver a catering and events offer that supports growth. This includes providing catering for Council-managed events and developing an independent programme of activities outside core hours to enhance the site's profile as a destination venue.\nAll activities must reflect the building's status as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, ensuring a balance between commercial use and the preservation of the site.\nRevenue Share and Lease Fee\nThe lease will be subject to rental fee and revenue share payments from the operator to the Council. The Council is targeting a minimum guaranteed annual rental payment of £32,000 over initial 5 years of the lease. Rental payments are to be made in advance on a quarterly basis.\nOperators will be required to propose a revenue share percentage to the Council in Year 1, which should not fall below 3% and not be higher than 10%, without justification. Where a proposal falls below or above this range, the Council may consider the bid to be abnormally low or abnormally high and reserves the right to undertake further investigation and seek clarification from the bidder.\nThe proposed revenue share percentage is not expected to reduce following Year 1. Where a bidder proposes a reduction in revenue share percentage over the contract term, the Council reserves the right to investigate the rationale and set aside the bid where this cannot be satisfactorily justified.\nThe revenue share percentage proposed by operators may vary over the term of the agreement but must always be within the range stated. Revenue share payments are to be made within 30 days at the end of each contract year.\nBased upon current revenue and subject to indexation the Council estimates that the successful Operator could achieve a turnover figure of approx. £600K. However, the Council considers that there are significant opportunities to increase revenue though investment, events, food offer, advertising, etc. which could have a major positive impact upon revenue generation, potentially increasing revenue generation.\nBased on an estimated annual turnover of £600,000 in Year 1, the Council anticipates that the total value of the concession opportunity over the potential 10-year contract term could be in the region of £7 million to £8 million. However, it should be noted that all estimates in respect of the value of the business opportunity are purely indicative and provided to comply with the requirements of the Procurement Act 23 in relation to publication of estimated contract values. All figures are non-binding, the Council is providing no guarantees and accepting no liability in the event that the actual value of the business opportunity over the term of the contract falls significantly above or below the guide estimates provided.\nThe specification includes for clearly defined performance standards, service levels and KPIs covering the following areas:\n•\tKPI 1 - Customer Experience & Destination Offer\n•\tKPI 2 - Event Delivery & Programme Growth\n•\tKPI 3 - Catering Quality & Operational Standards\n•\tKPI 4 - Commercial Performance & Open Book Reporting\n•\tKPI 5 - Compliance, Health & Safety & Asset Stewardship\n•\tKPI 6 - Partnership Working, Communication & Community Engagement\nThe Council is seeking to establish a partnership relationship with the successful Operator based on the following principles\n•\tProactive collaboration and co-operation with the Council including attendance at the Strategic and Operational Boards.\n•\tProactive collaboration and co-operation with other current and future stakeholders in the City and the immediate surrounds.\n•\tPartnership working with locally based public, private and third-party organisations.\n•\tWorking with community groups to support activities and events where appropriate.\nThe Operator will be required to align with the Council's Social Value Policy in a manner which provides targeted meaningful impact to individuals, communities, the environment and local economy.\nAll repairs to the spaces occupied must be undertaken with the necessary permissions in place from both Historic England and the Council which reflects the status of the Castle as a Scheduled Ancient Monument." } ], "items": [ { "id": "1", "additionalClassifications": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": [ { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55310000", "description": "Restaurant waiter services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55320000", "description": "Meal-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55330000", "description": "Cafeteria services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55400000", "description": "Beverage-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55520000", "description": "Catering services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "79952000", "description": "Event services" } ] }, { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": [ { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55310000", "description": "Restaurant waiter services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55320000", "description": "Meal-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55330000", "description": "Cafeteria services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55400000", "description": "Beverage-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55500000", "description": "Canteen and catering services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "79952000", "description": "Event services" } ] } ], "deliveryAddresses": [ { "region": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "UKJ31" } ], "country": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "GB" } ], "countryName": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "United Kingdom" } ] }, { "region": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "UKJ31" } ], "country": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "GB" } ], "countryName": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "United Kingdom" } ] }, { "region": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "UKJ31" } ], "country": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "GB" } ], "countryName": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "United Kingdom" } ] } ], "relatedLot": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "1" } ] }, { "id": "2", "additionalClassifications": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": [ { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55310000", "description": "Restaurant waiter services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55320000", "description": "Meal-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55330000", "description": "Cafeteria services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55400000", "description": "Beverage-serving services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "55500000", "description": "Canteen and catering services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "79952000", "description": "Event services" } ] } ], "deliveryAddresses": [ { "region": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "UKJ31" } ], "country": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "GB" } ], "countryName": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "United Kingdom" } ] }, { "region": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "UKJ31" } ], "country": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "GB" } ], "countryName": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "United Kingdom" } ] } ], "relatedLot": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "2" } ] } ], "value": { "amountGross": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": 18392153 }, { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": 9840000 } ], "amount": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": 15326794 }, { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": 8200000 } ], "currency": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "GBP" } ] }, "mainProcurementCategory": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "services" } ], "specialRegime": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": [ "concession" ] } ], "aboveThreshold": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": true } ], "lots": [ { "id": "1", "suitability": { "sme": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": true } ] }, "contractPeriod": { "startDate": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "2027-02-01T00:00:00Z" } ], "endDate": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "2032-01-31T23:59:59Z" } ], "maxExtentDate": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "2047-01-31T23:59:59Z" }, { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "2037-01-31T23:59:59Z" } ] }, "hasRenewal": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": true } ], "status": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "planning" }, { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "active" } ], "title": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "Standard Term Concession (5 + 5 years)" } ], "description": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "This Lot relates to the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, as described in the Competitive flexible procedure description of this notice.\nLot 1 represents the Council's baseline contract structure, comprising an initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years (maximum 10 years total).\nTenderers are required to submit a bid for Lot 1, which forms the core basis for evaluation and comparison across submissions.\nThe total estimated value of the concession opportunity is approximately £8,200,000 (excluding VAT), or £9,840,000 (including VAT), based on a maximum contract term of 10 years.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement. Only one lot will be awarded.\nDue to system limitations within the Find a Tender Service, the values attributed to each lot are required to be entered individually and are therefore displayed as cumulative. This does not reflect the actual procurement value.\nThe stated lot values should not be aggregated, and the overall value of the opportunity remains as set out above." } ], "value": { "amountGross": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": 9839998 } ], "amount": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": 8199999 } ], "currency": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "GBP" } ] }, "awardCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": [ { "type": "quality", "name": "Quality", "description": "1.\tProposal \t35% \n1.1\tStrategic Vision & Catering Offer\t12.5%\n1.2\tEvents Strategy & Operational Delivery\t12.5%\n1.3\tRisk & Resilience\t5%\n1.4\tMarketing, Promotion & Customer Engagement\t5%\n2.\tMobilisation \t5% \n2.1\tMobilisation, Transition & Implementation\t5%\n3.\tResourcing \t10% \n3.1\tManagement Team & Operational Staff\t7.5%\n3.2\tSupply Chain & Sub-Contractors\t2.5%\n4.\tBusiness plan and financing\t10%\n4.1\tBusiness & Financial Model\t7.5%\n4.2\tOpen Book Working, Performance Targets & Reporting\t2.5%", "numbers": [ { "number": 60, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] }, { "type": "price", "name": "Income", "description": "5.\tFinancial proposal\t40%\n5.1\tBase rent return to the Council\t25%\n5.2\tPercentage Revenue Share to the Council in year one\t5%\n5.3\tAverage Revenue Share over 10-year contract term\t10%", "numbers": [ { "number": 40, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] } ] }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": [ { "type": "quality", "name": "Quality", "description": "1.\tProposal \t35%\n1.1\tStrategic Vision & Catering Offer\t12.5%\n1.2\tEvents Strategy & Operational Delivery\t12.5%\n1.3\tRisk & Resilience\t5%\n1.4\tMarketing, Promotion & Customer Engagement\t5%\n2.\tMobilisation \t5%\n2.1\tMobilisation, Transition & Implementation\t5%\n3.\tResourcing \t10%\n3.1\tManagement Team & Operational Staff\t7.5%\n3.2\tSupply Chain & Sub-Contractors\t2.5%\n4.\tBusiness plan and financing\t10%\n4.1\tBusiness & Financial Model\t7.5%\n4.2\tOpen Book Working, Performance Targets & Reporting\t2.5%", "numbers": [ { "number": 60, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] }, { "type": "price", "name": "Income", "description": "5.\tFinancial proposal\t40%\n5.1\tBase rent return to the Council\t25%\n5.2\tPercentage Revenue Share to the Council in year one\t5%\n5.3\tAverage Revenue Share over 10-year contract term\t10%", "numbers": [ { "number": 40, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] } ] } ] }, "selectionCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": [ { "type": "economic", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." }, { "type": "technical", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." } ] } ] }, "renewal": { "description": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "Under Lot 1 - \nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of five years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of five years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10years.\nUnder Lot 2 - \nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of seven years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of three years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10 years." }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "Under Lot 1 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of five years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of five years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10years.\nUnder Lot 2 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of seven years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of three years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10 years." } ] }, "hasOptions": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": true } ], "options": { "description": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "The Council reserves the right to engage the next placed highest scoring Operator (ranked 2nd) to deliver the contract in the event that any of the following events occur during the award, mobilisation and delivery of the services during the initial base term as well as during any extension periods:\n•\tThe Council is unable to agree and execute terms of contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders\n•\t The preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders fails to mobilise and commence the services in line with the agreed programme, or is significantly delayed in meeting programme milestones and is highly likely to not commence services in line with the agreed programme\n•\tThe contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders is terminated due to:\no\tMaterial breach\no\tNon-material persistent breach\no\tFailure to meet service levels and KPIs\no\tNot meeting Conditions of Participation - Exclusion grounds, insurance, financial standing, accreditations, etc. \no\tInability to agree price increases in line with terms\no\tInability to agree price changes, specification changes, event in the event of materialisation of identified known risks\nThe next placed Operator will only be engaged at the Council's discretion and subject to the Operator evidencing ability to: \n•\tMeet all Conditions of Participation\n•\tDeliver the requirements as set out in the specification including for any updates made by the Council\n•\tHonour the terms & conditions included within the original procurement\n•\tDeliver the service delivery proposals included within their original tender submission as a minimum\n•\tHonour the pricing elements included for within their original tender submission, subject to reasonable application of relevant CPI indices, as a minimum with a requirement to mitigate any increases where possible \nIn the event that the Council is unable to reach agreement with the next placed Operator the Council may, at its sole discretion engage with the Operator that ranked immediately below