AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Welsh Government has published a transparency notice for a proposed direct award to WILLIAM REED LTD for stand space at the Food and Drink Expo at the NEC, Birmingham, scheduled for 12–14 April 2027.
Published outcomeAward 1 is pending. The notice records a scheduled future signature date of 6 November 2026; it does not evidence a signed or active contract.
Market significanceThe proposed award is valued at £118,440 excluding VAT (£121,440 including VAT) and is described as a direct award because the supplier is stated to be the sole provider of exhibition space for the event.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
WILLIAM REED LTD
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £118,440 excluding VAT; £121,440 including VAT (award-level value) GBP · Verified supplier; pending award
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Award 1 names WILLIAM REED LTD as supplier. Supplier verification reports an exact-name match to company number 02883992. The value applies to award 1 and is not an allocated lot value.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceTransparency notice on Find a Tender
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Notice 099122-2026 is described as a "Transparency notice on Find a Tender".
Award status
99% confidencePending
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Award 1 has status "pending".
Procurement status
95% confidenceComplete
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The procurement and lot 1 are each recorded with status "complete".
Signature status
99% confidenceNot evidenced as signed
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A future signature milestone is scheduled for 6 November 2026; no signed-contract field or completed signature milestone is supplied.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£118,440
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Award 1 value.amount is 118440 GBP.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£121,440
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 121440 GBP.
Lot-level value
99% confidenceNot published
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Lot 1 has no value amount; the published value is at award level.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Notice published
99% confidence20 October 2026
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The award notice was published at 2026-10-20T15:23:15+01:00.
Scheduled future signature date
99% confidence6 November 2026
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Award 1 includes a futureSignatureDate milestone due 2026-11-06T23:59:59+00:00, with status "scheduled".
Published contract period
99% confidence9 November 2026 to 16 April 2027
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Award 1 contractPeriod runs from 2026-11-09 to 2027-04-16.
Event dates
98% confidence12–14 April 2027
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The procurement description states that the Food and Drink Expo will be held at the NEC in Birmingham from 12 to 14 April 2027.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceStand space at the Food and Drink Expo
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The procurement title and description state "Stand Space" at the Food and Drink Expo.
Service category
99% confidenceServices
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Award 1 main procurement category is "services".
Classifications
99% confidenceExhibition stands; exhibition, fair and congress organisation services
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Award item classifications are CPV 39154100 and CPV 79950000.
Delivery location
95% confidenceWales (UKL)
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The award item delivery address is recorded as region UKL, United Kingdom.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceDirect award
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The procurement method is "direct" and the method detail is "Direct award".
Published rationale
99% confidenceSupplier stated to be the sole provider of exhibition space for the event
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The published rationale says: "They are the sole provider of exhibition space for this event."
Competition information
99% confidenceNo bid count, evaluation results or scoring published
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No competition, bidder-count, score or evaluation data is supplied in the notice.
Legal basis classification
98% confidenceSingle supplier / intellectual property or exclusive rights
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The rationale classification is "singleSuppliersIntellectualPropertyExclusiveRights".
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Published contract period
99% confidence9 November 2026 to 16 April 2027
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Award 1 contractPeriod specifies these start and end dates.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceNot published
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No extension, option or renewal provisions are supplied.
Contract conclusion
99% confidenceNot evidenced
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The award remains pending and signature is only scheduled.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial structure
97% confidenceSingle proposed supplier for event-specific stand space
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The notice names one supplier and cites sole provision of exhibition space for this event as the direct-award rationale.
Value presentation
99% confidenceAward-level value is published with and without VAT
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The notice provides £118,440 amount and £121,440 amountGross for award 1.
Market access implication
96% confidenceOpportunity is presented as event-specific rather than competitively tendered
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The published method is direct award and the stated rationale concerns sole exhibition-space provision for the event.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Pending award status
99% confidenceThe published record is not evidence of a concluded or active contract
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Award 1 is pending and its signature milestone is scheduled rather than completed.
Award and procurement status distinction
99% confidenceThe procurement is marked complete while the individual award remains pending
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Tender status is complete, lot 1 status is complete, and award 1 status is pending.
Information not supplied in the published notice
99% confidenceNo award decision date, tender deadline, bid count, evaluation detail, pricing breakdown, lot title, lot value, or extension terms
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These fields are absent or null in the supplied record.
Value allocation
99% confidenceThe published value is for award 1; no separate lot allocation is supplied
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Award 1 contains the value, while lot 1 has no value amount.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The award is pending; the notice does not establish that a contract has been signed, concluded or commenced.
- No award decision date is published.
- No tender deadline, bid count, evaluation methodology, scores or pricing breakdown is published.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- No extension, option or renewal terms are published.
- The published contract period and scheduled signature date are prospective fields and may change before contract conclusion.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Welsh GovernmentWILLIAM REED LTDFood and Drink Expostand spacedirect awardtransparency noticeNEC Birmingham
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who is the proposed supplier?
WILLIAM REED LTD is named for award 1 and is verified in the supplied supplier-verification data.
Has the contract been signed?
No signed contract is evidenced. The award is pending and a signature date of 6 November 2026 is scheduled.
What is the published value?
Award 1 is valued at £118,440 excluding VAT and £121,440 including VAT.
Why was a direct award used?
The notice states that the supplier is the sole provider of exhibition space for the event.
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.