Award

Witham Town Council Christmas Lights

WITHAM TOWN COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

24 Sep 2025 at 14:49

Award

13 Aug 2025 at 16:18

Tender

02 Jul 2025 at 16:53

Summary of the contracting process

Witham Town Council has completed the procurement process for the installation, removal, and storage of Christmas lights in Witham town centre, awarding the five-year contract to Gala Lights Ltd. This contract, valued at up to £65,000, covers various festive lighting services from November 2025, with installations completed annually by the second from last Saturday in November, ensuring alignment with local events such as the Christmas Market. The contract requires all lights to be maintained, removed, and securely stored each January. The process used an open competition procurement method, deemed below the threshold for public tenders, further exemplified by its structured evaluation using the Most Advantageous Tender criteria focusing on quality, cost, and sustainability.

This opportunity provides significant scope for businesses in the lighting and electrical maintenance industries, particularly small to medium enterprises (SMEs) capable of delivering comprehensive festive lighting solutions. The contract requirements include the provision of innovative lighting designs, robust maintenance plans, emergency call-out services, and compliance with health and safety standards. Additionally, suppliers that underscore sustainability and demonstrate energy-efficient practices gain a competitive edge. This tender presents growth potential for companies aiming to expand their portfolio in public festive installations whilst building relations with public authorities such as Witham Town Council.

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Notice Title

Witham Town Council Christmas Lights

Notice Description

1. INTRODUCTION Witham Town Council invites tenders for the supply, installation, removal, and storage of Christmas lights for a five-year period, with a total contract value not exceeding PS65,000. The successful contractor will provide a complete service to ensure the town's festive lighting is installed in time for the Christmas Market (second from last Saturday in November 2025), maintained during the season, removed in January, and stored securely for the following year. 2. CONTRACT OVERVIEW * Contract Duration: 5 years (starting in November 2025) * Total Budget: PS65,000 (inclusive of all costs and expenses, excluding VAT) * Client: Witham Town Council * Locations: Various sites throughout Witham town centre (see Section 5) * Key Dates: o Installation to be completed by the second from last Saturday in November each year but not before Remembrance Sunday o Removal and storage to take place in the first or second week of January 3. SPECIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS The successful contractor will be required to: * Supply (lease), fit, install, remove, and securely store all festive lighting displays listed below for the contract period * Provide two remote controls for operation of the lighting scheme * Fit wi-fi receivers to all relevant items and supply a pre-programmed wi-fi transmitter * Test and certify all electrical and mounting infrastructure, including catenary wire wall brackets * Attend site for installation, removal, and any necessary maintenance or emergency call-outs * Ensure all lighting is operational for the Christmas Market and throughout the festive period * Remove and store all lighting in January each year Lighting Requirements: * At least 3 x 10-metre lines of twinkling lights (or similar) on the Town Hall building * 1 x 14-metre cross-street light display across Newland Street (between buildings 55 and 64), including testing and certifying 4 wall brackets for the catenary wire * 16 lamp column displays, each a minimum of 2 metres high * Lighting incorporated into the live tree outside 70 Newland Street (Prezzo) * At least 3,000 mini LED lights for the Christmas tree opposite the Town Hall * Wi-fi receivers on all above items and a pre-programmed wi-fi transmitter * Removal and storage of all lights during the contract period Additional Information: * The Christmas tree is typically 20-25 ft high and is installed opposite the Town Hall * The live tree currently has 7 x 50cm spheres and 1,000 mini LEDs * The contractor shall at all times comply with the requirements of all relevant Health and Safety legislation and all associated Acts, Regulations and Approved Codes of Practice relating to provisions of Christmas lighting installation and display. * Under this project, the contractor is expected to pay its workers at least the Living Wage rate. * The lights must be maintained during the period they are on display. A scheduled inspection of the display is required to ensure that everything is functioning correctly and to attend to any minor faults. In addition, a call out response of no more than 24 hours is required for major faults including, but not limited to, complete failure of light string, Christmas tree light failure, damage caused through vandalism, storms or road traffic accidents. All other faults require a 48 hour response time. If there is a charge for call outs, this must be stated in the quotation. * The Contractor will also provide an out of hour's telephone number for contact during emergencies. 4. TENDER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Tenderers must submit: * A fully costed proposal covering all aspects of the contract for the five-year period * A suggested lighting design plan for the scheme * Technical specification of all lighting and control equipment * Risk and Method Statements will be required covering all elements of the works. * Details of call-out and emergency procedures * Evidence of public liability insurance (PS10 million minimum) * Evidence of employer's liability insurance (PS10 million minimum) * Professional Indemnity Insurance = PS 5,000,000 * Information on key personnel involved in the contract * Details of similar projects completed in the last 12 months, with references * Confirmation that all costs are included and accurate (unlisted costs will be deemed free of charge) * Confirmation of site visits (if required) * A statement of acceptance that the tender will remain open for up to six weeks from the closing date

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0557f4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059387-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

31 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting

50 - Repair and maintenance services


CPV Codes

31522000 - Christmas tree lights

50232110 - Commissioning of public lighting installations

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£65,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
£65,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
£57,650 Under £100K
Contracts Value
£57,650 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Sep 20255 months ago
Submission Deadline
1 Aug 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
12 Aug 20256 months ago
Contract Period
31 Aug 2025 - 31 Jan 2030 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
WITHAM TOWN COUNCIL
Contact Name
Nikki Smith
Contact Email
townclerk@witham.gov.uk
Contact Phone
+441376520627

Buyer Location

Locality
WITHAM
Postcode
CM8 2FE
Post Town
Chelmsford
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH34 Essex Haven Gateway
Delivery Location
TLH East (England)

Local Authority
Braintree
Electoral Ward
Witham Central
Westminster Constituency
Witham

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

GALA LIGHTS

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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