Acorn Farm exhibition and interpretation contract award | Derry City and Strabane

Tender information last checkedLast checked 16 Oct 2026, 12:57.

Opportunity overview

Derry City and Strabane District Council is seeking to appoint a suitable qualified company to design, produce and deliver a flagship exhibition and associated site interpretation at the Acorn Farm site in St Columb’s Park, Derry. Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) Green Infrastructure (GI) Team will be the commissioning authority. The DCSDC GI Team Lead will be the primary points of contact throughout the life of the project. The GI Team will work along with the successful company and Integrated Consultancy Team (ICT) and their Integrated Supply Team (IST) during the exhibition and interpretation design and fit out process and will also have access to any relevant content. The successful company/organisation, under the initial guidance of the GI Team will be responsible for the overall concept design, production, delivery and installation of the exhibition and site interpretation including all interpretation (both physical and digital), equipment, and imagery in partnership with the GI Team coordinating and delivery of outputs. Your submission must be submitted via etendersNI, via this CFT. No other method of submissions will be accepted. Please refer to the CfT documents for further detail.

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

Circle Creative Communications

Match pending…

Published award value: £60k
Awarded: 21 Sept 2026
Award ID: 1
Status: active
Location: Carrickfergus, UKN0F, BT38 9AB, United Kingdom

Classification

No classification was supplied.

Lots

Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Contract award notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id: T25-150ENV Acorn Farm Exhibition and Site Interpretation Design and Fit Out
Status: complete
Procurement Method: open
Procurement Method Details: Below threshold - open competition

Legal basis

Id: 2023/54
Scheme: UKPGA
Uri: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ↗

Lots and requirements

Entry 1

Id: 1
Status: complete

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1

Name: Derry City and Strabane District Council
Id: GB-PPON-PGJQ-8275-HLMG

Identifier

Scheme: GB-PPON
Id: PGJQ-8275-HLMG

Address

Street Address: 98 Strand Road
Locality: Derry
Postal Code: BT48 7NN
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom
Region: UKN0A

Contact

Email: tenders@derrystrabane.com

Roles

buyer

Details

Url: http://www.derrystrabane.com ↗

Classifications

Entry 1

Scheme: UK_CA_TYPE
Id: publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment
Description: Public authority - sub-central government

Entry 2

Scheme: UK_CA_DEVOLVED_REGULATIONS
Id: GB-NIR
Description: Northern Irish devolved regulations apply

Organisation 2

Name: Circle Creative Communications
Id: GB-FTS-187623

Address

Street Address: 132 Woodburn Road
Locality: Carrickfergus
Postal Code: BT38 9AB
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom
Region: UKN0F

Contact

Email: julie@circlecc.com

Roles

supplier

Details

Scale: sme
Vcse: No

Award information

Award 1

Id: 1
Title: T25-150ENV Acorn Farm Exhibition and Site Interpretation Design and Fit Out
Status: active
Date: 22 Sept 2026, 00:00
Main Procurement Category: services
Above Threshold: No

Items

Item 1

Id: 1
Related Lot: 1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1

Scheme: CPV
Id: 79415200
Description: Design consultancy services

Entry 2

Scheme: CPV
Id: 45212312
Description: Exhibition centre construction work

Entry 3

Scheme: CPV
Id: 39154000
Description: Exhibition equipment

Entry 4

Scheme: CPV
Id: 45212310
Description: Construction work for buildings relating to exhibitions

Delivery locations

Entry 1

Region: UKN0A
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom

Value

Including VAT: 59,975
Currency: GBP

Suppliers

Supplier 1

Id: GB-FTS-187623
Name: Circle Creative Communications

Contract period

Starts: 19 Oct 2026, 00:00
Ends: 16 Apr 2027, 23:59

Related lots

Documents

Entry 1

Id: 097834-2026
Document Type: awardNotice
Notice Type: UK6
Description: Contract award notice on Find a Tender
Url: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097834-2026 ↗
Published: 16 Oct 2026, 11:24
Format: text/html

Milestones

Entry 1

Id: 1
Type: futureSignatureDate
Due: 16 Oct 2026, 23:59
Status: scheduled

Recorded locations

Buyer location · Derry · UKN0A · BT48 7NN · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

2 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

2 VERSIONS

ocds-h6vhtk-05e541-2025-11-20T11:46:45ZTender notice on Find a Tender · 20 Nov 2025, 11:46
097834-2026Contract award notice on Find a Tender · 16 Oct 2026, 11:24

PROCURAAXIS AWARD ANALYSIS

Award outcome intelligence

Evidence-bound analysis of the published award appears below the official tender and award information.

ANALYSIS PREVIEW

Award intelligence at a glance

Derry City and Strabane District Council awarded a £59,975 gross contract to Circle Creative Communications for design, production, delivery and installation of exhibition and site interpretation at Acorn Farm in St Columb’s Park, Derry.

