INVITATION TO TENDER FOR THE OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF BASINGSTOKE MARKET

Located in North Hampshire, the borough of Basingstoke and Deane has a population of 185,200 whilst the town of Basingstoke has a population of 117,200. Basingstoke's town centre is made of up of three main shopping areas: Festival Place, The Malls and the Top of The Town, the historic quarter and home of the twice-weekly market. The town remains a key regional retail and leisure destination with footfall in Festival Place exceeding 20 million visitors per year.\\r\r \\r\r As part of its work on improving Basingstoke's town centre and enhancing the local offer, increasing footfall and creating vibrancy, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (the council) is looking to appoint a market operator to manage the twice-weekly local market taking place on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Market Place in the Top of the Town area of Basingstoke.\\r\r \\r\r The market is an important part of the offering in the Top of the Town and has the potential to be a major element in driving footfall to the town centre and supporting the wider economic health of the area.\\r\r \\r\r The council is looking for an operator who has a strong track record of delivering successful markets and who can also demonstrate innovation and creativity in diversifying the offer, supporting local producers and makers and encouraging business start-ups.\\r\r \\r\r This contract will be for three years with an option for a further one-year extension and is expected to commence on Wednesday 1st January 2025.