The management of Solent Meads golf course

Buyer
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
Value
£5,000,000
Closes
30 October 2026
Where
Bournemouth, the South West
Type
Open tender

In plain English

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council is looking for someone to run and operate Solent Meads Golf Course in Southbourne, Dorset as a business. You would have the right to sell water sports activities and retail services from the council-owned premises for 25 years, and pay the council a fee for this right.

What the buyer wants

• Take over the day-to-day management and operation of Solent Meads Golf Course • Provide and sell water sports activities and associated retail services to the public • Pay the council an agreed fee for the right to operate the business • Maintain the premises and services throughout a 25-year contract period

Likely requirements

Our reading of the notice. Always check the tender documents.

This is a concession contract worth £5 million: you will need significant capital investment upfront, strong financial backing, proven experience running leisure facilities or water sports businesses, and the ability to secure insurance and permissions. Most sole traders or small one-person operations would struggle to meet the financial and operational capacity required.

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.

How to write a tender response

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