Planning

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

UK Participation at Expo 2030 Riyadh - Creative, Cultural, Retail and Hospitality Preliminary Market Engagement/Early Engagement Questionnaire

Department for Business and Trade

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Planning

30 Jul 2026 at 15:39

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

11 May 2026 at 16:32

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Business & Trade is preparing the UK Pavilion at Expo 2030 Riyadh and is seeking organisations to help design, build, define, deliver and operate its public and private visitor offer. The services cover pavilion operations, hospitality, food and beverage, retail, merchandising, exhibition curation, cultural interpretation, entertainment, performance, events and business programming. The work is intended for a major international visitor destination, including restaurants, cafés, bars, VIP facilities, gift shops, exhibitions, live events, conferences, receptions, trade events and networking programmes. Delivery will be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The procurement is for services across cultural, exhibition, event, retail, hospitality and visitor-attraction operations, with potential involvement from commercial, cultural and strategic partners.

This process is at planning and is a second round of preliminary market engagement, not a formal invitation to tender. DBT expects to use the responses to refine requirements and inform an internal business case, and will consider whether to proceed with procurement. Interested suppliers are asked to register by email, complete an Early Engagement Questionnaire and may be invited to a non-committal one-to-one discussion. Questionnaire responses are due by 31 August 2026. The initial contract period is indicative, running from 5 April 2027 to 31 March 2031, subject to change following engagement. The procurement is expected to be above threshold, with one planned lot. DBT has stated that it makes no commitment to procure the services or progress the project.

This engagement will suit suppliers, operators and partners with experience planning, delivering or operating major international visitor attractions, cultural programmes and commercial hospitality environments. Relevant capability includes high-volume hospitality and food-and-beverage operations, commercially successful retail and merchandising, museum-quality exhibition design and interpretation, live performance and cultural programming, and conferences, receptions, trade events, networking and VIP experiences. DBT is particularly interested in organisations experienced at World Expos, Olympic and Paralympic Games, international sporting events, global cultural festivals or other major destinations. Competitors should be able to manage complex operational, logistical, commercial and reputational demands in a time-critical, globally visible programme, while developing distinctive visitor experiences for diverse international audiences. SMEs and voluntary, community or social enterprises are considered suitable.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

UK Participation at Expo 2030 Riyadh - Creative, Cultural, Retail and Hospitality Preliminary Market Engagement/Early Engagement Questionnaire

