The Appointment of a Managing Agent for Sunderland City Council Business Centres

Description

Sunderland City Council ("the Council") is undertaking Preliminary Market Engagement regarding the proposed opportunity to appoint a Managing Agent to provide a range of key services at the Council's Business Centres as identified in the draft Specification ("the Centres"). The Council would welcome feedback regarding the draft Specification, the procurement timetable and the general delivery model to be shared within this Preliminary Market Engagement Questionnaire. A draft Specification has also been shared, detailing an overview of the proposed requirements, however, please note this document is currently in draft form only and therefore remains subject to further development by the Council. Please complete and share information that you feel is relevant to the response to each question. As detailed within the draft Specification, all of the Centres are currently managed in-house by the Council and together, as at July 2025, are home to 75 businesses, collectively employing a total of 363 people. It is now considered that external expertise is required to provide a combination of strategic and operational leadership to work alongside the Council in order to drive optimum performance from the Centres, both in terms of securing operational efficiencies and maximising their economic impact, which are the Council's dual objectives. It is proposed that the Managing Agent would be required to deliver the following core services for the Council: • Strategic management of the Centres including targeted improvement of operational practices. • Marketing and lettings of vacant spaces. • Integrated culture of business development / support to stimulate business growth and expansion. • ICT Managed Service Provision available to businesses on an opt in / opt out concession basis and • Provision of routine repairs and maintenance. The proposed roles of the Managing Agent and the Council are further described in the draft Specification.