Planning

Cannock Chase Christmas Food Market Concession

FORESTRY COMMISSION

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

27 Nov 2025 at 14:30

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Forestry Commission is currently in the planning stage of a tender process for the "Cannock Chase Christmas Food Market Concession" with business operations set to begin in winter 2026. Located in Cannock Chase Forest, this initiative seeks to offer a seasonal food market to complement Christmas Tree Sales, running from 21st November to 15th December 2025. Business proposals should consider the site capacity capped at 450 parking spaces, offering food services primarily during weekends. The procurement falls under the services category with an estimated gross value of GBP 30,000, and interested parties are invited to partake in market engagement activities until the milestone due date on 31st January 2026. This planning phase allows stakeholders to align with the concession objectives and propose innovative ideas to enhance the festive consumer experience.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) to engage in the local economy by capitalising on the festive season's increased foot traffic. Ideal contenders would be those offering high-quality food services that can dynamically adjust based on visitor numbers and integrate seamlessly with the site’s festive atmosphere. The prospect of strengthening business presence and engaging with a potentially large audience makes this an advantageous opening for vendors aiming to expand their visibility and market reach during the holiday season. Engaging in early site visits and providing creative market proposals will be key steps for businesses looking to capitalise on this opportunity.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Cannock Chase Christmas Food Market Concession

Notice Description

We are seeking interested parties to provide a Christmas Food Market to complement our Christmas Tree Sales at Cannock Chase Forest starting in winter 2026. Key Details: Dates: This year's dates Friday 21st November - Monday 15th December 2025 Location: Cannock Chase Forest, at the top end of the car park alongside the tree sales area Expected Offer: A food provision every weekend during tree sales, with flexibility to scale up or down based on visitor numbers Additional Features: Vendors may include festive elements such as reindeer viewing, Santa appearances, lights, and music. Santa Grottos will not be permitted. Capacity: The site is capped at 450 winter-appropriate parking spaces, busy with normal forest visits. Therefore the food market should serve as a supporting offer, not a standalone feature event. Future Planning: The Christmas Tree Sales tender for 2026 will be decided in May 2026. We strongly recommend an assisted site viewing to understand the local setup before submitting your proposal, weekends 29/30th Nov 6/7th Dec will be busiest. Our goal is to create a memorable and enjoyable experience for customers purchasing their Christmas tree, with a high-quality food offer that enhances the festive atmosphere.

Planning Information

Interested parties should provide feedback on the best viable option that can be operated at the site and send to commercial.services@forestryengland.uk for the attention of Sam Harris. Forestry England will collate and consider all feedback and use this to inform next steps and, where applicable, develop a specification for any resulting tender.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05ea42
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077726-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

CPV Codes

55000000 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£25,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 Nov 20252 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Apr 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Nov 2026 - 31 Oct 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
FORESTRY COMMISSION
Contact Name
Sam Harris
Contact Email
commercial.services@forestryengland.uk
Contact Phone
0300 067 4000

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS16 1EJ
Post Town
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Stoke Park & Cheswick
Westminster Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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