--- title: "Electric Theatre - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0776c0" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0776c0" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0776c0.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0776c0.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "Guildford Borough Council" published: "2026-09-21" --- # Electric Theatre - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice Buyer: Guildford Borough Council Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0776c0 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0776c0) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0776c0.json) ## Summary Guildford Borough Council is exploring the appointment of an operator or leaseholder for the Electric Theatre, a vacant historic venue in central Guildford. Originally built as an electricity works in 1913 and converted into a theatre in 1997, the building has significant cultural value and strong community support for continued use as an arts and performance space. The anticipated service covers operating and managing the venue, potentially through a lease or concession arrangement, while the Council finalises the legal classification and minimum requirements. The procurement is for cultural, entertainment, artistic and performance services. Delivery will take place at the Electric Theatre in Guildford. The Council is seeking views from cultural, community and commercial operators on market capacity and appetite. This process is at preliminary market engagement and planning stage. It is not a call for competition and does not commit Guildford Borough Council to launching a procurement. The Council expects to finalise its procurement route and minimum requirements after engagement, with a further notice anticipated on 9 November 2026. The engagement milestone has an indicative date of 30 October 2026 for registering interest. One planned lot is identified, with an indicative contract period from 11 January 2027 to 10 January 2052. The eventual arrangement may be a lease or concession, but its final classification has not yet been settled. The lot is marked as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises. The engagement is relevant to organisations able to operate a cultural or performing-arts venue and develop its community role. Potentially suitable participants include theatre and arts operators, entertainment companies, cultural charities, community organisations, social enterprises and commercial venue managers. The Council’s stated direction favours continued use as an arts and performance space, so relevant experience is likely to include programming performances, managing historic or multipurpose venues, community engagement, partnership working and financial operation of a public-facing cultural asset. Organisations considering a lease or concession model should be prepared to explain their operating approach, market capacity and appetite, together with their ability to manage the building and associated responsibilities. The process is currently for market understanding and preparation, rather than bidding. ## Notice The Electric Theatre is an iconic and historic building in the heart of Guildford, originally built as an electricity works in 1913 and converted into a theatre in 1997. The venue is currently vacant, with Guildford Borough Council assuming full responsibility for the building and its associated holding costs. The Council has undertaken a programme of technical surveys and stakeholder engagement to establish a clear evidence base to inform the future of the asset, confirming both the significant cultural value of the venue and a strong community aspiration for its continued use as an arts and performance space. The Council intends to appoint an operator or leaseholder to run the venue on a lease or concession basis pending final classification and is undertaking preliminary market engagement to understand market capacity and appetite among cultural, community and commercial operators before finalising its procurement route and minimum requirements. This is not a call for competition and does not commit the Council to commence a procurement process. ### Planning Information To register interest for this tender please access via the below link, and login with your credentials if already registered on the SE Shared Service portal: https://www.sesharedservices.org.uk/esourcing If you are not registered on the SE Shared Services, and would like to place to submission for this tender, then please register your companies details via the below link. Once registered you will be able to access the tender documentation: https://www.in-tendhost.co.uk/sesharedservices/aspx/Home ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089304-2026 | | 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 | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 21 Sep 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 9 Nov 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 11 Jan 2027 - 10 Jan 2052 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | Guildford Borough Council | | Locality | GUILDFORD | | Postcode area | Guildford | | Postcode | GU2 4BB | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLJ2 Surrey, East and West Sussex | | ITL 3 | TLJ25 West Surrey | | Local authority | Guildford | | Electoral ward | St Nicolas | | Westminster constituency | Guildford | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services ### Codes - 92000000 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services - 92300000 - Entertainment services - 92310000 - Artistic and literary creation and interpretation services ## Release History - 21 Sep 2026 at 16:01 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089304-2026 - 21 Sep 2026 at 15:53 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089299-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089304-2026 21st September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089299-2026 21st September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://www.in-tendhost.co.uk/sesharedservices/aspx/Home - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents - https://www.sesharedservices.org.uk/esourcing ## 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-0776c0. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0776c0.json.