Cafe provision/catering service for Pontardawe Arts Centre

Descriptions

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (the “Council”) seeks a professional and suitably experienced organisation (the “Operator”) to deliver a complementary café and catering service the “Operation”) at Pontardawe Arts Centre, Herbert Street, Pontardawe, Swansea SA8 4ED (the “Arts Centre”). The project was previously advertised in 2013 (August and November). No award was made following either tender process.The Arts Centre has carried out a change of use to the two former snooker rooms, and the installation of a kitchen and café area and these works have been completed. This project is supported by The Arts Council of Wales and Waste Recycling Environmental Limited(“WREN”).The Arts Centre is owned and managed by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and enjoys core funding from The Arts Council of Wales for its programme of live events. Refurbished in 1996 the Arts Centre forms the hub of the thriving community of Pontardawe town which has been enhanced by an ambitious programme of regeneration of the town centre including the opening of four superstores further adding to the potential for development of the town.The Arts Centre is a multi purpose arts venue incorporating a beautiful theatre/cinema, teaching studio, bar and art gallery. The recent development has enabled a change of use of the former snooker facilities to create an additional Studio Theatre, a café and a kitchen. Benefiting from a broad programme of live events, cinema screenings and an extensive participatory programme, the Arts Centre facilities are also used for conferencing, weddings and other functions and receives in excess of 60,000 visitors per year. The Arts Centre's busiest seasons are January to June, whilst the theatre’s busiest seasons are September to December.The change of use project has come about through funding from both Arts Council of Wales and WREN who both recognise that the new facilities will not only greatly enhance the experience of current visitors but also encourage new visitors to the facility and the town.The successful Operator will be required to enter into an operating agreement and a lease for a period of five years commencing end of April 2014. Subject to conditions, the Operator will be able to carry out private catering business at the Arts Centre.The Council is seeking a fixed sum from the Operator for the duration of the term of the Operation, ie, five years, of either 10% of the successful tenderer's gross annual income or the minimum sum of £6,000 per year, whichever the higher. Tenderers will be required to confirm in their tenders that they agree to this.Full details of the requirements of the services, of the operating agreement, of the lease and of the private catering business and the conditions relating thereto together with the provisions relating to payment are contained in the tender documentation which is available from the Council.To obtain copies of these documents please contact Miss Kate James at the following address: k.james2@npt.gov.uk.It is proposed to send the Invitation to Tender documents electronically. However, the file is quite large and in the event that a tenderer's email address is unable to receive it, a CD containing the file will be issued. Therefore, when registering your interest, please also provide the postal address to which the CD may be sent.