Curation and management of a Food, Music, Dance, Comedy Festival—or similar themed festival Pilot in 2026

Carlow County Council is inviting submissions from suitably qualified individuals or organisations for

Curation and management of a Food, Music, Dance, Comedy Festival—or similar themed festival Pilot in 2026

Carlow County Council

## Summary Carlow County Council is procuring a pilot festival involving food, music, dance, and comedy for 2026. This open tender seeks a partner to curate and manage the event, aiming to boost local culture and tourism.

## Scope & Deliverables - Curation and management of a themed festival pilot in 2026. - Integration of food, music, dance, and comedy elements. - Operational delivery of the event in Carlow.

## Key Requirements - Eligibility: Open procedure allows any qualified supplier. - Experience: Proven track record in festival curation and management. - Qualifications: Specific certifications are not detailed in the summary data; refer to full tender documents for technical criteria.

## Commercials & Timeline - Estimated value: Not stated. - Submission deadline: Tue Sep 30 00:00:00 IST 2025. - Contract duration: Not stated. - Framework/DPS: Not stated.

## How to Bid - Submission method: Not stated in summary; check official portal. - Languages: Not stated; typically English for Irish public sector. - Key documents: Prepare technical proposal, financial bid, and eligibility proofs. Full document list is in the tender notice.

## Bid Considerations - Strategic Fit: Ideal for established event management firms with strong local government experience. - Opportunity: Pilot status may offer flexible terms and potential for future expansion if successful. - Risk: Value is unknown, making ROI analysis difficult. Ensure full tender documents are reviewed for hidden costs or strict performance metrics. - Timeline: Tight preparation window between publication (Jul 30) and deadline (Sep 30).

Open procedure. Any interested supplier may submit a tender. There is no shortlisting stage — all compliant bids received by the deadline are evaluated against the published award criteria. It is the most common route for Irish public contracts and is open to SMEs and new entrants.

Carlow County Council has 19 tender(s) tracked on TenderScout, of which 5 are currently open. On the EU TED record this buyer has awarded 26 contract(s) worth around €11,098,488.

Recent awarded suppliers include TA Group, Hayes Higgins Partnership, Allplay, Cahill Crafts Ltd., John Somers Construction Ltd.