003550 - Flagship Festival 2027

Buyer
Durham County Council
Value
£1,500,000
Closes
29 October 2026
Where
Durham, the North East
Type
Open tender

In plain English

Durham County Council wants to commission a delivery partner to create and run a brand new flagship cultural festival for County Durham in 2027. The budget is £1.5 million. They want something original, innovative and ambitious that puts the county on the map culturally, involves local communities, and creates real opportunities for young people and skills development.

What the buyer wants

• Develop and deliver a completely new cultural festival that is bold, original and different from traditional festival models • Design the event to be participatory, rooted in County Durham's identity, and bring together culture, creativity, innovation, technology and community engagement • Demonstrate strong opportunities for local participation, skills development and talent progression, especially for children and young people • Create lasting cultural, social and economic benefits for the county and position it as a place of creativity and excellence

Likely requirements

Our reading of the notice. Always check the tender documents.

This contract is essentially closed to traditional small trades. It requires a sophisticated delivery partner with significant experience managing large-scale cultural events, substantial project teams, and the ability to design and deliver an innovative flagship programme. A sole trader or small local business without prior major event delivery experience will be unable to compete.

How to bid

This is an open tender: any eligible business can respond directly to the buyer by the deadline, with no framework membership needed.

How to write a tender response

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