{ "tag": [ "compiled" ], "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06e71d-2026-08-19T10:21:30+01:00", "date": "2026-08-19T10:21:30+01:00", "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06e71d", "initiationType": "tender", "parties": [ { "id": "GB-PPON-PTTZ-3295-PYCW", "name": "Ards and North Down Borough Council", "identifier": { "scheme": "GB-PPON", "id": "PTTZ-3295-PYCW" }, "address": { "streetAddress": "City Hall, The Castle", "locality": "Bangor", "postalCode": "BT20 4BT", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom", "region": "UKN09" }, "contactPoint": { "email": "procurement@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk" }, "roles": [ "buyer" ], "details": { "classifications": [ { "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE", "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment", "description": "Public authority - sub-central government" }, { "scheme": "UK_CA_DEVOLVED_REGULATIONS", "id": "GB-NIR", "description": "Northern Irish devolved regulations apply" } ] } } ], "buyer": { "id": "GB-PPON-PTTZ-3295-PYCW", "name": "Ards and North Down Borough Council" }, "planning": { "milestones": [ { "id": "engagement", "type": "engagement", "description": "Any interested suppliers are required to submit their response through the eTendersNI secure messaging area of the Call for Tender (CfT) Ref: 6684495. All correspondence in relation to this Pre-Market Engagement exercise will be communicated via the CfT secure messaging area on eTendersNI. Suppliers are required to submit their completed Questionnaire no later than 12noon, Friday 11 September 2026. The pre-market engagement is intended to facilitate high-level conversations to identify potential interested suppliers and capabilities to inform the Council's procurement approach. A summary of the opportunity is detailed in the brochure that can be found with the Documents area for the CfT Ref: 6684495 on eTendersNI. To register on eTendersNI and access both the brochure and the questionnaire, please use the following link: https://etendersni.gov.uk The Council intends to invite interested suppliers to a virtual information session on 2 September 2026. Council officers and advisors will discuss the forthcoming opportunity and process. Interested suppliers are also asked to complete a questionnaire. The Council would request that suppliers express their intent to attend the virtual pre-market engagement information session before 12noon on 28 August 2026 by sending a confirmation message via the CfT Ref: 6684495 messaging area on the eTendersNI platform. Please include the following details in your message: * Full Name * Contact details (E-mail and phone number) The Council will also facilitate site visits at the relevant facilities for prospective suppliers during the PME period, if requested. If a site visit is requested during the PME phase, please highlight this via the messaging area of the Call for Tender (CfT) Ref: 6684495 on eTendersNI. The Council's intention is to commence a competitive tender process using the Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023 through eTendersNI. Interested suppliers will not be advantaged or prejudiced by participation or non-participation in the pre-market engagement. In accordance with section 82 of the Procurement Act 2023, the Council will take all reasonable steps to ensure that no conflict of interest puts any supplier at an unfair advantage or disadvantage in relation to this procurement. To ensure a level playing field for all parties and without breaching commercial confidentiality, all relevant information shared or gathered during this engagement will be made available to all potential suppliers as part of the forthcoming competitive tender process. This market engagement process does not commit the Council to any course of action and is not a formal part of the tender process that will follow. The Council has prepared a conflicts assessment in accordance with section 83 of the Procurement Act 2023 and will keep this under review throughout the procurement process pursuant to section 81 of the Act. This Notice is for information purposes only. In conducting this procurement, the Council will have regard to the procurement objectives set out in section 12 of the Procurement Act 2023, including delivering value for money, maximising public benefit, sharing information for transparency, and acting with integrity. The Council will keep records of all communications and material decisions made during this preliminary market engagement in accordance with section 98 of the Procurement Act 2023.", "dueDate": "2026-09-11T23:59:59+01:00", "status": "scheduled" } ], "documents": [ { "id": "078790-2026", "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice", "noticeType": "UK2", "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender", "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078790-2026", "datePublished": "2026-08-19T09:38:33+01:00", "format": "text/html" }, { "id": "078827-2026", "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice", "noticeType": "UK2", "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender", "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078827-2026", "datePublished": "2026-08-19T10:21:30+01:00", "format": "text/html" } ] }, "tender": { "id": "6684495", "legalBasis": { "id": "2023/54", "scheme": "UKPGA", "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents" }, "title": "Appointment