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Market Engagement Event for Live Interpretation & Theatrical Performance Services
AI Summary
Historic Royal Palaces, a registered charity responsible for the care, conservation and presentation of multiple national heritage sites, will issue a tender in July 2026 to secure a framework agreement for the provision of Live Interpretation and Theatrical Performance Services. The contract will cover both short‑duration productions ranging from nine to eighteen days and longer engagements of thirty days or more, all of which are to be site‑specific and inspired by the history, stories and architecture of the palaces and gardens. Productions may take a variety of styles, from immersive and participatory theatre to family‑friendly, multidisciplinary performances that can incorporate music, dance and other art forms.
The successful suppliers will be required to demonstrate an inclusive, participatory approach that acknowledges that many audience members may not be traditional theatregoers. They must be able to adapt to the constraints and possibilities presented by historic spaces, scale productions to run concurrently when needed, and embed inclusivity throughout production and performance. The tender will be introduced at a Market Engagement Event that will explain the procurement timelines, allow potential bidders to ask detailed questions, and facilitate introductions to the Historic Royal Palaces project team. Services must comply with all statutory health, safety, and accessibility standards applicable to performances in historic heritage sites.
Description
Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) is a registered charity, responsible for the care, conservation, and presentation of HM Tower of London (TOL), Hampton Court Palace (HCP), Kensington Palace State Apartments, (KP) the Banqueting House at Whitehall (BH), Kew Palace (KEW) and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, (HCG) the official residence of HM The King in Northern Ireland and residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The palaces are the setting for the stories that shapes us all, and we’re bringing them to people in ways that mean more to them. We want everyone to find themselves in the spaces and stories we share.
HRP derives its income principally from admissions, retail, licensing, commercial events, sponsorship and support from donors and members.
You can find out more about us on our website (www.hrp.org.uk).
We will be running a tender process for the provision of Live Interpretation and Theatrical Performance Services, commencing in July 2026 with the intention of establishing a framework agreement. The framework will commence in April 2027 and is anticipated to be for a period of three years with the option to extend for an additional two years (3+1+1).
The services in this tender include the following:
•Short (9 - 18 days) and long (30+) productions of site-specific live interpretation and/ or theatrical performance inspired by our sites and stories in a variety of styles
•Short (9 – 18 days) productions of live interpretation and/ or theatrical performances based on fun, broad and family-friendly themes, in a variety of styles. which may be inclusive of other art forms (e.g. music/ musical/ dance)
We would like to work with organisations that:
•embrace a participatory approach
•understand that our audiences are not necessarily theatre-goers or have an understanding of theatre and theatre behaviour/etiquette
•understand the limitations as well as the wonderful possibilities of our historic spaces as performance spaces
•have the expertise and openness to embrace a range of styles appropriate for our varied audiences and environments
•prioritise and embed inclusive practice in all their work both during production and when programmes are on the floor
•have the ability to scale-up when required, which may include running multiple productions at once.
In preparation for this tender, we will be holding a Market Engagement Event. This event will provide the opportunity for interested organisations to:
•hear about HRP’s requirements and this opportunity
•understand the tender process and timelines that will be followed
•ask questions regarding the contract
•meet the Project Team.
Estimated date of publication of contract notice: 2026-07-15T23:59:59+01:00
Contract location: UK
Engagement process description
The event will be held 8 July 2026 at Hampton Court Palace from 15:00-16:30.
Organisations that would like to attend should email tess.nowlan@hrp.org.uk by Wednesday 1 July and provide the name of their organisation and the full names of attendees. Attendees are limited to two per organisation.
Full details and joining instructions will be provided to interested suppliers closer to the time.
The tender process will be run through HRP’s e-tendering system, Delta e-Sourcing. Suppliers will need to register on Delta in order to participate in the tender process and can register here https://www.delta-esourcing.com/register/
Please note that tenders from agencies and consortiums will not be considered, and will not be eligible for contract award.
We hope to see you at the Market Engagement Event.
Lot: 1
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: En