the next placed Operator (ranked 3rd) from the evaluation process to deliver the contract subject to the requirements set out above. \nIn the event that agreement cannot be reached with the 3rd ranked Operator the council may engage with the 4th ranked Operator and so forth at its discretion for delivery of the contract." }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "The Council reserves the right to engage the next placed highest scoring Operator (ranked 2nd) to deliver the contract in the event that any of the following events occur during the award, mobilisation and delivery of the services during the initial base term as well as during any extension periods:\n•\tThe Council is unable to agree and execute terms of contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders\n•\t The preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders fails to mobilise and commence the services in line with the agreed programme, or is significantly delayed in meeting programme milestones and is highly likely to not commence services in line with the agreed programme\n•\tThe contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders is terminated due to:\no\tMaterial breach\no\tNon-material persistent breach\no\tFailure to meet service levels and KPIs\no\tNot meeting Conditions of Participation - Exclusion grounds, insurance, financial standing, accreditations, etc.\no\tInability to agree price increases in line with terms\no\tInability to agree price changes, specification changes, event in the event of materialisation of identified known risks\nThe next placed Operator will only be engaged at the Council's discretion and subject to the Operator evidencing ability to:\n•\tMeet all Conditions of Participation\n•\tDeliver the requirements as set out in the specification including for any updates made by the Council\n•\tHonour the terms & conditions included within the original procurement\n•\tDeliver the service delivery proposals included within their original tender submission as a minimum\n•\tHonour the pricing elements included for within their original tender submission, subject to reasonable application of relevant CPI indices, as a minimum with a requirement to mitigate any increases where possible\nIn the event that the Council is unable to reach agreement with the next placed Operator the Council may, at its sole discretion engage with the Operator that ranked immediately below the next placed Operator (ranked 3rd) from the evaluation process to deliver the contract subject to the requirements set out above.\nIn the event that agreement cannot be reached with the 3rd ranked Operator the council may engage with the 4th ranked Operator and so forth at its discretion for delivery of the contract." } ] } }, { "id": "2", "title": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "Extended Term Concession (7 + 3 years)" } ], "description": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "This Lot relates to the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, as described in the Competitive flexible procedure description of this notice. \nLot 2 provides an alternative contract structure, comprising an initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years (maximum 10 years total).\nSubmission for Lot 2 is optional. Tenderers submitting for this lot must clearly demonstrate the additional value, investment or benefits delivered as a result of the longer initial contract term.\nThe total estimated value of the concession opportunity is approximately £8,200,000 (excluding VAT), or £9,840,000 (including VAT), based on a maximum contract term of 10 years.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement. Only one lot will be awarded.\nDue to system limitations within the Find a Tender Service, the values attributed to each lot are required to be entered individually and are therefore displayed as cumulative. This does not reflect the actual procurement value.\nThe stated lot values should not be aggregated, and the overall value of the opportunity remains as set out above." }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "This Lot relates to the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, as described in the Competitive flexible procedure description of this notice.\nLot 2 provides an alternative contract structure, comprising an initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years (maximum 10 years total).\nSubmission for Lot 2 is optional. Tenderers submitting for this lot must clearly demonstrate the additional value, investment or benefits delivered as a result of the longer initial contract term.\nThe total estimated value of the concession opportunity is approximately £8,200,000 (excluding VAT), or £9,840,000 (including VAT), based on a maximum contract term of 10 years.\nThe procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement. Only one lot will be awarded.\nDue to system limitations within the Find a Tender Service, the values attributed to each lot are required to be entered individually and are therefore displayed as cumulative. This does not reflect the actual procurement value.\nThe stated lot values should not be aggregated, and the overall value of the opportunity remains as set out above." } ], "status": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "active" } ], "value": { "amountGross": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": 2 } ], "amount": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": 1 } ], "currency": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "GBP" } ] }, "awardCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": [ { "type": "quality", "name": "Quality", "description": "1.\tProposal \t35% \n1.1\tStrategic Vision & Catering Offer\t12.5%\n1.2\tEvents Strategy & Operational Delivery\t12.5%\n1.3\tRisk & Resilience\t5%\n1.4\tMarketing, Promotion & Customer Engagement\t5%\n2.\tMobilisation \t5% \n2.1\tMobilisation, Transition & Implementation\t5%\n3.\tResourcing \t10% \n3.1\tManagement Team & Operational Staff\t7.5%\n3.2\tSupply Chain & Sub-Contractors\t2.5%\n4.\tBusiness plan and financing\t10%\n4.1\tBusiness & Financial Model\t7.5%\n4.2\tOpen Book Working, Performance Targets & Reporting\t2.5%", "numbers": [ { "number": 60, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] }, { "type": "price", "name": "Income", "description": "5.\tFinancial proposal\t40%\n5.1\tBase rent return to the Council\t25%\n5.2\tPercentage Revenue Share to the Council in year one\t5%\n5.3\tAverage Revenue Share over 10-year contract term\t10%", "numbers": [ { "number": 40, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] } ] }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": [ { "type": "quality", "name": "Quality", "description": "1.\tProposal \t35%\n1.1\tStrategic Vision & Catering Offer\t12.5%\n1.2\tEvents Strategy & Operational Delivery\t12.5%\n1.3\tRisk & Resilience\t5%\n1.4\tMarketing, Promotion & Customer Engagement\t5%\n2.\tMobilisation \t5%\n2.1\tMobilisation, Transition & Implementation\t5%\n3.\tResourcing \t10%\n3.1\tManagement Team & Operational Staff\t7.5%\n3.2\tSupply Chain & Sub-Contractors\t2.5%\n4.\tBusiness plan and financing\t10%\n4.1\tBusiness & Financial Model\t7.5%\n4.2\tOpen Book Working, Performance Targets & Reporting\t2.5%", "numbers": [ { "number": 60, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] }, { "type": "price", "name": "Income", "description": "5.