---
title: "Sports and Leisure Management Limited Outsourced Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-055b8a"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-055b8a"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-055b8a.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-055b8a.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "WATFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL"
published: "2025-07-08"
---

# Sports and Leisure Management Limited Outsourced Services

Buyer: WATFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-055b8a

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## Summary

Watford Borough Council is overseeing a procurement process concerning the outsourcing of leisure management services, awarded to Sports and Leisure Management Ltd. The procurement, classified under physical well-being services, falls within the services category and is based in London. Notably, this process is at the award stage, culminating on 7th July 2025 with a contract valued at £63,000,000. The procurement method employed was limited, utilising a negotiated approach without the publication of a contract notice, justified by technical exclusivity. The decision stems from a need to modify an existing contract signed in 2017, transitioning to an agency model for VAT purposes, with the contractor now acting as the Authority's agent in service delivery.

This procurement opportunity is particularly beneficial for large-scale service providers specialising in leisure management, offering significant growth potential. By acting as an agent for the council, businesses like Sports and Leisure Management Ltd can experience streamlined service delivery operations, harnessing local government contracts to bolster their portfolio. Companies adept at managing complex service agreements and those with a strong operational presence within the UK, particularly in recreational and cultural services, stand to capitalise on such government outsourcing endeavours.

## Notice

Watford Borough Council intends to enter a deed of variation with Sports and Leisure Management Limited (the Contractor) as the outsourced provider of leisure management services. SLM acts as the principle in providing leisure services from the council owned premises at Woodside, Central and the paddling pool at Cassiobury Park. SLM will act as agent of the council, with SLM providing leisure services on behalf of the council in the council's name. The Underlying Contract was originally procured under Procurement Notice Watford Sports facilities operation services 2017/S 049-089978:, published on 10th March 2017. The opportunity to change the status, follows the successful litigation taken by Chelmsford City Council in 2022 and subsequently HMRC revised its guidance in 2023 in relation to the VAT treatment of leisure services provided by local authorities.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The Authority appointed the Contractor to provide the leisure services pursuant to the Underlying Contract and Leases for the management and operation of the Council's leisure portfolio. The Authority intends to enter a deed of variation with the Contractor to modify the Underlying Contract, the effect of which will be the following: *To identify the agency agreement between the parties, the extent to which the Contractor will act as the Authority's Agent, and areas where it will act as Principal; *The Operator shall be appointed as the Authority's Agent to provide the Leisure Services and Maintenance Services (together the "Agency Services") but shall continue to carry out other services (specifically, food, beverages and retail) as an independent supplier to the Authority (the "Supplier Services"); *The Restated Leisure Management Agreement does not materially alter the risk position of the parties;

### Procurement Information

This VTN gives notice that the Authority is entering into a deed of variation (the "Contract") to make certain changes summarised in this VTN. A procurement procedure is not necessary on the basis that the award of the Deed of Variation of the Underlying Contract is permitted pursuant to Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The Underlying Contract concerns the provision of a range of operation, management and related services, by the Contractor, in relation to four sports and leisure facilities and two theatres. The Underlying Contract will be varied for the adoption of an agency model for the future operation and management of the four sports and leisure facilities. Under the current structure, the Contractor acts as Principal in the supply of leisure facilities to the public, so that the Authority is not making the supplies of leisure services. Under the new agency model, the Contractor would make supplies to the public as an Agent of the Authority. This modification is being made in accordance with regulation 72 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Namely, the proposed modification is not substantial within the meaning of regulation 72(8) on the basis that: 1. the modification does not render the Underlying Contract materially different in character - the proposed modification remains limited to the same type, scope and nature of services, where the services will be delivered to the same facilities. The modifications only concern contractual changes to establish an agency model for VAT purposes so that the Contract to provide leisure services to the public on the Authority's behalf and other ancillary modifications. 2. the Council has satisfied itself that the modification does not introduce conditions which would have (a) allowed for the admission of other candidates, (b) allowed for the acceptance of another tender, or (c) attracted additional participants in the procurement procedure - the change to an agency model for VAT purposes does not change the service requirement or the way in which those services are provided, and is unlikely to have changed the outcome of the procurement. 3. The modification does not change the economic balance in favour of the contractor in a manner which was not provided for in the contract - The Authority has satisfied itself that the new agency model and VAT arrangement does not impact on the Contractor's Operating Costs and Management Fee under the Underlying Contract, which remains reflective of market costs and does not amount to an over-compensation of the services to be provided. The agency model will allow for a more certain financial position to the Authority and will provide a greater surplus share than previously anticipated. 4. As per our comments at 1. above, the modification does not extend the scope of the contract. For the reasons set out above, the proposed modification does not constitute a substantial modification and is permitted by regulation 72 of the Concession Contracts Regulations 2015.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038405-2025 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Negotiated without publication of a contract notice |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 8 Jul 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 6 Jul 2025 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £63,000,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | WATFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL |
| Locality | WATFORD |
| Post town | Watford |
| Postcode | WD17 3EX |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLH27 South West Hertfordshire |
| Local authority | Watford |
| Electoral ward | Park |
| Westminster constituency | Watford |
| Delivery location | TLI London |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SPORTS AND LEISURE MANAGEMENT |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services
- 98 - Other community, social and personal services

### Codes

- 92000000 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services
- 98330000 - Physical well-being services

## Release History

- 8 Jul 2025 at 18:05 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038405-2025

## Notice URLs

- https://www.delta-esourcing.com/
- https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=964569199

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-055b8a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-055b8a.json.