---
title: "Tender 08/2025 - Appointment of a suitably experienced Cafe and Mobile Vendor Operator at Castlewellan Forest Park, Castlewellan, Co Down."
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0605be"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0605be"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0605be.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0605be.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "NEWRY, MOURNE AND DOWN DISTRICT COUNCIL (NMD)"
published: "2026-01-14"
---

# Tender 08/2025 - Appointment of a suitably experienced Cafe and Mobile Vendor Operator at Castlewellan Forest Park, Castlewellan, Co Down.

Buyer: NEWRY, MOURNE AND DOWN DISTRICT COUNCIL (NMD)  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0605be

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0605be)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0605be.json)

## Summary

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is currently in the Tender stage for a new procurement opportunity titled "Tender 08/2025 - Appointment of a suitably experienced Café and Mobile Vendor Operator at Castlewellan Forest Park, Castlewellan, Co Down." The industry category is services, specifically canteen and catering services, and the location for the project is United Kingdom. The procurement method is open, utilising a below-threshold open competition approach. Interested parties should note the key dates, with the tender period ending on 6th February 2026, and the contract is anticipated to start on 1st April 2026. The tender invites electronic submissions, enhancing accessibility for businesses.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses involved in catering and mobile vending operations, particularly those with experience in managing café services. The estimated contract duration spans from 2026 to 2029, with potential extensions bringing opportunities for continued partnership. Given the project's setting within Castlewellan Forest Park, businesses catering to high footfall tourist destinations stand to benefit. Furthermore, the contract's emphasis on quality and price criteria offers competitive advantages for SMEs and VCSEs, fostering inclusive participation and growth in this sector.

## Notice

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (the "Council") manage Castlewellan Forest Park. In partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Council are nearing completion of a major construction project to redevelop the Walled Garden and historic Grange buildings, including a new 2-storey Cafe, Visitor Information Centre, Education Centre, Event Space and refurbished public toilets. In preparation for project completion, Council now wishes to appoint a suitably experienced caterer to operate the new Cafe and to provide a supporting mobile vending service in the adjoining car park. The aim of the mobile vending service is to help meet demand at peak visitor periods. The contract is anticipated to commence on a phased basis from Sunday 1st April 2026.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Maximum 7 extensions of 12 months per extension.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003136-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - open competition |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 14 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 6 Feb 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £1 |
| Lots value | £1 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Active |
| Lots status | Active |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NEWRY, MOURNE AND DOWN DISTRICT COUNCIL (NMD) |
| Locality | NEWRY |
| Post town | Northern Ireland |
| Postcode | BT35 8DJ |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland |
| ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland |
| ITL 3 | TLN08 Newry, Mourne and Down |
| Local authority | Newry, Mourne and Down |
| Electoral ward | Ballybot |
| Westminster constituency | Newry and Armagh |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

### Codes

- 55500000 - Canteen and catering services

## Release History

- 14 Jan 2026 at 14:30 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003136-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003136-2026
  14th January 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://suppliers.multiquote.com
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0605be. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0605be.json.