The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has invited contractors to submit bids for an estimated $545.7 million rehabilitation of the National Cultural Centre (NCC), as concerns persist within the entertainment industry about the condition of the facility and the scope of the planned upgrades.
The tender, titled “Rehabilitation of the External Building and Upgrading of the Structural Cracks at National Cultural Centre Building”, was issued under National Competitive Bidding procedures, with bids due by 9 a.m. on November 10, 2026.
According to the invitation for bids, interested contractors must submit their proposals to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) at the Ministry of Finance compound, Main and Urquhart Streets, Georgetown.
The tender specifies rehabilitation of the building’s exterior and the upgrading of structural cracks.
A longstanding member of the entertainment industry told Kiskadee Watch yesterday, on condition of anonymity, that the ministry should also be undertaking work on the centre’s lighting and sound systems.
The industry representative questioned whether qualified consultants would be engaged to oversee the technical aspects of the work, noting that specialised expertise would be necessary to ensure the systems are properly upgraded.
“Whether they are getting qualified consultants is not sure as yet. But experts are needed in the field to get the work done. They have to take a serious look at lighting and sound,” the source said.
The source added that although the ministry had advertised the tender, details of the proposed works were not available to industry stakeholders, raising concerns about the timing of the planned rehabilitation and recalling that the ministry had indicated the NCC would close for repairs from last September.
The latest tender comes after months of concern about the deteriorating condition of the venue, which has hosted theatrical productions, concerts, graduations and other major national events.
In a June 14, 2026 report, Kiskadee Watch highlighted uncertainty among regular users about when the rehabilitation would begin, despite a May 22 announcement by Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steven Jacobs that plans for the facility’s rehabilitation and enhancement were advancing.
Private producer Gem Madhoo had told the publication that she understood the centre would close for repairs at the end of May, but the venue remained booked for events into June.
Madhoo identified the lighting and sound systems, washrooms, and the interior and exterior of the building as areas requiring significant attention. She also described the additional costs incurred because of the poor lighting system, including having to rent supplementary equipment for productions.
Another producer, speaking anonymously last June, said the sound system remained a major concern and that the shortage of experienced technical personnel had forced event organisers to hire their own sound engineers and rely on privately owned equipment.
Meanwhile, on May 22, Jacobs said he and substantive minister Charles Ramson, along with project consultants and other technical personnel, had conducted a walkthrough of the facility as the ministry advanced plans for its rehabilitation and enhancement.
Ramson and other officers of the ministry do not respond to requests from Kiskadee Watch for comment.
The latest tender represents a formal procurement step towards addressing at least some of the building’s physical defects. However, the extent to which the other concerns about its technical equipment and internal facilities will be addressed remains unclear from the published bidding notice. Industry representatives have also not been told anything regarding the works.
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