Planning

Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for a Framework for Fitness Companies and/or Pool Based Fitness Companies to deliver exercise classes and other sessions in Leisure Facilities and Community Settings within County Durham

DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

01 Apr 2026 at 16:16

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Durham County Council is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process for creating a framework designed to engage fitness companies, including both gym-based and pool-based providers, to deliver exercise classes and sessions in leisure facilities and community settings across County Durham. This initiative, under the preliminary market engagement phase, aims to consolidate informal agreements into a formal framework to improve consistency and quality. The procurement aligns with the industry category of "Sporting services" as per CPV classification 92600000. Key dates include a deadline of 24th April 2026 for responding to written questions, and the formal tender submissions are anticipated to begin on 15th May 2026. The framework is scheduled to commence on 1st August 2026 and conclude by 31st July 2030.

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs). With a planned framework value estimated at £960,000 over four years, it provides a lucrative opportunity for fitness companies to expand their offerings within County Durham. Businesses specialising in sporting services, keen on delivering high-quality exercise programmes in community and leisure settings, will be well-suited to participate in this tender. The engagement phase allows these providers to offer feedback and suggestions that could influence the final tender, ensuring that future offers are well-aligned with market needs and expectations.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for a Framework for Fitness Companies and/or Pool Based Fitness Companies to deliver exercise classes and other sessions in Leisure Facilities and Community Settings within County Durham

Notice Description

The Council are inviting suppliers to participate in preliminary engagement to gain insight from the market with the purpose of making any potential future framework opportunity well framed, feasible, focused and of likely interest to the market. We are seeking interest from fitness companies, including gym based and pool based, who are interested in delivering exercise classes within our Leisure Facilities and Community Settings across County Durham. A variety of informal agreements are currently in place across the Council. We now intend to formalise these arrangements by establishing a new framework that will support improved consistency and quality. This notice forms part of our preliminary market engagement, offering you the opportunity to share feedback and comments before the framework is released for formal tender submissions. Please note the contract value is based on the total framework value over a 4 year period and is expected to include a range of providers, so this opportunity is particularly suitable for SMEs.

Planning Information

Interested providers can access the written response questions, free of charge, by registering with open-uk.org The deadline for completed responses is Friday 24th April 2026 at 12 noon.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-067b3d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/030604-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

CPV Codes

92600000 - Sporting services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£800,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Apr 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
15 May 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Jul 2026 - 31 Jul 2030 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
DURHAM
Postcode
DH1 5WB
Post Town
Durham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC41 Durham
Delivery Location
TLC14 Durham
Local Authority
County Durham
Electoral Ward
Framwellgate and Newton Hall
Westminster Constituency
City of Durham

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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