\tFinancial proposal\t40%\n5.1\tBase rent return to the Council\t25%\n5.2\tPercentage Revenue Share to the Council in year one\t5%\n5.3\tAverage Revenue Share over 10-year contract term\t10%", "numbers": [ { "number": 40, "weight": "percentageExact" } ] } ] } ] }, "selectionCriteria": { "criteria": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": [ { "type": "economic", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." }, { "type": "technical", "description": "As described in the procurement specific questionnaire and the conditions of participation." } ] } ] }, "suitability": { "sme": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": true } ] }, "contractPeriod": { "startDate": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "2027-02-01T00:00:00Z" } ], "endDate": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "2032-01-31T23:59:59Z" } ], "maxExtentDate": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "2037-01-31T23:59:59Z" } ] }, "hasRenewal": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": true } ], "renewal": { "description": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "Under Lot 1 - \nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of five years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of five years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10years.\nUnder Lot 2 - \nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of seven years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of three years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10 years." }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "Under Lot 1 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of five years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of five years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10years.\nUnder Lot 2 -\nThe contract will be awarded for an initial term of seven years thereafter the council will have the option to extend the term by a period(s) of up to a maximum of three years.\nAny period(s) of extension will be at the council's sole discretion. The maximum allowable term is 10 years." } ] }, "hasOptions": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": true } ], "options": { "description": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "The Council reserves the right to engage the next placed highest scoring Operator (ranked 2nd) to deliver the contract in the event that any of the following events occur during the award, mobilisation and delivery of the services during the initial base term as well as during any extension periods:\n•\tThe Council is unable to agree and execute terms of contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders\n•\t The preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders fails to mobilise and commence the services in line with the agreed programme, or is significantly delayed in meeting programme milestones and is highly likely to not commence services in line with the agreed programme\n•\tThe contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders is terminated due to:\no\tMaterial breach\no\tNon-material persistent breach\no\tFailure to meet service levels and KPIs\no\tNot meeting Conditions of Participation - Exclusion grounds, insurance, financial standing, accreditations, etc. \no\tInability to agree price increases in line with terms\no\tInability to agree price changes, specification changes, event in the event of materialisation of identified known risks\nThe next placed Operator will only be engaged at the Council's discretion and subject to the Operator evidencing ability to: \n•\tMeet all Conditions of Participation\n•\tDeliver the requirements as set out in the specification including for any updates made by the Council\n•\tHonour the terms & conditions included within the original procurement\n•\tDeliver the service delivery proposals included within their original tender submission as a minimum\n•\tHonour the pricing elements included for within their original tender submission, subject to reasonable application of relevant CPI indices, as a minimum with a requirement to mitigate any increases where possible \nIn the event that the Council is unable to reach agreement with the next placed Operator the Council may, at its sole discretion engage with the Operator that ranked immediately below the next placed Operator (ranked 3rd) from the evaluation process to deliver the contract subject to the requirements set out above. \nIn the event that agreement cannot be reached with the 3rd ranked Operator the council may engage with the 4th ranked Operator and so forth at its discretion for delivery of the contract." }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "The Council reserves the right to engage the next placed highest scoring Operator (ranked 2nd) to deliver the contract in the event that any of the following events occur during the award, mobilisation and delivery of the services during the initial base term as well as during any extension periods:\n•\tThe Council is unable to agree and execute terms of contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders\n•\t The preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders fails to mobilise and commence the services in line with the agreed programme, or is significantly delayed in meeting programme milestones and is highly likely to not commence services in line with the agreed programme\n•\tThe contract with the preferred bidder identified through evaluation of the submitted tenders is terminated due to:\no\tMaterial breach\no\tNon-material persistent breach\no\tFailure to meet service levels and KPIs\no\tNot meeting Conditions of Participation - Exclusion grounds, insurance, financial standing, accreditations, etc.\no\tInability to agree price increases in line with terms\no\tInability to agree price changes, specification changes, event in the event of materialisation of identified known risks\nThe next placed Operator will only be engaged at the Council's discretion and subject to the Operator evidencing ability to:\n•\tMeet all Conditions of Participation\n•\tDeliver the requirements as set out in the specification including for any updates made by the Council\n•\tHonour the terms & conditions included within the original procurement\n•\tDeliver the service delivery proposals included within their original tender submission as a minimum\n•\tHonour the pricing elements included for within their original tender submission, subject to reasonable application of relevant CPI indices, as a minimum with a requirement to mitigate any increases where possible\nIn the event that the Council is unable to reach agreement with the next placed Operator the Council may, at its sole discretion engage with the Operator that ranked immediately below the next placed Operator (ranked 3rd) from the evaluation process to deliver the contract subject to the requirements set out above.\nIn the event that agreement cannot be reached with the 3rd ranked Operator the council may engage with the 4th ranked Operator and so forth at its discretion for delivery of the contract." } ] } } ], "communication": { "futureNoticeDate": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "2026-04-13T23:59:59+01:00" } ] }, "status": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "planning" }, { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "active" } ], "procurementMethod": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "open" } ], "procurementMethodDetails": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "Competitive flexible procedure" } ], "procedure": { "features": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "In respect of application of the Procurement Act 23, the Council's position is that the contract falls under the definition of a concession contract as set out within Section 8 of the Procurement Act 2023 and that therefore only the aspects of the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 that apply to 'special regime' contracts are of relevance to this procurement process and management of the resultant contract.\nThe council is using a single stage competitive flexible procedure for the procurement of this contract, which includes conditions of participation and detailed tender proposals to be submitted at the same time.