How to win: Food Festival Curator

About this contract

Durham County Council seeks to appoint a supplier to provide curator services for the Bishop Auckland and Seaham Food Festivals 2027. Working with the Council's festival team and partners, the provider will support the planning, development and delivery of both festivals. Services will include festival programming, trader and exhibitor recruitment, performer and activity bookings, marketing support, commercial development, sponsorship opportunities and onsite event delivery. The supplier will assist in developing programmes aligned to agreed objectives and budgets, including year-round activity; recruit and manage traders, exhibitors and performers; support sponsorship and income generation; contribute to marketing, including development of a refreshed festival brand linked to Visit County Durham; engage with stakeholders and community organisations; support event operations; and provide progress reports, budget monitoring and post-event evaluation.

How to win contracts like this

• ✓Answer against the marking scheme, not the question text — Durham County Council scores each response, so map your evidence to the published criteria and weightings.
• ✓At £80,000, 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 23 October 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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