United Kingdom1 days leftOpen

Provision of a Seasonal Pantomime

Tender Overview

ORGANIZATION

Halton Borough Council

LOCATION

Merseyside, United Kingdom

VALUE

£468,000

DEADLINE

February 03, 2026 at 14:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

92300000

REFERENCE

000608-2026

Project Timeline

Contact Information

View Original

Original Tender Description

Halton Borough Council is seeking an experienced production company to work with the Council to produce an annual Pantomime over the next three years 2026-2029 at the Brindley Theatre, Runcorn. The Brindley Theatre is Halton's 21-year-old, purpose-built theatre situated in Runcorn, Cheshire. The building is fully accessible and includes a 424-seat proscenium arch theatre (less up to 13 seats for sound desk positions), wheelchair access, 119 flexible Studio space, Library, Education Room, Bar and Café. All public parking is provided free of charge. The Brindley Theatre is a previous winner of the National Lottery Best Arts Project in the UK and also holds a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence. The annual schedule is balanced between a mixed programme of professional work across all the art forms and community, commercial hires and classes. The current season can be viewed online at www.thebrindley.org.uk. Tickets for all Theatre and Studio events can be purchased in person, by telephone or online. The Brindley Theatre has been successfully presenting professional Pantomime for 21 years and has firmly established a reputation for traditional family productions. We aim to produce a show that is unique to our venue and draws on collaborative skills to achieve the highest quality and value for money for our audiences. The Council has fixed the price of this provision to £65,000 per annum. To view the full specification and access the RFQ documentation and requirements, please register your interest in this opportunity via The Chest e-tendering portal: www.the-chest.org.uk. Search for Project ID: DN799333 All questions must be submitted via the Chest messaging facility only. Telephone enquiries will not be answered during the live tender process. Closing date for questions: 27th January 2026 at 4pm Closing date for Submissions: 3rd February 2026 at 2pm
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MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • No specific mandatory exclusion grounds are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • No specific eligibility requirements are explicitly mentioned in the provided text, beyond being a 'production company'.
🔧

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Must be an experienced production company.
  • Must be able to produce an annual Pantomime.
  • Must be able to work collaboratively with Halton Borough Council.
  • Must be capable of producing 'traditional family productions'.
  • Must be able to produce a show that is unique to the Brindley Theatre venue.
  • Must demonstrate collaborative skills.
  • Must aim to achieve the highest quality for audiences.
  • Must aim to achieve value for money for audiences.
  • Must be able to provide services for the contract duration of three years (2026-2029).
  • Must be able to deliver services at the Brindley Theatre, Runcorn.
💰

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Must accept the fixed price of £65,000 per annum for the provision.
📋

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Must register interest in the opportunity via The Chest e-tendering portal (www.the-chest.org.uk).
  • Must search for Project ID: DN799333 on The Chest e-tendering portal.
  • Must submit all questions via The Chest messaging facility only.
  • Must not make telephone enquiries during the live tender process.
  • Must submit all questions by 27th January 2026 at 4pm.
  • Must submit all proposals/bids by 3rd February 2026 at 2pm.
  • Must access the full specification and RFQ documentation via The Chest e-tendering portal after registration.

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Official PDF Version
PDF000608-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
Halton Borough Council is seeking an experienced production company for a three-year annual pantomime at the Brindley Theatre, Runcorn, with a fixed annual price of £65,000, requiring registration on The Chest e-tendering portal for full details.

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67
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender provides a basic overview for a seasonal pantomime production but critically lacks full documentation, clear objective criteria, and transparent evaluation methodology, hindering fair competition. Significant financial data inconsistencies are also present.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance100/100

The provided tender notice lacks explicit mention of mandatory exclusion grounds, which is a fundamental requirement in public procurement. The absence of full tender documentation also means the complete legal framework is not immediately accessible.

Absence of explicitly stated mandatory exclusion grounds.
Full legal terms and conditions are not provided in the initial notice.
Clarity40/100

While the overall objective is clear, many key requirements are vague and subjective (e.g., 'experienced production company,' 'traditional family productions,' 'collaborative skills,' 'unique to our venue'). A significant discrepancy exists between the estimated value in EUR and the fixed annual price in GBP, compounded by an inconsistent contract duration.

Vague and subjective technical capability requirements lacking objective definitions.
Significant inconsistency between estimated value (EUR), fixed annual price (GBP), and contract duration (34 months vs. 'three years').
Completeness83/100

This is the most significant weakness. The tender explicitly states that the 'full specification and RFQ documentation and requirements' are available only after registration on an external portal. This means the provided content is an incomplete tender notice, lacking essential details such as full terms and conditions, detailed technical specifications, and crucially, the evaluation criteria.

Full specification and RFQ documentation are not provided for direct analysis.
Absence of detailed evaluation criteria, which is critical for a fixed-price contract.
Fairness60/100

The absence of clear, objective eligibility and technical criteria, coupled with the lack of explicit evaluation criteria, makes it challenging to ensure a fair and transparent assessment of bids. The fixed price removes price as a differentiator, placing all emphasis on qualitative aspects which are currently ill-defined. The mention of the theatre's 21-year history of 'traditional family productions' could implicitly favor companies with a similar long-standing track record, potentially limiting competition.

Absence of clear and objective evaluation criteria.
Vague technical requirements could lead to subjective assessment.
Practicality40/100

The requirement to register on an e-tendering portal is standard. However, the potentially short timeframe for bidders to prepare comprehensive proposals once full documentation is accessed, especially given the initial lack of detail and complexity of the service, could be challenging. The fixed price simplifies financial evaluation but necessitates precise definition of quality and value for money by the procuring authority.

Potentially short timeframe for bidders to prepare comprehensive proposals once full documentation is accessed, given the complexity of the service and initial lack of detail.
Data Consistency100/100

There is a major inconsistency between the 'Estimated Value' (468,000.00 EUR) and the 'fixed price of this provision to £65,000 per annum' for a '34 months' contract duration. The calculated value based on the fixed price is significantly lower than the estimated value. Additionally, the contract duration is stated as '34 months' but also 'over the next three years 2026-2029' (which is 36 months).

Major discrepancy between estimated value (EUR) and fixed annual price (GBP) over the contract duration.
Inconsistency in contract duration (34 months vs. 'three years 2026-2029').
Sustainability0/100

The tender notice does not include any specific requirements or considerations related to environmental, social, or economic sustainability. This represents a missed opportunity to promote broader public value.

Absence of green procurement criteria.
Absence of social criteria.

Strengths

Clear identification of the procuring organization, service, and venue.
Fixed price simplifies financial aspects for bidders (once discrepancies are resolved).
Utilizes an e-tendering portal for structured communication.
Clear objectives regarding quality and value for money for audiences.

Concerns

Lack of full tender documentation available upfront, hindering comprehensive analysis.
Significant data inconsistencies regarding estimated value, fixed price, and contract duration.
Absence of explicitly stated mandatory exclusion grounds.
Vague and subjective eligibility and technical requirements.
Missing detailed evaluation criteria, crucial for transparency in a fixed-price tender.

Recommendations

1. Publish full tender documentation, including detailed specifications, terms, and evaluation criteria, upfront.
2. Clarify and reconcile all financial and duration data to ensure accuracy and consistency.
3. Define objective and measurable criteria for all eligibility and technical requirements to ensure fair and transparent evaluation.

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Tender Quality Score
67/ 100 · Good

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