\nThe Council will run the procurement process to secure the Operator using the Competitive Flexible Procedure as defined within the Procurement Act 23. The Council has designed a process that includes for:\n•\tPre Tender submission dialogue\n•\tPost Tender submission negotiation\n•\tRefinement of specification, contractual / lease terms and commercial model during the process\n•\tSite tours & bidders briefing\n•\tPost award finalisation of contract terms, lease & commercial arrangements\n•\tDue diligence including for take up of client references and visits to operator offices & operational sites, both pre and post award\nPreliminary Market Engagement\nFollowing the Council's Preliminary Market Engagement (PME), which informed the development of the procurement strategy, feedback from the market indicated varying preferences in relation to contract length, investment recovery periods and commercial delivery models. \nIn particular, the PME highlighted that different operators adopt differing approaches to contract term depending on their business model, level of upfront investment, and appetite for revenue growth and operational risk. This included a distinction between operators preferring shorter initial terms with flexibility to extend, and those favouring longer initial terms to support investment and long-term planning. \nIn response to this feedback, the Council has structured the procurement into two alternative lots -\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nThe split lot approach ensures that the procurement remains flexible and responsive to market capability, while allowing the Council to determine, through evaluation, the most appropriate contract term for the delivery of the service.\nCentral Digital Platform\nOperators are required to register on the Central Digital Platform, and upload and/or check that their core Supplier information on the Central Digital Platform relating to their company information, Mandatory and Discretionary Exclusions, Connected Persons, and economic and financial standing is all up to date and accurate at the point of submitting both a Tender Response. Where relevant, Operators will also need to provide information concerning Associated Persons and intended Sub-contractors\nShould there be any inconsistency between this information and the information as submitted in response to this Procurement, the Operator will need to provide evidence as to the accuracy of their submission and failure to do so could result in the Operator being excluded for Improper Behaviour.\nGuidance on accessing the Central Digital Platform can be found here -\nhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-short-guides/suppliers-how-to-register-your-organisation-and-first-administrator-on-find-a-tender-in-three-easy-steps-html \nAccess to tender document and programme\nThe Council will administrate the procurement using its e-sourcing system In-Tend, which will be used for:\n•\tAccess to and issue of procurement information and documentation\n•\tPre-tender submission clarification requests and response\n•\tTender submission\n•\tTender opening and access to responses\n•\tPost tender submission clarification requests and response\n•\tAward decision notification and feedback\nThe In-Tend system can be accessed free of charge via the following web link:\nhttps://intendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home \nThe Council are intending to follow the subsequent Procurement Programme - \nIssue of Tender Notice & Invitation to Participate in Dialogue - 22/06/26\nSite Visit (condition of tendering) - 29/06/26 (17:00-19:00)\n1-2-1 dialogue meetings - From 13/07/26 to 24/07/26 2026\nRequest for clarification deadline - 29/07/26 by 16:00\nTender proposals return - 7/08/26 by 12:00\nTender Evaluation - 10/08/26 to 11/09/26\nOptional Operator Interviews - 7/09/26 to 11/09/26 2026\nNotification of award decision, issue of assessment summaries and publication of Contract Award Notice - 21/09/26\nStandstill Period - 21/09/26 to 30/09/26\nPreferred bidder secured and confirmation of contract award - 1/10/26\nContract Start - Monday 1st February 2027\nFailure to meet the deadlines set out above may result in an Operator's submission not being considered.\nMandatory Site Visit\nAttendance at the site visit is a mandatory requirement for any Operator wishing to submit a tender response. Operators who attended the site visit as part of the Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise will be deemed to have satisfied this requirement, however all Operators are permitted to attend. Failure to attend the scheduled site visit on Monday 19th June 2026 from 17:00 to 19:00 at Southsea Castle will result in the Operator being excluded from the procurement process.\nDialogue TEAMS Meetings\nOperators who wish to engage in an online TEAMS 1-1 clarification meeting/s with the Council prior to submission of their tender return must register via InTend using the correspondence function by 12:00 on Wednesday 8th July 2026. Only Operators who have attended the site visit/were involved in the Preliminary Market Engagement will be able to attend the dialogue meetings.\nThe 1-1 meetings will be held via TEAMS from Monday 13th July 2026 to Friday 24th July 2026.\n Operators may request up to 90 minutes of clarification meeting time with the Council which may be covered in one meeting or split between multiple (max 2) if required to accommodate diaries of particular Council and Operator project team members that may be required to attend to address particular clarification topics.\nIn registering Operators must provide the following information:\n•\tNames, positions and contact details (email & telephone number) of delegates (max of 4 delegates may attend)\n•\tPreferred dates and times for meetings\n•\tClarification questions, topics and themes\nThe Council will minute the meetings and provide the notes promptly with the particular Operator via InTend.\nWhere questions and responses are not commercially sensitive to an Operators particular approach they will be added to the Clarification Log and issued to all Operators via InTend.\nTender evaluation principles\nThe evaluation of responses takes place in two stages:\n•\tEvaluation of exclusion grounds and conditions of participation takes place first. Only when a Operator has satisfied these minimum requirements within the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) will evaluation proceed to the next stage.\n•\tEvaluation of award criteria takes place second and comprises evaluation of the responses to the Quality Assessment Questions (QAQ) and Pricing.\nMinimum requirements\nThe PSQ Preliminary Questions focus on the following sections that will be assessed on a pass/fail basis - \n1.\tOperator information\n2.\tGrounds for exclusion\n3.\tRelevant experience and contract examples\n4.\tFinancial capacity\n5.\tInsurance\n6.\tGDPR/ Data Protection \n7.\tHealth and Safety\n8.\tAccreditations\n9.\tPayments in contracts (information only)\n10.\tTackling Modern slavery (information only)\nAny Operator who does not meet the minimum requirements in the preliminary questions, will be excluded as not meeting the conditions of participation, and their submission will not be assessed any further.\nAward criteria\nWhere a Operator has satisfied the minimum requirements within the PSQ, their responses to the Quality Assessment Questions (QAQ) will then be evaluated against the following award criteria:\n•\tPrice 40%\n•\tQuality 60% \nFor details of the breakdown of how the Price and Quality are to be assessed see Award Criteria of this notice. The pricing will be assessed on a normalised basis, whilst the quality responses will be assessed on a weighted rate basis or pass/fail.\nFor a breakdown of the specific criteria to be used to evaluate an Operators quality assessment question submission, Operators should refer to Quality Assessment Question scoring matrices and refer to the Single Stage Competitive Flexible Procedure - Conditions of Participation and Invitation to Tender included in the tender pack available via the Council's e-tendering platform Intend.\nOptional Operator Interviews\nFollowing completion of the initial evaluation, the Council may invite the highest scoring bidder(s) for Lot 1 and/or Lot 2 to attend an interview. The purpose of the interview will be to clarify, validate and test the proposals submitted, including assumptions, deliverability and sustainability of the bidder's offer.