Preliminary Market Engagement Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres

Descriptions

he Authority is planning to undertake a Tender for the "Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres"

This is a Preliminary Market Engagement exercise and not a call for competition.

The intention of this notice is to inform the market and gather feedback in relation to a potential future procurement for the Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres.

The Scope of the service includes Derby Arena; Springwood Leisure Centre; and potentially the Waterside Café, community room and sports facilities at Alvaston Park, and the Orangery and Kiosks at Markeaton Park.

Engagement

1. Title of the Notice Preliminary Market Engagement - Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres 2. Contracting Authority Details Name: Derby City Council Address: Council House, Corporation St, Derby, DE1 2FS Contact Point: Derby City Council procurement Website: https://www.eastmidstenders.org/ Or https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search/Results Contract Type: Service /Concession 3. Purpose of the Notice A PME Notice was published on Find A Tender to inform the market and gather feedback in relation to a potential future procurement for the Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres. This is a Preliminary Market Engagement and not a call for competition. 4. Description of the Requirement The Authority is planning to undertake a Tender for the "Management of Derby City Council Leisure Centres" The Scope of the service includes Derby Arena; Springwood Leisure Centre; and potentially the Waterside Café, community room and sports facilities at Alvaston Park, and the Orangery and Kiosks at Markeaton Park. The Services Specification will be based on the Sport England template, made bespoke to this project. 5. Requirement The objective of the procurement will be to secure the most advantageous tender considering the Authority's strategic outcomes (set out in paragraph 3 below) whilst maximising the payment to the Authority. In undertaking this procurement, the Authority wishes to achieve the following outcomes • Establish a long-term partnership with an experience operator • Financial stability for the Centres through reduced costs and increased income due to a more commercial approach • Capital investment for backlog maintenance and future investment and operator) • Planned and funded lifecycle investment, given age of facilities and future requirements • Increased participation of the Centres • Increased participation by those residents who are normally less likely to use a leisure centre • Promotion of improved wellbeing for residents • Positive impact on reducing physical activity and health inequality in the City • Maximise Derby Arena's primary focus as a regional, national, and international, sports venue that supports the City's sporting aspirations. It is anticipated that the Contract will commence in early 2027. Prior to undertaking the formal procurement process, which is targeted to commence November 2025, Derby City Council is seeking to undertake Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) with the leisure operator market to enable the Authority to better define its service requirements and the procurement process. We are seeking engagement with potential suppliers to: • Test with the market some of the contractual terms and conditions including use of an agency model. • Consider how improvement works, and equipment replacement could be delivered and funded as part of the Contract. • Test the market's appetite to include within the scope of tender, the management of park's catering and sports facilities. • Understand the market's experience of working with library services as part of a leisure contract. • Understand the level of interest from the market to tender for this contract. 6. Response Instructions If you wish to participate in this exercise, please complete the Questionnaire below and return it together with any relevant information to support this process through the procurement portal www.eastmidstender.org by midday on 8th October 2025. 7. Disclaimer This notice is not a call for competition. Participation in this engagement will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement process. The Contracting Authority is under no obligation to proceed with any procurement. No Contract will be awarded as a result of this market engagement exercise. 8. Transparency and Equal Treatment Any relevant insights or clarifications arising from this engagement will be made available to all potential Suppliers as part of any future tender documentation, to ensure transparency and a level playing field. 9. Anticipated Procurement Timeline Market engagement: 15th September - 8th October 2025 Procurement notice publication (anticipated): November 2025 Invitation to submit Tender: January 2026 Evaluation of Tenders: April 2026 Dialogue - May 2026 Final Tenders: June / July 2026 Preferred Bidder Recommended: September 2026 Contract commencement: early 2027 Please note, this timetable may be altered.