Live Programming and Theatrical Performance Services Tender

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. We love and look after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world.

The palaces are the setting for the stories that shape 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 is a charity for everyone. We are committed to preserving and sharing the stories of our six magnificent palaces and making them accessible to all.

Through partnerships, innovation, and storytelling, we strive to break down barriers, inspire curiosity and stir the spirit in people of all ages and backgrounds. HRP is an independent charity, receiving no government funding and derives its income principally from admissions, retail, licensing, commercial events, sponsorship and support from donors and members.

We will be running a tender process with the intention of establishing a Framework Agreement and appointing a maximum of four organisations for the provision Live Interpretation and Theatrical Performance Services. We are seeking expressions of interest from suitably experienced organisations.

HRP’s requirements: 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. Exclusion criteria: Tenders from agencies and consortiums will not be considered, and will not be eligible for contract award.

Subcontracting is however permitted, with the prior agreement of HRP. Please note that this tender is for Live Costumed Interpretation, and not language interpretation services.

Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ): All PSQs must be received by HRP by 12 August 2026 12:00 noon. Tender documents: The tender process will be run through HRP’s e tendering system, Delta e-Sourcing.

Tender documents will be made available on Delta to those suppliers who are successful at the PSQ stage. Anticipated agreement start date: April 2027 Framework period: 3 years with the option to extend for an additional two years (1 + 1).

HRP reserves the right not to award an agreement and are at liberty to amend / refine the process and the evaluation criteria. In addition, HRP reserves the right to negotiate with short-listed tenderers or the preferred suppliers. Call 0800 923 9236 or email helpdesk@delta-esourcing.com.