\nFollowing completion of any interviews and final moderation, the Council will determine whether to proceed with Lot 1 or Lot 2, and will award the contract to the bidder achieving the highest final cost/quality score across the selected lot\nThe Council reserves the right, following completion of tender evaluation, to enter into discussions with the preferred bidder in respect of commercial terms, provided that any resulting agreement does not materially alter the substance of the tender submitted or undermine the integrity of the procurement process." }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "In respect of application of the Procurement Act 23, the Council's position is that the contract falls under the definition of a concession contract as set out within Section 8 of the Procurement Act 2023 and that therefore only the aspects of the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 that apply to 'special regime' contracts are of relevance to this procurement process and management of the resultant contract.\nThe council is using a single stage competitive flexible procedure for the procurement of this contract, which includes conditions of participation and detailed tender proposals to be submitted at the same time.\nThe Council will run the procurement process to secure the Operator using the Competitive Flexible Procedure as defined within the Procurement Act 23. The Council has designed a process that includes for:\n•\tPre Tender submission dialogue\n•\tPost Tender submission negotiation\n•\tRefinement of specification, contractual / lease terms and commercial model during the process\n•\tSite tours & bidders briefing\n•\tPost award finalisation of contract terms, lease & commercial arrangements\n•\tDue diligence including for take up of client references and visits to operator offices & operational sites, both pre and post award\nPreliminary Market Engagement\nFollowing the Council's Preliminary Market Engagement (PME), which informed the development of the procurement strategy, feedback from the market indicated varying preferences in relation to contract length, investment recovery periods and commercial delivery models.\nIn particular, the PME highlighted that different operators adopt differing approaches to contract term depending on their business model, level of upfront investment, and appetite for revenue growth and operational risk. This included a distinction between operators preferring shorter initial terms with flexibility to extend, and those favouring longer initial terms to support investment and long-term planning.\nIn response to this feedback, the Council has structured the procurement into two alternative lots -\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nThe split lot approach ensures that the procurement remains flexible and responsive to market capability, while allowing the Council to determine, through evaluation, the most appropriate contract term for the delivery of the service.\nCentral Digital Platform\nOperators are required to register on the Central Digital Platform, and upload and/or check that their core Supplier information on the Central Digital Platform relating to their company information, Mandatory and Discretionary Exclusions, Connected Persons, and economic and financial standing is all up to date and accurate at the point of submitting both a Tender Response. Where relevant, Operators will also need to provide information concerning Associated Persons and intended Sub-contractors\nShould there be any inconsistency between this information and the information as submitted in response to this Procurement, the Operator will need to provide evidence as to the accuracy of their submission and failure to do so could result in the Operator being excluded for Improper Behaviour.\nGuidance on accessing the Central Digital Platform can be found here -\nhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-short-guides/suppliers-how-to-register-your-organisation-and-first-administrator-on-find-a-tender-in-three-easy-steps-html\nAccess to tender document and programme\nThe Council will administrate the procurement using its e-sourcing \nsystem In-Tend, which will be used for:\n•\tAccess to and issue of procurement information and documentation\n•\tPre-tender submission clarification requests and response\n•\tTender submission\n•\tTender opening and access to responses\n•\tPost tender submission clarification requests and response\n•\tAward decision notification and feedback\nThe In-Tend system can be accessed free of charge via the following web link:\nhttps://intendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home\nThe Council are intending to follow the subsequent Procurement Programme -\nIssue of Tender Notice & Invitation to Participate in Dialogue - 22/06/26\nSite Visit (condition of tendering) - 29/06/26 (17:00-19:00)\n1-2-1 dialogue meetings - From 13/07/26 to 24/07/26 2026\nRequest for clarification deadline - 10/08/26 by 16:00\nTender proposals return - 21/08/26 by 12:00\nTender Evaluation - 24/08/26 to 11/09/26\nOptional Operator Interviews - 7/09/26 to 11/09/26\nNotification of award decision, issue of assessment summaries and publication of Contract Award Notice - 21/09/26\nStandstill Period - 21/09/26 to 30/09/26\nPreferred bidder secured and confirmation of contract award - 1/10/26\nContract Start - Monday 1st February 2027\nFailure to meet the deadlines set out above may result in an Operator's submission not being considered.\nMandatory Site Visit\nAttendance at the site visit is a mandatory requirement for any Operator wishing to submit a tender response. Operators who attended the site visit as part of the Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise will be deemed to have satisfied this requirement, however all Operators are permitted to attend. \nFailure to attend the scheduled site visit on Monday 19th June 2026 from 17:00 to 19:00 at Southsea Castle will result in the Operator being excluded from the procurement process.\nDialogue TEAMS Meetings\nOperators who wish to engage in an online TEAMS 1-1 clarification meeting/s with the Council prior to submission of their tender return must register via InTend using the correspondence function by 12:00 on Wednesday 8th July 2026. Only Operators who have attended the site visit/were involved in the Preliminary Market Engagement will be able to attend the dialogue meetings.\nThe 1-1 meetings will be held via TEAMS from Monday 13th July 2026 to Friday 24th July 2026.\nOperators may request up to 90 minutes of clarification meeting time with the Council which may be covered in one meeting or split between multiple (max 2) if required to accommodate diaries of particular Council and Operator project team members that may be required to attend to address particular clarification topics.\nIn registering Operators must provide the following information:\n•\tNames, positions and contact details (email & telephone number) of delegates (max of 4 delegates may attend)\n•\tPreferred dates and times for meetings\n•\tClarification questions, topics and themes\nThe Council will minute the meetings and provide the notes promptly with the particular Operator via InTend.\nWhere questions and responses are not commercially sensitive to an Operators particular approach they will be added to the Clarification Log and issued to all Operators via InTend.\nTender evaluation principles\nThe evaluation of responses takes place in two stages:\n•\tEvaluation of exclusion grounds and conditions of participation takes place first. Only when a Operator has satisfied these minimum requirements within the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) will evaluation proceed to the next stage.\n•\tEvaluation of award criteria takes place second and comprises evaluation of the responses to the Quality Assessment Questions (QAQ) and Pricing.\nMinimum requirements\nThe PSQ Preliminary Questions focus on the following sections that will be assessed on a pass/fail basis -\n1.