SC Leisure Management Procurement

Shropshire Council is procuring an Operator Partner or Agency to manage and operate its leisure facilities across the county. The selected partner will be responsible for day‑to‑day operational management, ensuring that each venue delivers high‑quality services that meet or exceed established performance standards while maintaining a welcoming environment for all users. The contract will also require the operator to integrate the Council’s public‑health priorities into the design and delivery of every programme, offering comprehensive physical‑activity and well‑being initiatives both within the formal leisure premises and in community outreach settings.

The operator must exhibit a clear commitment to reducing health inequalities by targeting priority groups such as young people, the elderly, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and those living in disadvantaged areas. Key deliverables include boosting overall participation rates, fostering inclusive sport opportunities, promoting active travel, and enhancing mental and physical health across the community. Additionally, the operator must balance revenue generation with social value, maintain facilities at the highest standard throughout the contract term, and align all activities with the Council’s ambitions for carbon neutrality, energy efficiency, and long‑term asset sustainability. All operations must comply with national health and safety and environmental standards.

1.1.The Authority is issuing this Invitation to Submit an Initial Tender ("ISIT") in connection with the Procurement described in the Tender Notice published on the Central Digital Platform (the “Platform”) with reference number ED0407-25 (the “Procurement”).
1.2.The Procurement is being run under a two - stage competitive flexible procedure pursuant to section 19 of the Procurement Act 2023 (the “Act”). As such, this ISIT provides further details of the Procurement and process for submitting Bids.
1.3.The Authority requires tenders to be submitted for both a Concession and an Agency Model Contract.
Introduction to the Authority
1.4.The county of Shropshire is located in the west of England and borders Wales to the west, Cheshire to the north, Staffordshire to the east and Herefordshire to the south.
1.5.The county has an ageing population and is relatively prosperous with high levels of home ownership and low levels of unemployment. The county has 2 Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in the most deprived 10% of all LSOAs nationally; 1 in Shrewsbury and 1 in Ludlow. Levels of inactivity in both adults and children are lower than the averages nationally and for the West Midlands.
1.6.The Authority’s Vision and Key Principles for leisure services and facilities in Shropshire is as follows:
Vision
1.7.“Shropshire Council's vision for leisure services is to increase physical activity levels, improve community health, and foster social and economic development by supporting a network of accessible, high-quality facilities and activities across the county. The council aims to be a facilitator rather than a direct deliverer, partnering with local communities and its leisure operators to create a diverse range of options, improve existing venues, and promote active travel and sustainable practices.’’
Key Principles
1.8.The key principles underpinning this vision are:
1.Improving the health and wellbeing outcomes of residents
2.Inclusivity
3.Focussing on the inactive
4.Accessibility
5.System-wide approach and partnership working
6.Accountability
7.Financial sustainability
8.Asset management and planned future investment
9.Openness and transparency
10.Marketing and communication
11.Alignment with national and local strategies
12.Flexibility
13.Carbon reduction
14.Governance and monitoring
15.Social value
2.Overview of the Authority’s Requirement
2.1.The Authority is seeking an Operator Partner /Agent (depending on the form of contract used) to operate the Facilities and Services covered by this procurement opportunity. The Authority requires that the Contract reflects the required operational ethos, and the critical importance of financial viability together with the need to reduce health inequalities and increase levels of physical activity. The Operator Partner must work across the county to deliver active well-being programmes in both formal leisure facilities as well as other community spaces and places. Promoting grassroots sport and physical activity and the importance of leisure time to develop a sense of community is also central to this Contract.
2.2.The Core Services to be provided by the Operator Partner are:
•Operational management of the Facilities;
•Delivery of Authority and Public Health priorities to address the wider determinants of health; and
•Partnership working as set out in this Services Specification and agreed with Authority. This will include developing a higher profile for community sport and advocating the benefits of physical activity.
2.3.The Authority’s key priorities for the Services are to:
•increase physical activity and participation through the activities in the Facilities;
•ensure the Facilities and Services promote and address improved physical and mental health and well-being in the county;
•ensure that mental and physical health is addressed through a wide programme of activities, both within the Facilities and on an outreach basis;
•develop projects which encourage and promote sport and leisure participation opportunities for young people, those with disabilities, ethnic minority groups and disadvantaged groups;
•ensure that opportunities for active travel are promoted;
•reduce energy consumption in the operational delivery of the Services and the Operator Partner’s wider activities to support the Authority’s ambition to become carbon neutral; and
•ensure that, in operating the Facilities and Services, there is a balance between income generation and social outcomes.
2.4.The Authority requires that, as a result of the Services delivered through this Contract, its residents stay active, and/or become more active and that those who are inactive are encouraged and supported to become active.
2.5.Ensuring that children and young people start to become physically active from an early age, adults integrate physical activity into their everyday lives, and older people stay active are key principles for the Services. The Operator Partner must demonstrate as part of its tender submission how it will:
•Increase levels of participation in physical activity and sport through behaviour change
•Improve community health and well-being
•Contribute to reducing health inequalities, particularly for priority groups
•Contribute to improved mental health levels in the community, particularly for priority groups including the elderly; children and young people; women and girls; families; those in deprivation; ethnic minority groups; and those with disabilities and long-term health conditions.
2.6.Based on the recommendations of strategic work such as the Built Facility Strategy, the Authority has identified the following key Strategic Priorities for the Services to be delivered by the Operator Partner which are designed to contribute to the Authority ‘s wider local Strategic Outcomes (detailed above):
•Deliver high quality Services that meet Performance Standards and exceed customer expectations as demonstrated through customer feedback surveys;
•Deliver financially and environmentally sustainable facilities;
•Ensure facilities are maintained to a high standard throughout the life of the Contract;
•Increase inclusive opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity, from beginner to performance level for all sections of the community;
•Increase activity levels from underrepresented/priority groups identified as having no or low levels of physical activity including but not limited to people with disabilities;
•Improve access to Facilities, activities and opportunities for priority groups that participate less in sport and physical activity, including people with disabilities;
•Provide wider social value through strong and positive engagement with partners/community;
•Engage and support local sports clubs to deliver in their communities;
•Ensure programmes, activities and events provided maximise use of all the Facilities; and
•Ensure Facilities remain commercially attractive, recognising that a quality environment attracts participation
2.7.The Authority is seeking Bids in relation to the SC Leisure Management Contract. For further details see the Specification and associated appendices (separate documents on the portal).
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at:
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Shrewsbury:-Sporting-services./42G6Z69KYK
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/42G6Z69KYK

Ocid: ocds-h6vhtk-068477
Contract location: UKG22
Communication: https://csg.delta-esourcing.com
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: En
Enquiry deadline: 2026-06-15T12:00:00+01:00
Deadline for requests to participate: 2026-06-29T12:00:00+01:00
Submission address and any special instructions: https://csg.delta-esourcing.com
Tenders may be submitted electronically: allowed
Award decision date (estimated): 2027-04-26T23:59:59+01:00

Lot number: 1
Lot value (estimated)

1.500.000,00 GBP including VAT
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals: 5 years (Extension at the discretion of Shropshire Council)

Award criteria:

Name	Type	Weighting
Criterion 2	quality	60%
Criterion 1	price	40%