NW542

Description:
The Authority invites qualified tenderers to submit a tender for the provision of business modelling and tender preparation for Zone 2A of West Kowloon Cultural District. This tender aims to appoint a consultant to develop a Build-Operate-Transfer (“BOT”) strategy (including business model, partnership framework and key tender terms) and support the Authority on the BOT tender management (including tender preparation and assessment criteria, tender review and assessment and post-tender implementation advice).

Contact and Collection of Tender Documents:
The Tender Documents and the Instructions to Tenderers for Tender submission are available to download from the WKCDA’s WKProcure Website (https://wkprocure.westkowloon.hk). Interested parties who wish to submit Tender in respond to this Invitation should log in to WKProcure using their registered accounts to download the Tender Documents and Instructions to Tenderers. The Tender Documents and Instructions to Tenderers are not available for non-registered users of WKProcure. Please visit WKProcure for instructions to apply for a registered account.

Enquiries must be submitted via WKProcure before 17:00 on 21 June 2021.

Closing date/time:
16:00 on 30 June 2021 (Hong Kong Time)

Tender Briefing:
A tender briefing is tentatively scheduled at 15:00 on 21 June 2021. Interested parties are required to complete and submit their application forms via WKProcure on or before 12:00 noon on 18 June 2021 to register for the tender briefing. Further details of tender briefing will be provided upon registration.

Submission of Tenders:
Tender in respond to this Invitation must be prepared and submitted in compliance with the requirements set out in the Tender Documents and Instructions to Tenderers and must be submitted via WKProcure (the WKProcure Terms of Use can be found at https://wkprocure.westkowloon.hk) before the closing time.

Late submissions will not be accepted.

In the event that a typhoon signal No. 8 or above is hoisted or a black rainstorm warning signal is issued between Hong Kong time 09:00 and 16:00 on the closing date, the closing date/time will be extended to Hong Kong time 16:00 on the next working day. For the purpose of this paragraph, Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays are not counted as working days.

Remarks:
All costs and expenses incurred for or in connection with any response to this Invitation to Tender, including the preparation and/or submission of the Tenders, shall be entirely the responsibility of the interested parties.

WKCDA reserves the right to accept the Tender which WKCDA in its sole discretion considers to be the most advantageous overall to WKCDA. WKCDA is not bound to accept any Tender irrespective of whether the Tender is the lowest bid or has the highest overall mark. WKCDA also reserves the right to suspend, not to proceed with or to cancel this Invitation to Tender or to negotiate with any Tenderer.

The Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) announced that it will sign a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the Shanghai Center of Chinese Operas. The agreement serves to establish a long-term partnership covering professional and operational exchanges as well as collaboration on artistic development. The move will enable the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon to join forces with other Xiqu institutions in the region to promote traditional culture.

Louis Yu Kwok-lit, Executive Director of Performing Arts of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) said, “The Shanghai Center of Chinese Operas is an influential xiqu organization in mainland China. Our collaboration not only will create a synergy that can enhance the development of Chinese opera in both cities, but also signifies a major step forward in the preparation for the opening of WKCD’s Xiqu Centre. Leading up to the opening of the Xiqu Centre in less than two years’ time, we will step up our efforts on preparing for venue operations and optimize facilities management through learning from the experience of our counterparts in other cities.”

According to the LOI, WKCD’s Xiqu Centre and the Shanghai Center of Chinese Operas will take turns to organise exchange activities every year. Related organizations and practitioners will be invited to join, with an aim to boost capacity in venue operations, stage technologies, arts administration, marketing and promotion, talent cultivation and the ability to produce original works.

Young Cantonese Opera performers and professionals from Hong Kong will be sent to Shanghai this year to learn about the local xiqu art policy and the artistic development of different troupes in the city. The Xiqu Centre at WKCD will also identify young blood from Hong Kong to participate in the Shanghai Experimental Xiqu Festival and various xiqu art seminars this year.

Founded in December 2011, the Shanghai Center of Chinese Operas is a non-commercial public service institution aiming to promote, preserve, innovate and develop the traditional heritage of Xiqu in Shanghai. The Centre manages six main Xiqu troupes in the city, namely the Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company, Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, Shanghai Huju Theatre Company, Shanghai Yueju Theatre Company, Shanghai Huaiju Troupe and Shanghai Pingtan Troupe. In addition to its various award-winning plays at national level, the Shanghai Center of Chinese Operas also processes a strong network of professional talents across different xiqu disciplines, including numerous Representative Bearers of Intangible Cultural Heritage items at National Level as well as the many winners of Chinese "Drama Plum Blossom Prize" and Wenhua Performance Award presented by the Ministry of Culture.

The Art Park and certain facilities at the Xiqu Centre and Freespace remain open to the public; however all performances and programmes until 19 February 2021 (Friday) will be rescheduled or cancelled. Where feasible programmes will be presented online.