of an Operating Partner for a Leisure Services Contract", "description": "Ards and North Down Borough Council (the Council) is currently preparing to initiate a procurement process to appoint an Operating Partner for a Leisure Services contract. Prior to initiating the procurement, the Council is undertaking a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) Exercise. The Council is currently preparing a scope of requirements for the appointment of an Operator to manage and operate its leisure facilities, principally the Bangor Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex (AULC) and Queens Leisure Complex (QLC) (excluding the community centre footprint at QLC), together with the delivery of an Active Communities Programme encompassing sport and physical activity development and community outreach. The project aims to deliver six core Strategic Objectives spanning Active and Healthy Communities, Inclusive and Accessible Leisure for All, Active Opportunities Across the Life Course, Strong and Effective Partnerships, Enhanced Customer Experience and Engagement, and Environmental Sustainability and Net Zero Contribution. Prior to initiating any procurement, the Council wishes to involve suppliers in a preliminary market engagement. Revenue The scope of the arrangement includes but is not limited to the operation, maintenance and management of the specified sport and leisure facilities. Responsibilities The responsibilities of the Operator will include, but not be limited to: * Operating and maintaining the Facilities to a high standard in accordance with the Services Specification and Minimum Opening Hours; * Employing, training and managing sufficient suitably qualified staff, including safeguarding, health and safety and customer service compliance across all roles; * Delivering the Active Communities Programme in partnership with the Council, targeting inactive and under-represented groups, and employing a dedicated Active Communities officer to lead its outreach work as a minimum requirement; * Funding and delivering reactive maintenance and planned preventative maintenance (including statutory compliance and testing) under an agreed annual schedule, with the Council retaining funding and strategic control of lifecycle and capital maintenance works; * Proposing and delivering capital investment over the contract term, aligned to the condition and lifecycle requirements of the Facilities, which may include fitness equipment replacement and upgrades, ICT and digital systems, energy efficiency improvements, minor facility improvements and refurbishments, customer experience enhancements and programme-enabling infrastructure; * Supporting delivery of the Council's carbon reduction targets and sustainability objectives, including proposing energy efficiency investments where identified. Costs Subject to commercial terms to be agreed between the parties, the Operator will fund and/or contribute to: (i) staffing, training and accreditation costs; (ii) reactive maintenance and planned preventative maintenance, excluding lifecycle and capital maintenance works which will be funded by the Council; (iii) ICT, booking and data management systems; and (iv) capital investment proposals as set out in the Operator's Capital Investment Plan. This preliminary market engagement is being conducted pursuant to section 16 of the Procurement Act 2023 for the purposes of: (a) developing the Council's requirements and approach to the procurement; (b) designing conditions of participation and award criteria; (c) preparing the tender notice and associated tender documents; and (d) identifying suppliers capable of performing the proposed contract.", "items": [ { "id": "1", "additionalClassifications": [ { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "50000000", "description": "Repair and maintenance services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "92000000", "description": "Recreational, cultural and sporting services" }, { "scheme": "CPV", "id": "98000000", "description": "Other community, social and personal services" } ], "relatedLot": "1", "deliveryAddresses": [ { "region": "UKN09", "country": "GB", "countryName": "United Kingdom" } ] } ], "value": { "amountGross": 0, "amount": 0, "currency": "GBP" }, "mainProcurementCategory": "services", "aboveThreshold": true, "lots": [ { "id": "1", "contractPeriod": { "startDate": "2028-04-01T00:00:00+01:00", "endDate": "2038-03-31T23:59:59Z", "maxExtentDate": "2048-03-31T23:59:59Z" }, "hasRenewal": true, "status": "planning" } ], "communication": { "futureNoticeDate": "2026-09-28T23:59:59+01:00" }, "status": "planning", "amendments": [ { "id": "078827-2026", "description": "The estimated contract value is not provided in the notice. However, the process to appoint an operating partner will be run as an above threshold procurement." } ] }, "language": "en" }