Refurbishment and Restoration of the Theatre Royal Margate
Description
The Theatre Royal Margate is the second oldest theatre in the UK, Grade II* listed and the original structure was built in 1787. It closed its doors to the public in 2022 and Thanet District Council are now looking for an experienced contractor to carry out the capital works. The reopening of the Theatre Royal is essential to maximising Margate’s arts offering to the community and feeds into Thanet District Council’s wider Town Plan.
Scope: Essential refurbishment works to the Theatre Royal are required to enable its reopening. The scope of works will include careful heritage sensitive redecoration and specialist plasterwork, new stairs, toilets, bars and extension with lift. Alongside HVAC upgrades to meet Part L (where feasible in a Listed Building), and fire and life safety upgrades to meet Part B within the parameters of a Listed Building. The project has an estimated Construction Value of £4,100,000.00
Funding: It should be noted the project is currently solely funded by the UK Government’s Town Deal. With this, strict deadlines have been set to secure this funding which are outlined in the next section.
Estimated Contract Value: £4,100,000.00 excluding VAT
Estimated Contract Value: £4,920,000.00 including VAT
Further information on this project can be obtained from the Planning Application submitted and RIBA Stage 3 Design information via the Thanet District Council Planning Portal.
Procurement Timeline: The project is currently at RIBA Stage 4, having completed a wider Masterplan vision for the Theatre Royal, 19 Hawley Square, and connecting the public realm. Following its completion, a ‘Phase 1’ scope was defined and has been taken through to be developed to a RIBA Stage 4 detail. This design is due to be completed in early June 2026, following which the Tender process will be undertaken.
The design team has been appointed based on their specific heritage and theatre experience. The design team include the following roles:
- Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor
- Lead Designer/Architect
- Civil & Structural Engineer
- Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
As the scheme seeks to refurbish the second oldest theatre in the UK, the works are deemed specialist and thus require specialist design input. Therefore, specialists have been appointed to support the development of the RIBA Stage 4 design, including Stage Lighting and Audio Visual (SLAV), Sustainability, Theatre Technical, Acoustics, and Fire Engineering.
The project will be procured via an Open Procedure with a Traditional single-stage procurement process, using a JCT Standard Form of Contract 2024.
This project has a strict deadline to meet in order to enable the reopening of the Theatre Royal for Pantomime season 2027.
Indicative dates for procurement are outlined below (based on an Open Procedure with a Traditional single-stage procurement process approach):
RIBA Stage 4 Completed and Tender Released: Early June 2026
Tenders Returned: Late July 2026
Contract Award: September 2026
Practical Completion: September 2027
Procurement Approach: Due to the estimated contract value being close to the Public Procurement Threshold for Works including VAT, the decision has been taken that the procurement exercise will follow an above threshold open competitive procedure utilising the Council’s eProcurement Portal, the Kent Business Portal.
For Suppliers to participate in the procurement opportunity, you will need to register on the Kent Business Portal. Please go to the Kent Business Portal (www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk) and follow the registration process.
Access to Procurement Documents: All documents relating to the procurement exercise for this project will be made available on the Kent Business Portal, following the UK4 Tender Notice being issued (Anticipated early June 2026).
Find tenders like this automatically
Set up alerts and filters that match your business — never miss a relevant opportunity again.
About This Opportunity
This is a works contract in the construction and civil works, architecture and engineering and energy and power sectors, with a focus on Buildings, Rehabilitation, Architectural Design and HVAC systems. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of GBP 4.1 million. Proposals must be submitted before July 17, 2026.
Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for civil works in the construction and civil works sector. Works contracts of this nature generally require demonstrated experience in similar infrastructure projects, adequate equipment and technical personnel, and financial capacity including bank guarantees. This is an advance notice — the formal tender is expected to be published shortly. Interested parties can use this time to prepare documentation and identify potential partners.