AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Braintree District Council awarded two active contracts to GALA LIGHTS LTD for a festive-light scheme in Braintree town centre: a services contract covering design, supply, installation and removal, and a works contract for electrical infrastructure upgrades. Both contracts were signed on 17 August 2026.
Published outcomeTwo contracts, linked to the same completed lot and awarded to one verified supplier, are recorded as active.
Market significanceThe published contract values total £194,070 excluding VAT (£232,884 including VAT), across a multi-year services arrangement with a one-year extension option and a short electrical-works contract.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
2 supplier records analysed
GALA LIGHTS LTD
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £179,070 excluding VAT (£214,884 including VAT) GBP · Verified legal supplier; active services award and signed active contract
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Supplier verification identifies GALA LIGHTS LTD, company number 06612708, by company-number match. Award 1 names Gala Lights Ltd; contract 1 is linked to award 1 and has active status, signed 2026-08-17.
GALA LIGHTS LTD
99% confidenceAward 2 · Lots 1 · £15,000 excluding VAT (£18,000 including VAT) GBP · Verified legal supplier; active works award and signed active contract
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Supplier verification identifies GALA LIGHTS LTD, company number 06612708, by company-number match. Award 2 names Gala Lights Ltd; contract 2 is linked to award 2 and has active status, signed 2026-08-17.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Tender notice published
98% confidence7 May 2026
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Release history records Tender notice on Find a Tender, release 042194-2026, dated 2026-05-07.
Award announcement
98% confidence11 June 2026 (award 1) and 12 June 2026 (award 2)
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Award records give award dates of 2026-06-11 for award 1 and 2026-06-12 for award 2.
Contracts signed and active
99% confidence17 August 2026
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Both contract records have status active and dateSigned 2026-08-17; both periods start on 2026-08-17.
Contract details notice published
99% confidence20 October 2026
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Release history and contract documents identify Contract details notice 099175-2026, published 2026-10-20.
VALUES
Published values explained
Services contract value
99% confidence£179,070 excluding VAT; £214,884 including VAT
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Contract 1 value states amount £179,070 and amountGross £214,884, GBP.
Works contract value
99% confidence£15,000 excluding VAT; £18,000 including VAT
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Contract 2 value states amount £15,000 and amountGross £18,000, GBP.
Combined signed-contract value
98% confidence£194,070 excluding VAT; £232,884 including VAT
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Calculated from the two contract records: £179,070 plus £15,000 excluding VAT, and £214,884 plus £18,000 including VAT.
Award-record values
99% confidence£241,956 for award 1 and £14,995 for award 2
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The award dataset lists £241,956 for award 1 and £14,995 for award 2, both in GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Services contract period
99% confidence17 August 2026 to 31 January 2029
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Contract 1 period startDate is 2026-08-17 and endDate is 2029-01-31.
Works contract period
99% confidence17 August 2026 to 28 September 2026
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Contract 2 period startDate is 2026-08-17 and endDate is 2026-09-28.
Maximum potential services end date
99% confidence31 January 2030
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Contract 1 maxExtentDate is 2030-01-31 and its renewal description states an option to extend for a further year.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Overall requirement
99% confidenceDesign, supply, installation and removal of new festive lights in Braintree town centre, plus upgrades to existing connection points and electrical infrastructure.
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Procurement title and description in the tender record.
Services contract scope
95% confidenceFestive lighting and related service activity, including Christmas tree lights, outdoor illumination installation and event services classifications.
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Award 1 is categorised as services and lists CPV 31522000, 45316100 and 79952000.
Works contract scope
98% confidenceElectrical installation work supporting the festive-light scheme.
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Award 2 is categorised as works and lists CPV 45310000.
Delivery area
94% confidenceUKH3 region
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Both award item records list delivery address region UKH3, while the procurement description specifies Braintree town centre.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceOpen procedure
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Tender record states procurementMethod open and procurementMethodDetails Open procedure.
Evaluation approach
98% confidenceCost and quality for the services and works elements were evaluated as a combined bid.
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Published procurement description.
Lot structure
98% confidenceOne completed lot, with two contracts awarded to one contractor.
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Tender data lists lot 1; the description states there would be two contracts awarded to one contractor; both awards relate to lot 1.
Bidder count and scoring
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice data.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Services contract
99% confidenceActive, above threshold, signed 17 August 2026; 17 August 2026 to 31 January 2029.
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Contract 1 status, aboveThreshold, dateSigned and period fields.
Works contract
99% confidenceActive, below threshold, signed 17 August 2026; 17 August 2026 to 28 September 2026.
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Contract 2 status, aboveThreshold, dateSigned and period fields.
Performance metrics
98% confidenceNo agreed metrics stated for the services contract because it is below the £5 million threshold.
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Contract 1 noAgreedMetricsRationale field.
Extension option
99% confidenceThe services contract has an option to extend for a further year.
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Contract 1 hasRenewal is true and renewal description states: Option to extend for a further year.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Integrated delivery model
97% confidenceThe buyer combined evaluation of services and works but recorded separate active contracts for the same supplier.
View supporting evidence
Procurement description says cost and quality were evaluated as a combined bid; contracts 1 and 2 are linked to separate awards and categories.
Contract mix
98% confidenceMost published signed-contract value is in the multi-year services contract; the electrical works contract is short-term.
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 is £179,070 excluding VAT through 31 January 2029; contract 2 is £15,000 excluding VAT through 28 September 2026.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Value discrepancy between award and contract records
99% confidenceThe award-record values differ from the signed-contract values. Award 1 is £241,956 versus contract 1 at £214,884 including VAT; award 2 is £14,995 versus contract 2 at £15,000 excluding VAT / £18,000 including VAT. The published data does not explain the basis of the award values.
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Award dataset and contract value fields.
Lot-level allocation
99% confidenceBoth awards relate to lot 1, but the lot has no title, description or published value. Values are therefore reported by contract/award, not as a lot value.
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Lot 1 has null title, description and value; both awards list related lot 1.
Notice timing
99% confidenceThe contract details notice was published after the reported signing and contract-start date.
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Both contracts were signed and started 2026-08-17; notice 099175-2026 was published 2026-10-20.
Competition information
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice data.
View supporting evidence
No bidder-count, tender-response or award-score fields are supplied.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The published award-record values and signed-contract values are inconsistent, and no explanation or comparable value basis is supplied.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or value; individual lot allocation cannot be assessed beyond the stated award and contract links.
- Information on tender response numbers, evaluation scores, pricing breakdowns, bidder identities and reasons for supplier selection was not supplied.
- No renewal option is published for the works contract.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Braintree festive light schemeGALA LIGHTS LTDBraintree District Councilfestive lighting contractelectrical installation contractpublic procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Braintree Festive Light Scheme contracts?
GALA LIGHTS LTD, verified by company number 06612708, is the supplier on both contracts.
What is the published signed-contract value?
The two contracts total £194,070 excluding VAT and £232,884 including VAT.
When do the contracts run?
The services contract runs from 17 August 2026 to 31 January 2029, with a stated one-year extension option. The works contract runs from 17 August 2026 to 28 September 2026.
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.