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Contract for Stafford Borough Council's delivery arrangements for heritage services

Stafford Borough Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

20 Oct 2026 at 13:46

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Stafford Borough Council is exploring a standalone service to operate and develop its heritage portfolio: Stafford Castle, the Ancient High House and Izaak Walton Cottage. The work sits within heritage management and cultural and visitor-attraction services, including the operation of historic sites and opportunities to develop visitor engagement and community impact. The council has separated these services from its future leisure and Gatehouse Theatre arrangements, which will be considered through other procurement routes. The three assets are in Stafford, and the service is intended to cover the council’s heritage portfolio. The current arrangements place the assets within a wider leisure, theatre and heritage services contract operated by Freedom Leisure. The council has not yet chosen a future delivery model.

This is at the preliminary market-engagement and planning stage: the council is gathering confidential feedback to inform its decisions and any later procurement strategy. It is not an invitation to tender or a commitment to proceed with a procurement. The council’s engagement questionnaire asks interested organisations to respond by noon on Friday 6 November 2026. The current wider services contract is approaching expiry in November 2027. The planned contract period for the heritage service is 1 December 2027 to 30 November 2037. No contract value or budget is stated. The process is described as a single lot, with the service considered as one package. Small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises are identified as suitable participants. There are no stated evaluation criteria at this planning stage.

The engagement is relevant to heritage trusts, museum operators, charities, cultural organisations, visitor-attraction operators, social enterprises, leisure trusts with heritage experience, commercial operators and consortia. The council is testing whether the market has the appetite, capability and capacity to take on these three assets as a standalone service. Suppliers with experience in heritage management, museums, cultural services, visitor attractions, educational provision or community-based heritage management are well placed to contribute. It wants views on viable delivery models and partnerships, acceptable risk transfer, subsidy needs and financial sustainability, as well as ways to increase visitor engagement and community impact. This is an opportunity to shape the council’s understanding of market capacity and the information suppliers will need to participate if a future competition is developed; it is not yet a contract to bid for.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Contract for Stafford Borough Council's delivery arrangements for heritage services

Notice Description

Stafford Borough Council is reviewing future delivery arrangements for a range of leisure, culture and heritage services as the current contractual arrangements approach expiry in November 2027. Following completion of an options appraisal, the Council has determined that future leisure services and the Gatehouse Theatre will be considered through separate procurement arrangements. In relation to the Council's heritage portfolio, no final decision has yet been taken regarding the preferred delivery model. The Council is therefore undertaking a Preliminary Market Engagement exercise to explore market appetite, capability and capacity to operate and develop the following heritage assets as a standalone heritage service: * Stafford Castle * Ancient High House * Izaak Walton Cottage The facilities currently form part of a wider leisure, theatre and heritage services contract operated by Freedom Leisure. The Council is seeking views from organisations with experience in heritage management, museums, cultural services, visitor attractions, charitable trusts, educational provision, community based heritage management and related sectors. The Council is particularly interested in understanding: * whether there is sufficient market appetite for a standalone heritage contract; * the types of organisations likely to participate in a future procurement process; * appropriate delivery models and partnership structures; * acceptable levels of risk transfer; * subsidy expectations and financial sustainability opportunities; * opportunities to increase visitor engagement and community impact; and * information requirements that would support participation in a future procurement exercise. This notice relates solely to preliminary market engagement and does not constitute a call for competition, invitation to tender or commitment by the Council to commence a procurement process

Planning Information

The Council has prepared a market engagement document and questionnaire seeking feedback on the future operation of the heritage portfolio. Interested organisations are invited to review the supporting information and submit a completed questionnaire by 12:00 noon on Friday 6th November 2026. The engagement seeks confidential feedback on the viability of a standalone heritage management contract, potential delivery models, investment opportunities, subsidy requirements, contract structure and operational responsibilities. The Council welcomes responses from heritage trusts, museum operators, charities, cultural organisations, visitor attraction operators, social enterprises, leisure trusts with heritage experience, commercial operators and consortium arrangements. Responses received through this engagement exercise will be used to inform the Council's future decision making regarding the heritage portfolio and any subsequent procurement strategy. For further information and access to the engagement documentation, interested parties should register via the Council's procurement portal and search for this PME notice LINK BELOW https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com/Account/Login#

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078be4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099023-2026
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

92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

CPV Codes

92300000 - Entertainment services

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Dec 2027 - 30 Nov 2037 Over 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
Stafford Borough 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
STAFFORD
Postcode
ST16 3AQ
Postcode Area
Stoke-on-Trent
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG24 Staffordshire CC
Delivery Location
TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire
Local Authority
Stafford
Electoral Ward
Forebridge
Westminster Constituency
Stafford

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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