---
title: "003550 - Flagship Festival 2027"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06f5ce"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f5ce"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f5ce.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f5ce.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "Durham County Council"
published: "2026-09-09"
---

# 003550 - Flagship Festival 2027

Buyer: Durham County Council  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06f5ce

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f5ce.json)

## Summary

Durham County Council is procuring a delivery partner to develop and deliver a new flagship cultural event for County Durham. The requirement covers exhibition, fair and congress organisation services, with the event intended to be original, participatory and distinctive rather than a traditional festival. It should combine culture, creativity, innovation, technology and community engagement, drawing on County Durham’s identity. The council wants the event to create a defining cultural moment, strengthen the county’s reputation for creativity and excellence, and deliver lasting cultural, social and economic benefits. Local communities should have an active role in shaping and delivering the event, with opportunities for participation, skills development and talent progression, particularly for children and young people. Delivery is in County Durham.

The procurement reached tender: Durham County Council invited offers through an open competitive flexible procedure. The process has three stages: a Procurement Specific Questionnaire and conditions of participation; competitive dialogue and presentation; then a second competitive dialogue session and final proposal. Enquiries had to be submitted by 7 October 2026 at 12:00, and tenders by 8 October 2026 at 12:00. The contract period is 1 February 2027 to 31 January 2029, with renewal options described as two years plus two years plus two years; the maximum extent date is 31 January 2031. The estimated value is £1.5 million excluding VAT, or £1.8 million including VAT. Award is scheduled by 18 January 2027. Evaluation weights final proposal quality at 60%, price at 30% and social value at 10%.

This opportunity suits an experienced cultural event producer or consortium able to develop an ambitious, original proposition and deliver a large, high-profile public event. Strong candidates will be able to combine creative programming with practical event delivery, innovation, technology and meaningful community engagement. The requirement particularly favours organisations that can create participation opportunities, support skills development and progress talent, including children and young people, while involving local communities in both shaping and delivering the event. Suppliers should be able to root the proposition in County Durham’s identity and demonstrate how it can create lasting cultural, social and economic benefits. Experience of developing distinctive events with the potential to recur and achieve national recognition will be relevant, alongside the capacity to work through dialogue, presentations and a final proposal.

## Notice

Durham County Council is seeking an experienced and innovative delivery partner to develop and deliver a new flagship cultural event for County Durham. The Council is looking for a bold, ambitious and distinctive proposition that represents a step change from traditional festival models and has the potential to become a recurring, nationally recognised event. The successful proposal should be original, participatory and rooted in County Durham's unique identity, bringing together culture, creativity, innovation, technology and community engagement. The event should create a defining cultural moment for the county, enhancing its reputation as a place of creativity and excellence, while delivering lasting cultural, social and economic benefits. Proposals must demonstrate strong opportunities for participation, skills development and talent progression, particularly for children and young people, ensuring local communities play an active role in shaping and delivering the event.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: 2 years + 2 years + 2 years, as this is will be a bi-annual event. Multiple extensions are possible depending on the success of the first festival in 2027.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085456-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 9 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Feb 2027 - 31 Jan 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £1,500,000 |
| Lots value | £1,500,000 |
| 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 | Durham County Council |
| Locality | DURHAM |
| Postcode area | Durham |
| Postcode | DH1 5WB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC41 Durham |
| Local authority | County Durham |
| Electoral ward | Framwellgate & Newton Hall |
| Westminster constituency | City of Durham |
| Delivery location | TLC14 Durham |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79950000 - Exhibition, fair and congress organisation services

## Release History

- 9 Sep 2026 at 14:48 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085456-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085456-2026
  9th September 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.durham.gov.uk/
- 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-06f5ce. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f5ce.json.