Preliminary Market Engagement for Ashford Arts Centre Operator
Buyer: Ashford Borough Council
- Published
- 31 July 2026
- Estimated value
- £6,100,000
- Place of performance
- UKJ4
- Lots
- 1
- Notice number
- 072732-2026
- Reference
- ocds-h6vhtk-06d8e0
- Official source
- Official source
CPV codes
- 92000000Recreational, cultural and sporting services
- 92300000Entertainment services
- 92310000Artistic and literary creation and interpretation services
Description
Ashford Borough Council is bringing forward the redevelopment of the former Odeon cinema on Ashford High Street into Ashford Arts Centre (working title, naming convention to be agreed with successful bidder), a flexible theatre, gallery and community venue, and a landmark cultural project for the town centre. Following Cabinet and Full Council approval, this first phase of the project focuses on restoring the High Street facing part of the building; it does not recreate a full-scale theatre and is designed to complement rather than compete with larger regional venues. Design development is being led by Haworth Tompkins, with RIBA Stage 2 complete and Stage 3 design now underway. The Council intends to appoint an operator or leaseholder to run the venue once complete, on a lease or concession basis pending final classification, and is undertaking preliminary market engagement to understand market capacity and appetite among cultural and commercial operators before finalising its procurement route and minimum requirements. This builds on strong interest already shown by creative and community organisations in Ashford and is intended to ensure the technical brief and contract terms ar…
Official publications
- FTS · 072732-2026 · 31 July 2026
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the estimated value of this tender?
- The estimated value published by the buyer is £6,100,000.
- Who is the buyer of this tender?
- The contracting authority is Ashford Borough Council (United Kingdom).
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- Bids are submitted through the official public procurement portal in the United Kingdom. El Vínculo helps you find tenders and analyse their documents; submission always happens at the official source.
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