Ashford Arts Centre Operator
- Buyer
- Ashford Borough Council
- Value
- £12,600,000
- Closes
- 8 January 2027
- Where
- Ashford, the South East
- Type
- Open tender
In plain English
Ashford Borough Council wants a long-term partner to run Ashford Arts Centre, a new community and commercial venue being created in the former Ashford Odeon cinema in the town centre. The operator would run the venue for 25 years under a concession, which means it earns its income from running the venue rather than receiving a fixed fee from the council.
What the buyer wants
• Manage and operate the arts centre over the 25-year contract, with a programme that includes theatre, live performance, comedy, family shows and community use. • Run the hospitality and events offer alongside the arts programme, serving a broad range of audiences. • Develop your own business assumptions from your operating experience and the tender pack, rather than relying on the council's financial model.
Requirements
What could rule a small business out (our reading of the notice, written with AI): The notice asks for a suitably skilled, long-term partner to run a 25-year concession with estimated operator income of about £12.6 million, so a small business without the scale, experience and financial capacity to take on that commitment would most likely be ruled out, although the notice does not set out specific thresholds.
Always check the tender documents.
How to bid
This is an open tender: any eligible business can respond directly to the buyer by the deadline, with no framework membership needed.
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How to write a tender response
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