The BBC has opened the tender process for long-running daytime series Bargain Hunt.
The show follows A Question of Sport, Holby City and Songs of Praise in being opened up to tender. The contract will be for 192 episodes and six series over the course of two years and production will remain in Wales.
The tender is open to BBC Studios and independent producers and the initial deadline for applications is 26 March 2018. Bargain Hunt is the fifth title to be tendered as part of the BBC Charter commitment to open up more television content to competition.
A Question of Sport and Holby City were retained by BBC Studios, while Songs of Praise was awarded to independent producers Avanti and Manchester-based Nine Lives.
Horizon was also opened up to a competitive pitch process, with independent producers Windfall Films and Wingspan Productions joining BBC Studios to produce bundles of films for the flagship science strand.
Daytime drama series Doctors was the fifth BBC title to be opened up to competition last September and was awarded to BBC Studios.
The BBC will retain all Intellectual Property rights for Bargain Hunt, which will continue to be shown on BBC One, but the tender process will decide which supplier makes the series.
Richard Dawkins, chief operating officer, BBC Content, said: “Bargain Hunt is a mainstay of the BBC One daytime schedule and with its continued popularity we are pleased to be committing to the series for the next few years.
“In putting this title out to tender, we are continuing to make good progress towards our commitment to open up the production of more of the BBC’s existing programming to competition.”
