AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Newcastle City Council has awarded and signed a contract with HLG LEISURE & EVENTS LTD for the aesthetic design, implementation, supply, maintenance and removal of Christmas market dressing for the 2026 market period. The contract includes a conditional option to extend into the 2027 Christmas period.
Published outcomeOne active award and active contract are recorded for HLG LEISURE & EVENTS LTD under lot 1.
Market significanceThis is a below-threshold, open-competition event-services requirement with a stated net contract value of £80,000 (£96,000 gross).
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
HLG LEISURE & EVENTS LTD
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £80,000 net; £96,000 gross GBP · Verified supplier; active award and contract
View supporting evidence
Award 1 names HLG LEISURE & EVENTS LTD as supplier. The supplied company-number verification matches Companies House number 14276281 to HLG LEISURE & EVENTS LTD. Contract 1, linked to award 1, states amount £80,000 and amountGross £96,000.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice status
98% confidenceContract details notice published; tender and lot marked complete
View supporting evidence
The process is labelled "Contract details notice on Find a Tender"; tender status and lot 1 status are "complete".
Award status
98% confidenceActive
View supporting evidence
Award 1 status is "active".
Contract status
99% confidenceActive and signed
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 status is "active" and dateSigned is 2026-10-08.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value (net)
99% confidence£80,000
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 value.amount is 80000 GBP.
Contract value (gross)
99% confidence£96,000
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 value.amountGross is 96000 GBP.
Published opportunity maximum
95% confidence£80,000
View supporting evidence
The process-level value_max is 80000 GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Tender notice published
98% confidence25 August 2026
View supporting evidence
Release history records tender notice 080807-2026 dated 2026-08-25.
Submission deadline
99% confidence14 September 2026, 12:00 BST
View supporting evidence
Process submission_deadline is 2026-09-14T12:00:00+01:00.
Contract signed
99% confidence8 October 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-10-08T00:00:00+01:00.
Contract period start recorded
99% confidence8 October 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 period.startDate is 2026-10-08T00:00:00+01:00.
Contract details notice published
99% confidence14 October 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract document 097093-2026 has datePublished 2026-10-14; release history records the same date.
Contract period end
99% confidence30 September 2027
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 period.endDate is 2027-09-30T23:59:59+01:00.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
98% confidenceDesign and decorate Newcastle Christmas Market; implement the design and supply, maintain and remove market dressing.
View supporting evidence
The tender description specifies aesthetic design and decoration, implementation, and supply/maintenance/removal of dressing.
Procurement category
99% confidenceServices / event services
View supporting evidence
The process main category is services; the awarded item has CPV 79952000, Event services.
Delivery region
95% confidenceUKC22, United Kingdom
View supporting evidence
Award item delivery address specifies region UKC22 and country GB.
Lot coverage
99% confidenceLot 1
View supporting evidence
Award 1 is linked to related lot 1.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceOpen competition, below threshold
View supporting evidence
The tender procurementMethod is "open" and procurementMethodDetails is "Below threshold - open competition".
Competition information
99% confidenceNumber of bids and evaluation results unknown
View supporting evidence
No bidder count, tender responses, scores or evaluation narrative is supplied in the published data.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Base term
95% confidenceCovers the 2026 Christmas market period, with recorded contract period ending 30 September 2027.
View supporting evidence
Tender description refers to the 2026 Christmas market; contract period ends 2027-09-30.
Extension option
94% confidenceConditional three-month option to extend, subject to the Council notifying the provider in writing at least three months before 30 September 2027.
View supporting evidence
The renewal description states a three-month option and the notice requirement. maxExtentDate is 2027-10-01, which does not clearly align with a three-month extension.
Maximum extent date recorded
99% confidence1 October 2027
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 period.maxExtentDate is 2027-10-01T23:59:59+01:00.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Value interpretation
96% confidenceThe £80,000 process maximum matches the contract's stated net value; the published gross value is £96,000.
View supporting evidence
Process value_max is £80,000; contract value.amount is £80,000 and amountGross is £96,000.
Supplier opportunity
98% confidenceThe work combines creative design with operational delivery, including installation, maintenance and removal of market dressing.
View supporting evidence
The tender description explicitly includes each of these activities.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Date inconsistency
99% confidenceThe contract period start and signature date are both 8 October 2026, while the renewal narrative says the contract shall commence on 1 October 2026.
View supporting evidence
period.startDate and dateSigned are 2026-10-08; renewal description states commencement on 01 October 2026.
Extension-date inconsistency
99% confidenceThe renewal narrative describes a three-month extension from 30 September 2027, but the recorded maximum extent date is 1 October 2027.
View supporting evidence
Renewal description states "three-month option to extend"; maxExtentDate is 2027-10-01.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate value.
View supporting evidence
The supplied lot record has null title, description and value fields.
Award date
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
View supporting evidence
Award 1 has no award_date in the supplied award record.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The supplied source gives conflicting commencement information: the contract record starts on 8 October 2026 while the renewal narrative says 1 October 2026; neither date has been selected as the sole commencement date.
- The stated three-month extension option is inconsistent with the recorded maximum extent date of 1 October 2027; the effective possible extension end date is therefore unclear.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: award decision date, bid count, bidder identities, evaluation criteria or scores, pricing breakdown, lot title, lot description and individual lot value.
- The notice does not confirm whether the extension option will be exercised.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Newcastle Christmas MarketHLG LEISURE & EVENTS LTDNewcastle City Councilevent services contractChristmas market decorationFind a Tender
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Newcastle Christmas Market design and decoration contract?
HLG LEISURE & EVENTS LTD, verified against Companies House number 14276281.
What is the contract value?
The contract states £80,000 net and £96,000 gross.
When does the contract end?
The recorded contract end date is 30 September 2027. A conditional extension option is described, but has not been confirmed as exercised.
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.