Long-running soap Casualty will be the next BBC title to be put out to competitive tender, having been produced in-house at the UK pubcaster since 1986.

The BBC will retain all rights to the programme and it will continue to be shown on the broadcaster, but the tendering process will decide which production company makes it.

BBC Commissioning will invite pitches from producers and a full list of eligibility criteria and requirements for the show will be openly shared with all suppliers, the pubcaster said.

The requirements for the programme will be communicated in the invitation to tender which will be published in the coming weeks, with enough time for suppliers to do appropriate research and preparation.

The show, currently made by BBC Studios Continuing Drama, will still be filmed in Cardiff, where it plays an important role in the production landscape of Wales.

The move comes after the BBC put other long-running titles, such as Songs of Praise, Holby City and A Question of Sport, out to tender over the past decade, although the latter two have since been shelved by the BBC.

The tendering of returning series forms part of the Charter & Agreement requirement to open up more of the BBC’s TV programmes to competition, following the launch of the BBC’s Compete or Compare strategy in 2014.

David Pembrey, chief operating officer at BBC Content, said: “The award-winning Casualty is a hugely important continuing drama which has been on our screens since 1986. We are opening it to competition as part of our ongoing commitment to delivering the very best value for audiences.”