Published outcome signals

Tender statusCompleteEvidence: The tender and lot 1 are marked "complete" in the supplied OCDS data.
Award statusActiveEvidence: Award 1 is marked "active".
Award decision date22 September 2026Evidence: Award 1 date is 2026-09-22.

91% approved-analysis confidence1 supplier record analysed5 source limitations

SOURCE AND FRESHNESS

Traceable procurement data

Source: Find a Tender
Notice reference: 097834-2026
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05e541
First published: 20 Nov 2025
Last checked: 16 Oct 2026, 12:57
Notice versions reviewed: 2

View Find a Tender notice ↗

HOW THIS WAS PREPARED

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.

Analysis status: Approved for publication
Analysed: 17 Oct 2026

Read the analysis methodology →

AWARD OUTCOME

What happened

Published outcome

The award notice records award 1 as active, with Circle Creative Communications named as supplier. The stated contract period is 19 October 2026 to 16 April 2027; the notice also records a future signature date of 16 October 2026, so signing is not evidenced by the supplied data.

Market significance

This is a below-threshold, openly competed services opportunity combining interpretation design, exhibition fit-out, physical and digital interpretation, equipment and imagery.

AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS

1 supplier record analysed

Circle Creative Communications

90% confidence

Award 1 · Lots 1 · 59975 GBP · Unverified supplier identity; named on active award

View supporting evidence

Award 1 names Circle Creative Communications as supplier and gives a gross award value of GBP 59,975. Supplier matching status is checked_unmatched, with no verified legal company name or company number supplied.

LIFECYCLE

Award or contract stage

Tender status

98% confidence

Complete

View supporting evidence

The tender and lot 1 are marked "complete" in the supplied OCDS data.

Award status

98% confidence

Active

View supporting evidence

Award 1 is marked "active".

Award decision date

98% confidence

22 September 2026

View supporting evidence

Award 1 date is 2026-09-22.

Signature status

98% confidence

Not evidenced as signed

View supporting evidence

The award milestone is a scheduled futureSignatureDate of 16 October 2026; no signed-contract field or completed signature milestone is supplied.

Contract period

98% confidence

19 October 2026 to 16 April 2027

View supporting evidence

Award 1 contractPeriod gives startDate 2026-10-19 and endDate 2027-04-16.

VALUES

Published values explained

Award value

99% confidence

£59,975 gross

View supporting evidence

Award 1 value.amountGross is 59,975 GBP.

Published opportunity value ceiling

93% confidence

Up to £60,000 gross

View supporting evidence

The process-level value_max is 60,000 GBP and value_basis is gross.

Lot-level value

99% confidence

Not supplied

View supporting evidence

Lot 1 has no value amount or currency in the supplied data.

TIMELINE

Procurement timeline

Tender notice publication

98% confidence

20 November 2025

View supporting evidence

Release history records a Tender notice on Find a Tender published at 2025-11-20T11:46:45Z.

Submission deadline

98% confidence

19 December 2025, 12:00 UTC

View supporting evidence

The process submission_deadline is 2025-12-19T12:00:00+00:00.

Award decision date

98% confidence

22 September 2026

View supporting evidence

Award 1 date is 2026-09-22.

Award notice publication

98% confidence

16 October 2026

View supporting evidence

Award notice document 097834-2026 was published at 2026-10-16T11:24:49+01:00.

Scheduled signature date

98% confidence

16 October 2026

View supporting evidence

Award 1 contains a futureSignatureDate milestone due 2026-10-16T23:59:59+01:00 with status scheduled.

Stated contract start

98% confidence

19 October 2026

View supporting evidence

Award 1 contractPeriod startDate is 2026-10-19.

Stated contract end

98% confidence

16 April 2027

View supporting evidence

Award 1 contractPeriod endDate is 2027-04-16.

SCOPE

What was awarded

Requirement

96% confidence

Design, produce, deliver and install a flagship exhibition and associated site interpretation at Acorn Farm, St Columb’s Park, Derry.

View supporting evidence

The tender description states these responsibilities for the successful company or organisation.

Included outputs

95% confidence

Physical and digital interpretation, equipment and imagery, coordinated with the council’s Green Infrastructure team.

View supporting evidence

The tender description explicitly lists interpretation, equipment and imagery and describes partnership with the GI Team.

Awarded lot

99% confidence

Lot 1

View supporting evidence

Award 1 is related to lot 1 and includes an item relatedLot of 1.

Service classifications

97% confidence

Design consultancy; exhibition-centre construction work; exhibition equipment; construction work for buildings relating to exhibitions.

View supporting evidence

Award item classifications list CPV 79415200, 45212312, 39154000 and 45212310.

Delivery area

92% confidence

UKN0A (Derry region)

View supporting evidence

Award item delivery address is region UKN0A, while the requirement identifies Acorn Farm in St Columb’s Park, Derry.

PROCEDURE

Procedure and competition

Procedure

99% confidence

Open competition below threshold

View supporting evidence

The tender procurementMethod is "open" and procurementMethodDetails is "Below threshold - open competition".

Lots

99% confidence

One published lot

View supporting evidence

The tender contains lot 1 only.