\tOperator information\n2.\tGrounds for exclusion\n3.\tRelevant experience and contract examples\n4.\tFinancial capacity\n5.\tInsurance\n6.\tGDPR/ Data Protection\n7.\tHealth and Safety\n8.\tAccreditations\n9.\tPayments in contracts (information only)\n10.\tTackling Modern slavery (information only)\nAny Operator who does not meet the minimum requirements in the preliminary questions, will be excluded as not meeting the conditions of participation, and their submission will not be assessed any further.\nAward criteria\nWhere a Operator has satisfied the minimum requirements within the PSQ, their responses to the Quality Assessment Questions (QAQ) will then be evaluated against the following award criteria:\n•\tPrice 40%\n•\tQuality 60%\nFor details of the breakdown of how the Price and Quality are to be assessed see Award Criteria of this notice. The pricing will be assessed on a normalised basis, whilst the quality responses will be assessed on a weighted rate basis or pass/fail.\nFor a breakdown of the specific criteria to be used to evaluate an Operators quality assessment question submission, Operators should refer to Quality Assessment Question scoring matrices and refer to the Single Stage Competitive Flexible Procedure - \nConditions of Participation and Invitation to Tender included in the tender pack available via the Council's e-tendering platform Intend.\nOptional Operator Interviews\nFollowing completion of the initial evaluation, the Council may invite the highest scoring bidder(s) for Lot 1 and/or Lot 2 to attend an interview. The purpose of the interview will be to clarify, validate and test the proposals submitted, including assumptions, deliverability and sustainability of the bidder's offer.\nFollowing completion of any interviews and final moderation, the Council will determine whether to proceed with Lot 1 or Lot 2, and will award the contract to the bidder achieving the highest final cost/quality score across the selected lot\nThe Council reserves the right, following completion of tender evaluation, to enter into discussions with the preferred bidder in respect of commercial terms, provided that any resulting agreement does not materially alter the substance of the tender submitted or undermine the integrity of the procurement process." } ] }, "coveredBy": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": [ "GPA" ] } ], "submissionMethodDetails": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "https://in-tendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home" } ], "submissionTerms": { "electronicSubmissionPolicy": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "allowed" } ], "languages": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": [ "en" ] } ] }, "tenderPeriod": { "endDate": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "2026-08-07T12:00:00+01:00" }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "2026-08-21T12:00:00+01:00" } ] }, "enquiryPeriod": { "endDate": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "2026-07-29T16:00:00+01:00" }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "2026-08-10T16:00:00+01:00" } ] }, "awardPeriod": { "endDate": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "2026-09-21T23:59:59+01:00" } ] }, "lotDetails": { "awardCriteriaDetails": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "The procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement:\n•\tLot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years\n•\tLot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years\nOperators may submit a bid under either or both lots invited to submit a response for one lot only, selecting the contract term option which best reflects their proposed delivery model, investment approach and commercial offer.\nFollowing completion of the initial evaluation, the Council may invite the highest scoring bidder(s)under the relevant lot to attend an interview. The purpose of the interview will be to clarify, validate and test the proposals submitted, including assumptions, deliverability and sustainability of the bidder's offer.\nNo new scoring criteria will be introduced at interview stage. However, information obtained through clarification may be used to review and, where appropriate, adjust the original quality scores where responses demonstrate that the tender submission is:\n- not fully understood,\n- not deliverable as proposed, or\n- materially inconsistent with the submitted response.\nAward Decision\nFollowing completion of any interviews and final moderation, the Council will determine whether to proceed with Lot 1 or Lot 2.\nTenders for both Lots will be evaluated on a consistent basis using the same evaluation criteria and weightings. The Council will compare the final evaluated scores across both Lots and award the contract to the tender achieving the highest overall score, whether submitted under Lot 1 or Lot 2.\nFor clarity, where the evaluation demonstrates that a bidder under Lot 2 achieves a higher overall score compared to all compliant bids under Lot 1, the Council may proceed to award the contract under Lot 2" } ] }, "documents": [ { "id": "conflictOfInterest", "documentType": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "conflictOfInterest" } ], "description": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "Not published" } ] }, { "id": "A-16583", "documentType": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "biddingDocuments" } ], "description": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": 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"2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058675-2026" } ], "datePublished": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00" } ], "format": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "text/html" } ] }, { "id": "070301-2026", "documentType": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "tenderNotice" } ], "noticeType": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "UK4" } ], "description": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "Tender notice on Find a Tender" } ], "url": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070301-2026" } ], "datePublished": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00" } ], "format": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "text/html" } ] } ], "hasRecurrence": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": true } ], "recurrence": { "dates": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": [ { "startDate": "2036-04-01T23:59:59+01:00" } ] } ] }, "riskDetails": [ { "releaseID": "058675-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-06-22T16:41:36+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tender" ], "value": "The Council has identified the following known risks & opportunities that may occur during the duration of the term of the contract and may positively or negatively impact the scope, scale, value, timescales, end user demand, etc. related the contract:\n•\tDevelopment and changing demographics of Portsmouth area which could impact positively or negatively on operator revenues\n•\tMarco and micro environmental impacts on utilities and other costs which could impact operator costs\n•\tChanges to VAT levels and other impacts of taxation which could impact operator costs \n•\tLocal Government Review impacts including for assignment of contract to successor unitary authority and any new requirements / objectives of the new authority which may require alterations to the technical scope, contractual and commercial structure of the arrangements \n•\tUnforeseen maintenance requirements which could increase operator costs and impact revenues if closures are required\n•\tInflation and other cost of living impacts which could increase or decrease operator revenues and costs\n•\tChanges to National Living Wage, National Insurance and other factors which could impact operator employment costs\n•\tIncreased or decreased competition from other public or privately run facilities or attractions which could impact operator revenues\n•\tIntroduction of new technologies, systems and processes which could reduce operator costs and / or increase revenues as well as impacting technical scope\n•\tIntroduction of new activities through market innovations that could open up new operator revenue opportunities and impact technical scope\n•\tChanges to relevant government policy / legislation which could increase or decrease operator revenues & costs, as well as potentially mandating changes to the technical scope\n•\tAn endemic or pandemic event similar to Covid 19 which could increase costs and / or reduce demand.