This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

09 Jul 2026 at 11:19

Award

17 Jun 2026 at 09:39

Award

17 Jun 2026 at 08:42

Summary of the contracting process

Leeds City Council has awarded a contract for the provision of production infrastructure for the Black Music and Carnival Festival 2026. The contract, valued at £359,343.73, was directly awarded to Grace and Tailor Ltd, given the supplier's unique expertise and longstanding involvement with these events. This procurement, categorised under event services, follows the Procurement Act 2023, allowing a direct award due to the absence of competition for technical reasons. The project is located in Leeds and falls under the public authority of the sub-central government. The contract commenced on 9th July 2026 and is slated to conclude on 29th November 2026.

This contracting opportunity provides significant business growth potential, especially for firms specialising in cultural event organisation and infrastructure. Grace and Tailor Ltd, an SME with niche capabilities in managing complex event logistics, was chosen due to its exceptional understanding of the festival's operational and community needs. Businesses with similar expertise in event production and strong community connections may find opportunities to collaborate or provide supplementary services. Such contracts underscore the importance of specialised knowledge and established relationships within niche sectors, offering aspiring suppliers a path to enter or expand in public sector markets.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

The provision of production infrastructure for the Black Music and Carnival Festival

Notice Description

The provision of production infrastructure for the Black Music and Carnival Festival 2026

Procurement Information

The justification is based on section 41 and paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023; a direct award of a public contract is permissible where: (a) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can provide the required goods, services, or works, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services, or works. In accordance with paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023, the conditions for a direct award are met in this case. Grace & Tailor Ltd is the only supplier with intimate operational knowledge of these specific events required to deliver the complex infrastructure for the Black Music Festival and Leeds West Indian Carnival. Their longstanding involvement in these events, combined with their established relationships with infrastructure providers, makes them uniquely positioned to meet the specific logistical and technical demands of the event. More critically their well-established relationships with both the Black Health Initiative and Carnival Committee alongside their understanding of the community requirements puts them in a unique position to deliver the events safely. There are also no reasonable alternatives as the relevant experience and specialism is crucial to ensuring the safe delivery of the event; the use of any alternative could potentially give rise to significant risk to public safety, staff welfare, and the national reputation of the events. For these reasons, the Council is satisfied that competition is absent on technical grounds and there is no reasonable alternative.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b68f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064658-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security


CPV Codes

79952000 - Event services

79952100 - Cultural event organisation services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£299,453 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£359,343 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Jul 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
20 Mar 20263 months ago
Contract Period
8 Jul 2026 - 29 Nov 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
LEEDS CITY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LEEDS
Postcode
LS1 1UR
Post Town
Leeds
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE4 West Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE42 Leeds
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Leeds
Electoral Ward
Little London & Woodhouse
Westminster Constituency
Leeds Central and Headingley

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

GRACE AND TAILOR

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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