Bid count and evaluation results

99% confidence

Unknown

View supporting evidence

Information not supplied in the published notice data.

CONTRACT TERMS

Published contract terms

Stated term

98% confidence

Approximately six months, from 19 October 2026 to 16 April 2027

View supporting evidence

Award 1 contractPeriod gives these explicit dates.

Extensions or options

99% confidence

Unknown

View supporting evidence

Information not supplied in the published notice data.

Signature

98% confidence

A signature date was scheduled, not confirmed

View supporting evidence

The only signature-related field is a scheduled futureSignatureDate milestone.

COMMERCIAL VIEW

Commercial observations

Award-value proximity to published ceiling

95% confidence

The £59,975 gross award is £25 below the published £60,000 gross ceiling.

View supporting evidence

The award amount is GBP 59,975 and process value_max is GBP 60,000, both marked gross.

Delivery model

94% confidence

The scope bundles creative design with production, installation and interpretation hardware/content outputs.

View supporting evidence

The tender description assigns concept design, production, delivery and installation, including physical and digital interpretation, equipment and imagery.

Award rationale

99% confidence

Not published

View supporting evidence

Information on scores, quality, price, rationale and other evaluation results is not supplied.

ANALYSIS QUALITY

91%overall confidence

Confidence reflects the completeness and consistency of the published award data.

Reference: ocds-h6vhtk-05e541
Analysed: 17 Oct 2026

APPROVED AWARD ANALYSIS

BUYER CONTEXT

Buyer context

Buyer

99% confidence

Derry City and Strabane District Council

View supporting evidence

The buyer party and process buyer_name identify Derry City and Strabane District Council.

Commissioning team

96% confidence

Green Infrastructure Team

View supporting evidence

The tender description identifies the DCSDC Green Infrastructure Team as commissioning authority.

Authority type

98% confidence

Sub-central public authority; Northern Irish devolved regulations apply

View supporting evidence

Buyer classifications state publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment and GB-NIR.

SUPPLIER CONTEXT

Supplier context

Published supplier location

96% confidence

Carrickfergus, BT38 9AB, United Kingdom

View supporting evidence

The supplier party gives this address locality and postcode.

Published supplier classification

96% confidence

SME

View supporting evidence

Supplier details mark scale as "sme".

Identity verification

99% confidence

Name remains unverified

View supporting evidence

Supplier identity status is checked_unmatched after the supplied Companies House matching workflow; no verified company name or number is present.

RENEWAL OUTLOOK

Renewal outlook

Estimated recompetition horizon

75% confidence

Around April 2027, if the stated end date is not changed

View supporting evidence

This is an estimate derived solely from the explicit contract end date of 16 April 2027; no extension, renewal or reprocurement arrangement is published.

DATA QUALITY

Gaps and source limitations

Supplier legal identity

99% confidence

Unverified

View supporting evidence

Circle Creative Communications is the source supplier name, but identity status is checked_unmatched and no verified company name or number was supplied.

Contract conclusion

98% confidence

Not established from the supplied notice

View supporting evidence

The record has an active award and stated contract period, but the signature milestone remains scheduled rather than completed.

Lot detail

99% confidence

Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value

View supporting evidence

The supplied lot record contains null title, description and value fields.

Evaluation transparency

99% confidence

Bid numbers, bidder identities, scoring and award rationale are not supplied

View supporting evidence

Information not supplied in the published notice data.

SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS

Information not supplied in the published notice

Circle Creative Communications is a source-supplied supplier name only: the supplied Companies House matching workflow completed without a safe match, so no verified legal company identity or company number can be reported.
The notice records a scheduled signature date but does not evidence a signed or concluded contract.
Lot 1 has no published title, description or standalone value.
Information not supplied in the published notice includes bid count, evaluation methodology and scores, award rationale, pricing breakdown, extension options and renewal terms.
No future procurement or renewal has been announced; the April 2027 recompetition horizon is only an estimate based on the stated end date.

MARKET THEMES

Relevant award themes

COMMON QUESTIONS

About this award

Who was named as supplier for the Acorn Farm exhibition contract?

The award notice names Circle Creative Communications. The supplied identity-matching record did not verify a legal company identity.

What is the awarded value?

The notice reports a gross award value of £59,975.

When is the stated contract period?

The stated period is 19 October 2026 to 16 April 2027. The supplied data does not confirm that the contract was signed.

ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.

T25-150ENV Acorn Farm Exhibition and Site Interpretation Design and Fit Out

Opportunity overview

Awarded to

Circle Creative Communications

Classification

Lots

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Scope, procedure and submissions

Legal basis

Lots and requirements

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Identifier

Address

Contact

Roles

Details

Classifications

Address

Contact

Roles

Details

Award information

Items

Additional Classifications

Delivery locations

Value

Suppliers

Contract period

Related lots

Documents

Milestones

Recorded locations

Notice and amendment history

Award intelligence at a glance

Published outcome signals

Traceable procurement data

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

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