The South Dublin County Council is initiating a tendering procedure to identify a collaborator to assist in both the development and management of a bespoke 20,000 square foot production studio. This unique, versatile space will be suitably designed for TV, film, and music recording sectors, and will be situated next to Grange Castle Business Park at the 12th Lock, Grand Canal, Dublin.
Interested entities are encouraged to suggest the range of media-related functionalities for the studio, provide operational suggestions, and show how the project will bolster both the media sector and the local economy.
Strategically placed at the junction of the Grange Castle Business Park, Clonburris and Adamstown strategic development zones, and in close proximity to Dublin Fields, the largest film studio campus in the republic, the 12th Lock Studio forms part of the council’s plans to create an international media hub in this section of Dublin. This assembly will support new businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), offer educational chances for those in the media sector, and spur the growth of the local media industry. The 12th Lock Studio will be critical in promoting creativity, economic growth, and artistic and film education.
South Dublin County Council’s Mayor, Cllr Baby Pereppadan, indicated that Ireland is admirably positioned to contend in the worldwide media production landscape. He cited the range of large TV and media production studios either under planning or development across Ireland, and the substantial growth within the sector. Furthermore, South Dublin’s strategic positioning, robust infrastructure, skilled workforce, and robust entrepreneurial heritage make it an ideal location to establish a significant media hub promoting job growth, economic investment, and community progression.
The forthcoming studio at the Grand Canal will be a constituent of the ambitious master plan for the 12th Lock, designed to breathe life into the area. With features like restaurants, shops, artist workshops, childcare facilities and a public event space, the project also incorporates the creation of a communal open space, public realm enhancements and the streamlining of the Grand Canal. Construction for the transformation of the Clonburris strategic development zone, costing €2.9 billion, and intended to provide housing for up to 23,000 people, is being carried out adjacent to the studio site. The development will boast a diverse offering of business and recreational possibilities. Moreover, with plans to upgrade the train line to a Dart service catering to Clonburris, the studio will be conveniently located along a high-frequency public transport route.
The studio at the 12th Lock is situated close to the Adamstown strategic development zone, where 8,500 new homes are being rapidly built, along with numerous public parks, schools, a fresh library and community-centred facilities, and a business and enterprise centre. The Grange Castle Business Park, one of Ireland’s leading business campuses with the capacity for up to 20,000 staff, and home to several of the world’s biggest companies operating in pharmaceuticals, R&D, media and IT, sits bordering the 12th Lock territories.
Encompassing two floors with offices, catering facilities, studio spaces and editing suites, the studio also includes car-park spaces, a delightful public realm and unique architectural design. The studio’s construction, to be undertaken by the council, will include inputs for the last design by a new associate tasked with fit-out costs and long-term studio operations. Laura McGlynn, South Dublin County Council’s commercial development officer, stated that there’s substantial potential in creating a paragon of development within the fields of professional filmmaking, animation, recording, or any other media sub-sector. She affirmed they were providing prospective operators the chance to have a say in the structure’s design and functional model.
In words shared by the chief executive of South Dublin County Council, Colm Ward, the planned 12th Lock Studio presents a thrilling prospect to collaborate with an experienced partner in media production. The aim is to build a cutting-edge, lively production studio where content creators can flourish amidst first-rate creative support, technology and apparatus.
Understanding the tremendous growth potential within the ever-evolving media sector, which includes the rise of homegrown companies engaging in fields such as animation, gaming, digitisation, virtual production, audio, and lighting and visual production, the council is set to back SMEs, the enhancement of skills, and talent cultivation in the creative economy. This will come in the form of providing necessary production facilities at the 12th Lock Studio.
The council is opening up conversations with experienced studio operators who may be interested in contributing to this endeavour, particularly those who might consider establishing an accompanying educational academy to boost learning in this industry.
All interested SMEs are urged to look into the potential of building partnerships with other small or larger businesses to fulfil the financial, economic, or technical capacity demands of the tender process, if necessary.
The green light has been given for the studio’s build, and construction for this latest project is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025. South Dublin County Council is calling for bids via a public procurement procedure to find an operator for the new Studio.
Registrants will need to use the OGP’s e-tendering system (etenders.gov.ie). For those new to the platform, a tutorial video is available to assist with the registration process.
For further details, you can get in touch through [email protected].