How to win: Southsea Castle Catering and Events Concession Opportunity - Portsmouth 2026

About this contract

Portsmouth City Council ("the Council") is inviting tenders from suitably qualified and experienced catering and events operators for the delivery of catering and events services at Southsea Castle, under a long term commercial arrangement comprising a combination of rental income and an incentivised revenue share mechanism. The council is using a single stage competitive flexible procedure for the procurement of this contract, which includes conditions of participation and detailed tender proposals to be submitted at the same time. The procurement is structured into two alternative lots which represent different contract term options for the same service requirement: • Lot 1: Initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by up to 5 years • Lot 2: Initial term of 7 years with the option to extend by up to 3 years Tenderers are invited to submit a response for one lot only, selecting the contract term option which best reflects their proposed delivery model, investment approach and commercial offer. The Council intends to award a single contract under either Lot 1 or Lot 2, based on the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT). Award of the contract is targeted for 21st September 2026. Th

How to win contracts like this

• ✓Answer against the marking scheme, not the question text — Portsmouth City Council scores each response, so map your evidence to the published criteria and weightings.
• ✓At £8,200,000, expect quality and social value to carry a large share of the score — price alone rarely wins services work.
• ✓Show recent, comparable delivery: name similar services contracts you've delivered for public bodies, with measurable outcomes.
• ✓Start early: it closes 21 August 2026 and a strong bid takes iteration.

BidWriter drafts your responses from your company profile, scores them against the marking scheme, and tracks your whole pipeline. Free to start — no card needed.

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