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Live Programming and Theatrical Performance Services Tender

Historic Royal Palaces

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

16 Jul 2026 at 12:33

UK4 - Tender Notice
Tender

15 Jul 2026 at 15:49

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Historic Royal Palaces is seeking live costumed interpretation and theatrical performance services for its six sites: the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace State Apartments, Banqueting House at Whitehall, Kew Palace, and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. The requirement covers site-specific productions inspired by the palaces and their stories, lasting either 9–18 days or more than 30 days, plus short productions based on broad, family-friendly themes. Performances may include music, musical theatre and dance. This is live performance and interpretation work, not language interpretation. The services category includes artistic, theatrical production, entertainment, dance and performance services. Work will be delivered across the United Kingdom for Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity responsible for conserving and presenting these historic sites.

The process has reached tender: Historic Royal Palaces invited offers through a competitive flexible procedure with a Procurement Specific Questionnaire stage followed by an invitation-to-tender stage. It is an open procedure for a single lot and will establish a closed framework with up to four appointed organisations. Enquiries were due by 5 August 2026 at noon and PSQ responses by 12 August 2026 at noon; electronic submission in English is permitted through Delta e-Sourcing. The framework is expected to run from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2030, with two one-year renewal options, ending no later than 31 March 2032. Its estimated value is £3.5 million excluding VAT, or £4.2 million including VAT. Evaluation gives high weighting to the technical proposal and low weighting to the commercial proposal.

This opportunity suits established theatre, live interpretation, performance and creative production organisations, including SMEs, with experience delivering participatory work for varied audiences. Suppliers should be able to create and deliver site-specific productions in historic spaces, understand the constraints and opportunities of heritage venues, and work across different performance styles and art forms. Inclusive practice must be embedded in production and delivery, with performances accessible to audiences who may not regularly attend theatre or understand theatre conventions. Strong methodology, practice, management and resourcing will be important, alongside awareness of heritage conservation and wardrobe requirements. Successful organisations need sufficient capacity to scale up when required, including delivering multiple productions at the same time. Agencies and consortiums are excluded, although subcontracting may be agreed with Historic Royal Palaces.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Live Programming and Theatrical Performance Services Tender

Notice Description

Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) is a registered charity, responsible for the care, conservation, and presentation of HM Tower of London (TOL), Hampton Court Palace (HCP), Kensington Palace State Apartments, (KP) the Banqueting House at Whitehall (BH), Kew Palace (KEW) and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, (HCG) the official residence of HM The King in Northern Ireland and residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. We love and look after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world. The palaces are the setting for the stories that shape us all, and we're bringing them to people in ways that mean more to them. We want everyone to find themselves in the spaces and stories we share. HRP is a charity for everyone. We are committed to preserving and sharing the stories of our six magnificent palaces and making them accessible to all. Through partnerships, innovation, and storytelling, we strive to break down barriers, inspire curiosity and stir the spirit in people of all ages and backgrounds. HRP is an independent charity, receiving no government funding and derives its income principally from admissions, retail, licensing, commercial events, sponsorship and support from donors and members. We will be running a tender process with the intention of establishing a Framework Agreement and appointing a maximum of four organisations for the provision Live Interpretation and Theatrical Performance Services. We are seeking expressions of interest from suitably experienced organisations. HRP's requirements: The services in this tender include the following: *Short (9 - 18 days) and long (30+) productions of site-specific live interpretation and/ or theatrical performance inspired by our sites and stories in a variety of styles *Short (9 - 18 days) productions of live interpretation and/ or theatrical performances based on fun, broad and family-friendly themes, in a variety of styles. which may be inclusive of other art forms (e.g. music/ musical/ dance) We would like to work with organisations that: *embrace a participatory approach *understand that our audiences are not necessarily theatre-goers or have an understanding of theatre and theatre behaviour/etiquette *understand the limitations as well as the wonderful possibilities of our historic spaces as performance spaces *have the expertise and openness to embrace a range of styles appropriate for our varied audiences and environments *prioritise and embed inclusive practice in all their work both during production and when programmes are on the floor *have the ability to scale-up when required, which may include running multiple productions at once. Exclusion criteria: Tenders from agencies and consortiums will not be considered, and will not be eligible for contract award. Subcontracting is however permitted, with the prior agreement of HRP. Please note that this tender is for Live Costumed Interpretation, and not language interpretation services. Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ): All PSQs must be received by HRP by 12 August 2026 12:00 noon. Tender documents: The tender process will be run through HRP's e tendering system, Delta e-Sourcing. Tender documents will be made available on Delta to those suppliers who are successful at the PSQ stage. Anticipated agreement start date: April 2027 Framework period: 3 years with the option to extend for an additional two years (1 + 1). HRP reserves the right not to award an agreement and are at liberty to amend / refine the process and the evaluation criteria. In addition, HRP reserves the right to negotiate with short-listed tenderers or the preferred suppliers. Suppliers will need to register on Delta in order to participate in the tender process, and can register here https://www.delta-esourcing.com/register/ If you experience any technical difficulties from accessing Delta, please contact the Delta eSourcing Helpdesk. Call 0800 923 9236 or email helpdesk@delta-esourcing.com. To Respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/4AX5S37V8P

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06cc28
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/067226-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

CPV Codes

92312000 - Artistic services

92312100 - Theatrical producers', singer groups', bands' and orchestras' entertainment services

92312110 - Theatrical producer entertainment services

92312240 - Services provided by entertainers

92340000 - Dance and performance entertainment services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£3,500,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£3,500,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
12 Aug 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 1 Apr 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Historic Royal Palaces
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EAST MOLESEY
Postcode
KT8 9AU
Postcode Area
Kingston upon Thames
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI7 Outer London - West and North West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI75 Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Richmond upon Thames
Electoral Ward
Hampton
Westminster Constituency
Twickenham

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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