Leisure tenders cover sports facilities, leisure management, coaching, arts, libraries, museums and heritage services, bought by councils and other public bodies. How a contract is structured changes what you bid: it may be a concession, a light-touch contract, or reserved for a public service mutual. Safeguarding, licensing and TUPE questions follow. This page explains each point with a link to the government source. The notice and the tender pack have the detail for any one contract. Check which structure applies before you price.
How leisure contracts are structured
The same activity, such as running a sports centre, can be bought in different ways, and the structure changes what you bid.
Concession contracts
A concession contract is one where at least part of what the supplier receives is the right to exploit the service, and the supplier is exposed to a real operating risk, meaning it might not recover its costs. A leisure operator that keeps the membership income and carries the risk of not covering its costs fits that shape. A contract for goods is not a concession.
Concessions can’t be awarded through frameworks or dynamic markets (utilities concessions can use dynamic markets, under section 34(7)), and concession contracts are outside the regulated below-threshold regime. PPN 023 lists concession thresholds separately from the standard ones: £5,193,000 for a concession contract, or £5,372,609 for a light-touch concession. Whether a given leisure contract is a concession is shown in the notice and pack. Don’t assume.
Light-touch services and public service mutuals
Some services are light-touch contracts, with a £663,540 threshold. Which services count is listed in Schedule 1 of the Procurement Regulations 2024. Of the 105 CPV codes in division 92 (recreational, cultural and sporting services), 103 are listed as light-touch. Check the code on the notice you are reading rather than assuming.
Several of those codes can be reserved for public service mutuals, including sporting services (92600000), sports facilities operation services (92610000) and library, museum and heritage services (codes starting 925).
A buyer can reserve some light-touch contracts for public service mutuals. The contract must be for services marked as reservable, run for five years or less, and use a competitive flexible procedure. The mutual must be under the management and control of its employees and not for profit, or distribute profits only to its members. A mutual that has entered into a reserved contract for the same kind of services with the same authority in the preceding three years does not qualify. If you are a trust or employee-owned business, this is worth checking.
What buyers usually ask leisure and culture providers for
DBS checks for work with children
Coaching, activity sessions and holiday clubs may be regulated activity with children. Roles that qualify are eligible for an enhanced DBS check with a children’s barred list check, whether paid or unpaid. The pack will say what the buyer expects and who arranges it.
One change matters if you rely on volunteers. From 1 September 2026 the supervision exemption was removed in England and Wales (section 139 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026) and Northern Ireland (section 140). Unpaid coaches or activity leaders working with children frequently, or on more than 3 days in a 30-day period, can now be in regulated activity. If your sessions run on volunteer coaches, check how that affects your staffing and who arranges the checks.
Licensing for venues and events
If your delivery involves events or a venue, the Licensing Act 2003 may be relevant. Its schedules cover provision of regulated entertainment and late night refreshment. Whether you or the buyer holds the licence is something to settle before you bid.
TUPE when taking over a service
Taking over a leisure centre or service from another operator can bring staff with it. TUPE regulation 3 covers a service provision change where activities pass from one contractor to a subsequent contractor, or between the client and a contractor. Ask for the staff list early and price the transfer.
Insurance and qualifications
Buyers may ask for insurance and staff qualifications. We don’t state levels or named qualifications, so check the pack for exactly what is required and when.
How to win leisure and culture contracts
Below-threshold commissions
Smaller commissions fall under the below-threshold rules. If a buyer advertises a contract worth £12,000 or more (central government, including NHS trusts) or £30,000 or more (others), including VAT, it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice. Buyers can also invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising. The buyer can’t add a separate supplier-suitability stage before inviting tenders. Schools and transferred Northern Ireland authorities are outside the regime.
Smaller commissions are where freelancers and charities most often compete. In the week to 10 Oct 2026 there were 11 live recreation and culture notices in our data (as of 10 Oct 2026). The sample is small, so we don’t quote a typical value. Youth and activity work can overlap with education tenders, site care with parks and landscaping tenders, and cafes and event food with catering tenders. Our tender eligibility checker is coming soon. Until then, tell us your trade and postcode to join the free weekly list of live tenders, starting soon.
Social value and community outcomes
Central government departments and their agencies must apply PPN 002 where relevant, which includes a minimum 10% weighting for social value. Other buyers, such as councils, may wish to apply it, but set their own approach. In either case, the strongest answers are specific: sessions for named groups, local hiring, free or concessionary places. Quote only figures you can show from your own records. See our guide to social value.
Partnering and consortia
Larger operating contracts, such as a multi-site leisure management contract, can be bigger than one small organisation can take on. Agree early who is the contracting party and who is a subcontractor, and check the pack for how it treats consortium bids. A partnership of, say, a sports coaching provider and a facilities operator can cover a specification neither could deliver alone.
Questions
What is a leisure concession contract?
A concession is a contract where at least part of the supplier's payment is the right to exploit the service, and the supplier carries a real operating risk, meaning it may not recover its costs. A contract for goods is not a concession. Whether a leisure contract is a concession is shown in the notice and the pack, so don't assume.
Can a leisure trust or mutual be given a reserved contract?
Sometimes. Under the Procurement Act, a contract can be reserved for public service mutuals if the services are reservable light-touch services, the term is five years or less, and a competitive flexible procedure is used. The mutual must be under the management and control of its employees and not for profit, or distribute profits only to members. Check the notice to see whether it is reserved.
Do coaches and activity staff on council contracts need DBS checks?
If their work is regulated activity with children, the role is eligible for an enhanced DBS check with a check of the children's barred list. Eligibility depends on the tasks and how often they are done. The buyer's pack should say what it expects, so check it before you price staffing.
Are arts and culture contracts small enough for a freelancer or small company?
Some are. In the week to 10 Oct 2026 there were 11 live recreation and culture notices in our data (as of 10 Oct 2026), a sample too small for a typical value. Open the notices on this page to see the stated values, and look for below-threshold commissions that suit a freelancer or small company.
What happens to leisure centre staff when the operator changes?
TUPE can apply. A service provision change covers activities moving from one contractor to a subsequent contractor, or from the client to a contractor, where there is an organised group of employees whose main purpose is carrying out the activities. The pack should list staff details if TUPE is expected. Take advice if you are unsure.