Brent Council

Procurement
Untitled design (5)

In 2025, Max Associates was commissioned by Brent Council to deliver procurement support for Vale Farm Sports Centre. 

Context

Brent has a mixed portfolio of public leisure provision, with different ownership and management arrangements.

Vale Farm Sports Centre was included in a tri-borough procurement with the London Boroughs of Ealing and Harrow. However, the Council wanted the service to transition from traditional ‘leisure’ to an ‘Active Wellbeing’ service using an agency model, as well as align the term with the end of the PFI contract and opening of a new Bridge Park Leisure Centre. The Council therefore pursued a standalone procurement for Vale Farm Sports Centre and commissioned Max Associates to provide specialist leisure procurement, commercial and strategic advisory support.

The procurement outcomes included:

  • embedding prevention, inclusion and health equity in day-to-day service delivery;
  • working in partnership with the Council, health and community stakeholders to support wider Active Wellbeing outcomes;
  • working as system partners with health, education and community services;
  • contributing ideas and innovation that will strengthen Brent’s readiness for the integrated 2031 model;
  • contributing insight and operational learning to inform the Council’s future appraisal of delivery models;
  • delivering best value by maximising income generation (for those who can afford to pay) and use of a genuine agency model contract structure.

Our Role

Alongside technical procurement support, Max Associates supported the Council’s wider Strategic Outcomes Planning Model programme, including leisure delivery model appraisal, evidence development and business planning for future facility decisions, informed by Sport England’s Leisure Services Delivery Guidance (LSDG);

Our responsibilities for the procurement included:

  • Developing the services specification and performance framework
  • Aligning outcomes and KPIs to the Council’s active wellbeing agenda
  • Advising on commercial, financial and contractual structures, including the agency model
  • Supporting bidder engagement, evaluation and negotiations
  • Timelines and project plans.

Procurement Approach

The competitive flexible procedure enabled the Council to balance a range of complex considerations, including:

  • Agency model – risk and reward to the operator and council/residents and how it would work operationally
  • Revenue sustainability and affordability
  • Contractor investment options
  • Risk profile.

Outcome

Everyone Active has been selected as the operator and commenced service 1st March 2026

The key benefits of their tender include:

  • Secured operator investment into building improvements and equipment, including a major fitness and studio improvement programme
  • Active Wellbeing resource outside the centre of 3.5 FTE dedicated Active Wellbeing resource
  • Significant revenue payment to the Council over the contract term
  • Defined Social Value commitments of over £200k value aligned to local priorities
  • Committed KPIs linked to the Council’s strategic outcomes

Max Associates was subsequently commissioned to develop a contract monitoring manual and with leisure officers, complete the evidence to support the Council’s Active Wellbeing Strategy.

Testimonial

“Max Associates provided expert support to Brent Council through a complex and strategically important leisure procurement. Their advice helped us move beyond a traditional leisure contract and develop a more appropriate operating model for Vale Farm Sports Centre, aligned to our wider Active Wellbeing approach.

The team brought a strong mix of commercial insight, sector knowledge and practical procurement experience. They understood the need to balance financial sustainability, operational deliverability, risk, resident outcomes and the Council’s longer-term strategic direction.

Their support was particularly valuable in helping us structure the procurement, develop the service specification and performance framework, test the agency model, support evaluation and negotiation, and connect the procurement to our wider Strategic Outcomes Planning Model (SOPM) work.

Max Associates were responsive, technically strong and constructive throughout. They provided clear advice, challenged appropriately and helped the Council secure an outcome that supports both best value and our shift towards prevention, inclusion and health equity through Active Wellbeing.

I’d recommend Max Associates to other councils seeking specialist support on leisure procurement, delivery model appraisal or strategic planning for public leisure and active wellbeing services.”

Eugene Minogue, Interim Head of Active Wellbeing (Leisure), Brent Council

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