Planning

Southampton District Christmas Lights

SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

05 Feb 2026 at 16:10

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Southampton City Council is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process for the design, installation, maintenance, and removal of Christmas lighting displays across seven districts in Southampton. The project, titled "Southampton District Christmas Lights," falls under the services category and is seeking a single contractor to ensure the provision of safe, reliable, and energy-efficient festive lighting. The endeavour aims to support local centres, prioritise public safety, and enhance environmental sustainability. The contract is valued at £360,000, with a fixed annual budget of £60,000 for an initial three-year period, potentially extending to five years. The procurement method involves the Highway Electrical Registration Scheme and the procurement process includes significant quality and price evaluations. Key deadlines include February 13, 2026, for market engagement closure, with the contract period expected to begin on June 1, 2026, and end on May 31, 2029, with possible extensions until May 31, 2031.

This tender offers considerable opportunities for businesses within the highway electrical sector, particularly those compliant with NHSS8 standards and registered with HERS. Companies with a strong track record in delivering high-standard lighting solutions that excel in visual quality, energy efficiency, and safety will find this project to be an excellent opportunity for growth. SMEs are especially encouraged to compete, given the tender's suitability requirements. The methodology behind evaluating quality and price further opens the door for innovative solutions aimed at minimizing environmental impact while maximizing asset reuse. Businesses that align with the council's objectives for engaging local economies and offering social value in their service delivery can gain significant leverage by participating in this tender.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Southampton District Christmas Lights

Notice Description

This procurement seeks a single provider to deliver safe, reliable and energy efficient festive lighting across seven Southampton district centres within a fixed annual budget. The aim is to provide a coherent and durable scheme that supports local centres, prioritises public safety, reduces electricity use, maximises reuse of assets and adapts to changing site and infrastructure constraints. Success relies on timely installation, consistent operation, robust maintenance and fault response, full compliance with technical and PFI requirements, and clear reporting. The council expects outcomes that maintain visual quality, minimise environmental impact and support smooth delivery over the full contract term, efficient festive lighting across seven Southampton district centres within a fixed annual budget. The current spend for festive lighting is a fixed PS60,000 per year for a fully managed service covering design, installation, maintenance, removal and storage across seven district centres, with electricity paid separately by the council.

Planning Information

Southampton City Council "The Council" or "SCC" is seeking a contractor for the supply, design, installation, maintenance/repairs and removal or Christmas lighting displays during the festive period across seven (7) districts across the city. The contract is to run for an initial 3 years, with the potential to run for a maximum of 5 total years with 2x 12 month extension options. As part of the tender requirements, SCC requires all bidding organisations (and any proposed sub-contractor) operating within the highway electrical sector to be registered to the Highway Electrical Registration Scheme (HERS), or equivalent, as the scheme works to ensure that all organisations operating within the sector are fully compliant with NHSS8. The budget is fixed at a maximum of £60,000 per annum and the price evaluation will be evaluated against this fixed annual figure. The tender is expected to be weighted at: - Quality: 60% - Price: 40% With the following Method Statement Questions (MSQ) 1. Maintenance, Inspections & Call-outs - 15% 2. Design Approach & Visual Quality - 15% 3. Energy Efficiency & Electricity Management - 10% 4. Technical & Safety Approach - 10% 5. Delivery & Programme - 5% 6. Social Value Offering & Delivery - 5% Note: These weightings and MSQs are open to being changed at the Council's discretion, at any time, in the lead up to tender publication. Information on how to register to our e-tendering portal, Proactis, can be found at the following link https://www.southampton.gov.uk/business-licensing/supply-council/supply-portal-instructions/ Please contact jack.martin@southampton.gov.uk for any queries you may have regarding this upcoming tender

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06495e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010659-2026
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
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

42 - Industrial machinery

51 - Installation services (except software)

CPV Codes

31522000 - Christmas tree lights

31527260 - Lighting systems

42131300 - Christmas trees and other assemblies of valves

51000000 - Installation services (except software)

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£300,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Feb 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
13 Feb 20263 days to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 May 2026 - 31 May 2029 3-4 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
SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@southampton.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
SOUTHAMPTON
Postcode
SO14 7LY
Post Town
Southampton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ32 Southampton
Delivery Location
TLJ32 Southampton
Local Authority
Southampton
Electoral Ward
Bargate
Westminster Constituency
Southampton Itchen

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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