Notice Description

The Department for Business and Trade is leading preparations for the UK's participation at Expo 2030 Riyadh, taking place from 1 October 2030 to 31 March 2031. World Expos are major global events - with an expected 42 million visitors and 197 participating countries, Expo 2030 Riyadh will be a major moment for the UK's presence on the world stage and an opportunity to highlight the importance of the bilateral relationship between the UK and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The UK has a rich legacy of involvement at World Expos, stretching back to the Great Exhibition of 1851, for which the Crystal Palace was constructed in Hyde Park, London. In 2025, at the Osaka World Expo, Japan, the UK pavilion attracted over 1 million visitors, hosting an exciting programme of events and offering an immersive exhibition, gift shop, restaurant and bar. Expo 2030 Riyadh presents an ideal opportunity for the UK to foster economic growth and build partnerships in the region as well as globally. DBT are seeking a range of suppliers to enable the design and construction for the UK pavilion at this event, as well as to help define and deliver our public and private visitor offerings. This is our second round of Preliminary Market Engagement; the first round can be found at Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-043178. Please note, if you have responded to the first round of Preliminary Market Engagement there is no need to respond again. At this initial stage of the project, DBT is seeking to engage with organisations that have relevant expertise across the planning, delivery and operation of major international visitor attractions, cultural programmes and commercial hospitality environments. We are particularly interested in hearing from suppliers, operators and partners within the following sectors: Pavilion Operations, Hospitality and Food & Beverage: Operators and hospitality providers with experience delivering exceptional visitor experiences in high-volume international venues, major events, cultural destinations or flagship attractions. This includes restaurants, cafes, bars, VIP hospitality facilities, catering services and premium guest experiences, with the ability to develop commercially successful and culturally distinctive food and beverage concepts. Retail and Commercial Experiences: Retail operators, brand partners and merchandising specialists with expertise in developing and operating destination retail environments. This includes gift shops, licensed merchandise, product curation, experiential retail, commercial partnerships and innovative approaches that enhance visitor engagement while generating commercial returns. Exhibition Curation and Cultural Interpretation: Organisations with proven expertise in the curation, design and delivery of museum-quality exhibitions and cultural experiences. This includes developing exhibition narratives, and content that translate complex themes into engaging, accessible and memorable public experiences for diverse international audiences. Culture, Entertainment and Performance Programming: Cultural organisations, producers, promoters and creative agencies with experience curating and delivering live events, performances, festivals, artistic commissions, public programming and cultural showcases. We are interested in innovative approaches that can present the breadth of UK creativity, culture, heritage and contemporary talent to international audiences. Events and Business Programming: Suppliers with expertise in planning and delivering conferences, receptions, trade events, networking programmes, business engagements and VIP experiences that support government, commercial and diplomatic objectives. Major World Events and Destination Operations: Organisations with experience delivering, operating or supporting projects at World Expos, Olympic and Paralympic Games, international sporting events, global cultural festivals or other major international visitor destinations. Suppliers should understand the unique operational, logistical, commercial and reputational considerations associated with globally visible, time-critical programmes. In addition to traditional supplier relationships, DBT is interested in engaging with potential commercial, cultural and strategic partners who may wish to contribute to or operate the UK Pavilion's public offer. This may include hospitality, retail, cultural programming, exhibitions, entertainment, visitor experiences and other activities that support the objectives and commercial sustainability of the UK presence at Expo 2030 Riyadh.

Planning Information

To engage with our Preliminary Market Engagement, the Contracting Authority is requesting that potential suppliers register interest, and complete an Early Engagement Questionnaire to understand the relevant expertise and experience available in the market. Information that DBT gathers will be used to refine requirements and inform an internal business case. DBT will also explore potential suppliers' interest in sponsoring the UK Pavilion, alongside gathering insights into the factors they would consider essential to establishing a successful and mutually valuable partnership for Expo 2030 Riyadh. Interested suppliers are able to indicate their willingness to participate in a non-committal one-to-one discussion with DBT regarding their responses to the Early Engagement Questionnaire. To receive the Early Engagement Questionnaire, please email MajorWorldEventsCommercial@businessandtrade.gov.uk to register your interest. DBT's overall intended process for Preliminary Market Engagement is (i) suppliers to register their interest (ii) suppliers are sent the Early Engagement Questionnaire (iii) suppliers return the Early Engagement Questionnaire by 31/08/2026 (iiii) potential for non-committal one-to-one discussions with DBT. It should be noted that DBT makes no commitment to procure these services and may decide to not progress this any further following this engagement with the market. DBT are not liable for any costs incurred by respondents to this Early Engagement Questionnaire. DBT reserves the right to change any information contained within the Early Engagement documentation at any time, and interested suppliers rely upon any information provided entirely at their own risk. This is not a formal invitation to tender. The Contract Start and End dates are estimates on the initial contracts to be awarded, but this is subject to change and depends on the information shared during this Preliminary Market Engagement.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-069617
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/072313-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
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

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

CPV Codes

55900000 - Retail trade services

79950000 - Exhibition, fair and congress organisation services

79952000 - Event services

92000000 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

92500000 - Library, archives, museums and other cultural services

92520000 - Museum services and preservation services of historical sites and buildings

92521000 - Museum services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
5 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2031 3-4 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
Department for Business and Trade
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1A 2DY
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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.

Loading OCDS record...