How to win: Cafe Concession - Gisburn

About this contract

Forestry England are looking for a food and beverage operator to manage Gisburn Forest Cafe. Gisburn Forest is located within the Forest of Bowland National Landscape and is managed by Forestry England attracting visitors from Blackburn, Burnley, Preston and further afield. The forest has a growing recreational offer including 18 miles of mountain bike trails some more challenging than others, 10 miles of walks in the forest and access to a further 8 miles around the neighbouring Stock reservoir. It welcomes 80,000 visitors a year and hosts an wide variety of events from yoga, mountain bike races, outdoor music evenings, crafting days and accessibility conferences. Gisburn Forest café offer will play a central role in welcoming visitors walk, bike and relax in the forest. We anticipate the tender will be live towards the end of August/beginning of September 2026. Interested parties should register on the Panacea tendering portal via this link in anticipation of the tender going live - https://app.panacea-software.com/ForestryCommission/Login.aspx

How to win contracts like this

• ✓Answer against the marking scheme, not the question text — Forestry Commission scores each response, so map your evidence to the published criteria and weightings.
• ✓At £2,500,000, expect quality and social value to carry a large share of the score — price alone rarely wins services work.
• ✓Show recent, comparable delivery: name similar services contracts you've delivered for public bodies, with measurable outcomes.
• ✓Start early: it closes 21 August 2026 and a strong bid takes iteration.

BidWriter drafts your responses from your company profile, scores them against the marking scheme, and tracks your whole pipeline. Free to start — no card needed.

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