AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Dartford Borough Council published a transparency notice naming Gala Lights Ltd for Christmas lighting and decorations in Dartford town centre. The award record is still pending and the notice scheduled signature for 7 October 2026; a signed contract is not confirmed.
Published outcomePending direct award to Gala Lights Ltd for lot 1, with a published value of £90,441 and gross value of £108,529.20.
Market significanceA below-threshold, direct, non-competitive procurement for the hire, installation and removal of a defined town-centre Christmas lighting scheme.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
Gala Lights Ltd
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £90,441 (published award amount); £108,529.20 gross GBP · Named supplier on a pending award
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Award 1 names Gala Lights Ltd as supplier, has status pending, and publishes amount 90441 and amountGross 108529.2 GBP.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Published notice
99% confidenceTransparency notice published 7 October 2026
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Document 094792-2026 is described as a Transparency notice on Find a Tender and has datePublished 2026-10-07T14:20:20+01:00.
Award status
99% confidencePending
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Award 1 has status "pending".
Signature status
98% confidenceFuture signature was scheduled; signature not confirmed
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Award milestone type futureSignatureDate is scheduled for 2026-10-07T23:59:59+01:00. No signed-contract record is supplied.
VALUES
Published values explained
Published award amount
99% confidence£90,441
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Award 1 value.amount is 90441 GBP.
Published gross award amount
99% confidence£108,529.20
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 108529.2 GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Notice publication
99% confidence7 October 2026
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The award notice was published at 2026-10-07T14:20:20+01:00.
Scheduled signature date
98% confidence7 October 2026
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The scheduled futureSignatureDate is 2026-10-07T23:59:59+01:00.
Published contract period start
98% confidence8 October 2026
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Award 1 contractPeriod.startDate is 2026-10-08T00:00:00+01:00.
Published contract period end
98% confidence1 February 2028
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Award 1 contractPeriod.endDate is 2028-02-01T23:59:59Z.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceHire, installation and removal of Christmas lighting across Dartford town centre
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The published description states Christmas lighting 2026-2028 including hiring, installation and removal throughout Dartford town centre.
Scheme components
99% confidenceLamp-column, across-street, wall-mounted and ceiling motifs; 3D snowman; icicle lights; lit Christmas tree; boa-lit trees; and LED-decorated living wall
View supporting evidence
The description lists 32 lamp-column motifs, 17 across-street motifs, one ceiling of light, 15 wall-mounted motifs, one 3D snowman, 150m icicle lights, one tree with 500m lights, two trees with 40 boa lights, and one LED-decorated living wall.
Classification
99% confidenceChristmas tree lights and exterior lights
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Award items carry CPV 31522000 (Christmas tree lights) and 31527200 (Exterior lights).
Delivery region
96% confidenceKent, United Kingdom (UKJ4)
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The award item delivery address is region UKJ4, United Kingdom.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceDirect procurement
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Tender procurementMethod is "direct".
Competition
99% confidenceBelow threshold — without competition
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Tender procurementMethodDetails states "Below threshold - without competition".
Lot structure
99% confidenceOne lot
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Tender data contains lot 1 only; award 1 is related to lot 1.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Published period
98% confidence8 October 2026 to 1 February 2028
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Award 1 contractPeriod gives these start and end dates.
Award category
99% confidenceGoods
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is "goods".
SME suitability
97% confidenceLot marked suitable for SMEs
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Tender lot 1 suitability.sme is true.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Route to market
99% confidenceThe notice records a direct, below-threshold procurement without competition.
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Tender procurementMethod is direct and procurementMethodDetails is "Below threshold - without competition".
Value interpretation
95% confidenceThe published record provides both an award amount and a gross amount; neither is allocated further because there is one named supplier and no item-level pricing.
View supporting evidence
Award 1 publishes amount 90441 GBP and amountGross 108529.2 GBP; no pricing breakdown is supplied.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Lifecycle clarity
99% confidenceInformation indicates a pending award rather than a confirmed signed contract.
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Award 1 is pending and only a scheduled future signature milestone is supplied.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot title, description and individual lot value are not supplied in the published notice.
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Lot 1 has null title, description and value fields.
Evaluation detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No bid count, evaluation criteria, scoring, award decision date or pricing breakdown is present in the supplied data.
Renewal terms
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No extension, option or renewal terms are included in the supplied data.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Award 1 is explicitly marked pending and the notice provides only a scheduled future signature date. An administrator decision is required before presenting this as a completed award or contract.
- Lot title, lot description, individual lot value and item-level pricing are not published.
- No award decision date, tender deadline, bid count, evaluation criteria or scoring is published.
- No confirmed contract signature or contract-conclusion record is supplied.
- No extension, option or renewal terms are published.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Dartford Borough CouncilGala Lights LtdChristmas lightsChristmas decorationsdirect awardpublic procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who is named on the Dartford Christmas lights award?
Gala Lights Ltd is the supplier named on award 1.
Is the contract signed?
No signed contract is confirmed in the supplied notice. The award is pending and a future signature date was scheduled.
What is the published value?
The published award amount is £90,441, with a gross amount of £108,529.20.
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.