\nThe Council has identified the risks and opportunities above associated with the delivery of this contract. In accordance with Schedule 8 of the Procurement Act 2023, the Council reserves the right to modify the contract, without initiating a new procurement procedure, should any of these risks materialise during the contract term.\nAny such modification will be limited to addressing the consequences of the known risk and will not alter the overall nature of the contract. Where applicable, a Contract Change Notice will be published in accordance with the requirements of the Act.\nImpact of Local Government Reorganisation \nAs part of the wider Local Government Review (LGR), the Council has been required to engage with neighbouring authorities to explore future structural reform, shared service opportunities, and alignment of governance arrangements. \nThe UK Government has now confirmed its decision regarding Local Government Reorganisation across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Under the confirmed proposals, Portsmouth City Council will become part of a new, larger unitary authority covering the areas of Gosport, Fareham and Havant, and including Newlands, Horndean, Clanfield and Rowlands Castle. \nThe new unitary authority will formally come into existence on 1 April 2028, at which point Portsmouth City Council, as it currently exists, will be legally dissolved on 31 March 2028.\nUpon dissolution of the Council and vesting of the new unitary authority the contract established via this procurement process will automatically transfer to the new authority. \nThe operator will be legally required to continue honouring all commitments made under the terms of the contract let by the Council. \nIt is not anticipated that beyond the change of client authority that any other aspects of the specification, terms and other requirements are likely to be subject to any significant changes, although the Council is obviously not able to accurately predict the requirements and objectives of the future authority." }, { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "The Council has identified the following known risks & opportunities that may occur during the duration of the term of the contract and may positively or negatively impact the scope, scale, value, timescales, end user demand, etc. related the contract:\n•\tDevelopment and changing demographics of Portsmouth area which could impact positively or negatively on operator revenues\n•\tMarco and micro environmental impacts on utilities and other costs which could impact operator costs\n•\tChanges to VAT levels and other impacts of taxation which could impact operator costs\n•\tLocal Government Review impacts including for assignment of contract to successor unitary authority and any new requirements / objectives of the new authority which may require alterations to the technical scope, contractual and commercial structure of the arrangements\n•\tUnforeseen maintenance requirements which could increase operator costs and impact revenues if closures are required\n•\tInflation and other cost of living impacts which could increase or decrease operator revenues and costs\n•\tChanges to National Living Wage, National Insurance and other factors which could impact operator employment costs\n•\tIncreased or decreased competition from other public or privately run facilities or attractions which could impact operator revenues\n•\tIntroduction of new technologies, systems and processes which could reduce operator costs and / or increase revenues as well as impacting technical scope\n•\tIntroduction of new activities through market innovations that could open up new operator revenue opportunities and impact technical scope\n•\tChanges to relevant government policy / legislation which could increase or decrease operator revenues & costs, as well as potentially mandating changes to the technical scope\n•\tAn endemic or pandemic event similar to Covid 19 which could increase costs and / or reduce demand.\nThe Council has identified the risks and opportunities above associated with the delivery of this contract. In accordance with Schedule 8 of the Procurement Act 2023, the Council reserves the right to modify the contract, without initiating a new procurement procedure, should any of these risks materialise during the contract term.\nAny such modification will be limited to addressing the consequences of the known risk and will not alter the overall nature of the contract. Where applicable, a Contract Change Notice will be published in accordance with the requirements of the Act.\nImpact of Local Government Reorganisation\nAs part of the wider Local Government Review (LGR), the Council has been required to engage with neighbouring authorities to explore future structural reform, shared service opportunities, and alignment of governance arrangements.\nThe UK Government has now confirmed its decision regarding Local Government Reorganisation across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Under the confirmed proposals, Portsmouth City Council will become part of a new, larger unitary authority covering the areas of Gosport, Fareham and Havant, and including Newlands, Horndean, Clanfield and Rowlands Castle.\nThe new unitary authority will formally come into existence on 1 April 2028, at which point Portsmouth City Council, as it currently exists, will be legally dissolved on 31 March 2028.\nUpon dissolution of the Council and vesting of the new unitary authority the contract established via this procurement process will automatically transfer to the new authority.\nThe operator will be legally required to continue honouring all commitments made under the terms of the contract let by the Council.\nIt is not anticipated that beyond the change of client authority that any other aspects of the specification, terms and other requirements are likely to be subject to any significant changes, although the Council is obviously not able to accurately predict the requirements and objectives of the future authority." } ], "amendments": [ { "id": "070301-2026", "description": [ { "releaseID": "070301-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-07-24T13:40:24+01:00", "releaseTag": [ "tenderUpdate" ], "value": "The tender return deadline has been extend to Friday 21st August 2026, and the clarification deadline is now Monday 10th August 2026." } ] } ] }, "language": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": "en" } ], "extensions": [ { "releaseID": "016667-2026", "releaseDate": "2026-02-24T17:06:43Z", "releaseTag": [ "planning" ], "value": [ "https://standard.open-contracting.org/profiles/eu/latest/en/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_amendment_rationale_classifications_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_budget_breakdown_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_contract_completion_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_documentation_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_pagination_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-contracting-extensions/ocds_suitability_extension/master/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/portaledcahn/ocds_Links_extension/main/extension.json", "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cabinetoffice/ocds_uk_extension/main/extension.json" ] } ] } } ] }