Tender: Asset and Property Management – Blackpool Town Centre (Houndshill Shopping Centre, Victoria Buildings, Marks & Spencer)

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Blackpool Council is seeking a supplier for asset management and property management services to maximise performance and manage the day-to-day operation of its retail assets in Blackpool Town Centre, including Houndshill Shopping Centre (approximately 298,000 sq ft with 750 car parking spaces; opened 1980, refurbished/extended 2008, acquired by the Council in November 2019, and expanded in 2024 to include a nine-screen cinema with an IMAX auditorium, a ground-floor retail unit and a diner/restaurant), the Victoria Buildings portfolio of seven retail units on Corporation Street/Victoria Street opposite Houndshill, and the Marks & Spencer premises on Church Street. The supplier will be expected to maintain and enhance income through proactive asset management, support and implement the Council’s plans for future development of the assets within the wider town centre, report asset performance and progress to the Houndshill Steering Group, provide health and safety, financial administration and facilities management services, supply timely financial information including expenditure data, forecasts and budget projections, and liaise with town centre stakeholders to support initiatives that enhance visitor experience and business activity. The contract is anticipated to commence on 1 July 2027 for an initial five-year term with the Council able to extend annually for up to a further five years subject to satisfactory performance, contract review and budget availability; the indicative contract budget is £150,000 per annum. Procurement will use the Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023 in a three-stage process (RtP, ITT with up to five suppliers, then presentation/interview with up to two suppliers before award). Tenders may be submitted by a single organisation or by multiple organisations as a joint bid, with joint bidders expected to demonstrate previous successful collaboration on comparable projects.