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Durham Book Festival 25/26- Programming & Delivery
Durham County Council · North East · 2-year contract
Held by New Writing North
Cultural programme tenders and contracts
UK public sector, covering 600+ buyer sites
220 cultural programme tenders and contracts, 59 this year.
Updated 4 November 2026 · compiled by BidSkim Limited · How we count
- Awarded a month£41k
- Contracts a month1.7
- Won by SMEs65%
- Renewing in 6 months1
- Frameworks and DPSs1
- Live now1See them →
Cultural programme contracts
Tap a region to see its contracts. Pick as many as you like.
How many cultural programme contracts do keyword alerts miss?
In the last year, a "cultural programme" alert would have missed 18 of 21 cultural programme contracts (86%) and an expert list of 14 phrases 9 (43%). How we measured this
Keyword alert"cultural programme"
86% missed
18 of 21
Expert list14 phrases
43% missed
9 of 21
Expert list: cultural programme, festival, festival curation, cultural events programme, arts programme, exhibition programming, curatorship, creative programme, cultural activity, community festival, cultural events, creative producer, arts festival, peaceplus cultural
BidSkim reads every notice in full and matches the work, not the words.See what BidSkim finds for you
41 contracts across the UK, of any size
Live now
1 cultural programme opportunity is open now
- OpenCloses in 2 weeksRFP - GV75ARTS102026 - Curator-Producer for Human-Nature Showcase – MalaysiaBritish Council · LondonEst.£96k
- Awarded9 Sep 2026CA18286 - RFQ2026/26 - NMANDD PEACEPLUS 3.5 Farmers FestivalNewry, Mourne and Down District Council · Northern IrelandWon by Tumbling Paddy£19k
- Awarded4 Sep 2026AM_1452 SSJ Curatorship of online programme and face-to-face event productionBritish CouncilWon by Artic Cord£63k
- Awarded3 Sep 2026WOVEN in Kirklees - Festival Curation and DevelopmentKirklees Council · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by Incubating Arts CIC£100k
- Awarded24 Aug 2026EX2624 WDC Wealden Craft WeekWealden District Council · South EastWon by ROSA (Review of Sussex Arts)£25k
- Awarded8 Jul 2026T26-085BUS Partner-Led Organisations -- Derry Halloween Parade 2026Derry City and Strabane District Council · Northern IrelandWon by North West Cultural Partnership and 2 more£40k
- Awarded25 Jun 2026CA17651 - RFQ 2026/06 - PEACEPLUS Cross Community Festival - Rowallane Beyond - Taste and TraditionsNewry, Mourne and Down District Council · Northern IrelandWon by Arts Ekta£22k
- Awarded25 Jun 2026CA17618 - RFQ 2026/05 - PEACEPLUS Cultural Programme - Rowallane People PlacesNewry, Mourne and Down District Council · Northern IrelandWon by Craicni C.I.C.£23k
- Awarded23 Jun 2026CA17805 - RFQ 2026/11 - PEACEPLUS Celebrating Cultures and Diversity Food Fusion FestivalNewry, Mourne and Down District Council · Northern IrelandWon by Arts Ekta£19k
- Awarded3 Jun 2026Freelance Exhibitions and Programming ConsultantBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council · South WestWon by Elizabeth Selby
- Awarded12 May 2026Summer Lates 2026 - Centralised co-ordinationBath & North East Somerset Council · South WestWon by Bath Arts Collective£29k
- Awarded11 May 2026Dartford Town Centre Cultural Activity 2026Dartford Borough Council · South EastWon by Cohesion Plus Kent£52k
- Awarded13 Mar 2026Arts by the Sea Festival - Creative Programme 2026Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council · South WestWon by Arcadia
- Awarded1 Mar 2026Grant to Metal CultureSouthend-on-Sea City Council · East of EnglandWon by Metal Culture Limited£43k
- Awarded19 Feb 2026Framework Agreement of Design, Management and Delivery of Capacity-Building and UK Artist Residency Programmes in Saudi Arabia and BahrainBritish Council · LondonWon by BLR World Ltd.£900k
- Awarded28 Nov 2025Research and development of up to twelve contemporary music projectsCity of London Corporation · LondonWon by A Throw of Dice Touring Limited£58k
- Awarded18 Nov 2025Contract for Curatorial, Conservation and Collections Management support (Natural Science) to Hartlepool Borough Council as part of the Museum of Hartlepool's Tides of Change projectHartlepool Borough Council · North EastWon by Blue Tokay Ltd£11k
- Awarded15 Oct 2025Angel Edmonton - Culture Place ActivationLondon Borough of Enfield · LondonWon by Fore Street For All CIC£10k
- Awarded9 Sep 2025Consortium Lead- Creative CommunitiesHull City Council · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by Back to Ours Arts Limited£600k
- Awarded1 Aug 2025002672 BLXBFC Fashion Student CompetitionBritish Library · LondonWon by Vega Associates£15k
- Awarded1 Aug 2025Partnership Agreement for Cultural Events Programme 2026Sefton Council · North WestWon by Liverpool City Council£149k
- Awarded16 Jul 2025Children's Capital of Culture (CCoC) Guest Director - Closing ProgrammeRotherham Metropolitan Borough Council · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by Walk the Plank£84k
- Awarded7 Jul 2025Provision of London Borough of Culture Programme DeliveryLondon Borough of Haringey · LondonWon by Beki Bateson LTD£100k
- Awarded20 Jun 2025BMBC The Seam - Sculpture event curationBarnsley Metropolitan Borough Council · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by Artin Light Ltd£30k
- Awarded16 Jun 2025Tender for the Design, Development and Delivery of a PEACEPLUS Programme ‘Exploration of our cultural roots through music' - 2425 TNDR RP 011Fermanagh and Omagh District Council · Northern IrelandWon by Dún Uladh Ltd£227k
- Awarded12 Jun 2025Summer Lates ProgrammeBath & North East Somerset Council · South WestWon by Bath Arts Collective£31k
- Awarded23 May 2025RBGKEW1439 Material World 2025 UAL: London College of Fashion ConsultancyRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew · LondonWon by UAL: London College of Fashion (UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LONDON)£11k
- Awarded20 Mar 2025Freelance curator for Russell Cotes MuseumBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council · South WestWon by Ruth Brimacombe£30k
- Awarded3 Mar 2025Hartlepool Mural FestivalHartlepool Borough Council · North EastWon by Call Yourself An Artist CIC£23k
- Awarded26 Feb 2025Showcase Scotland at Celtic ConnectionsGlasgow Life · Scotland
- Awarded10 Feb 2025Development and Delivery of 5-year Community Inclusion ProgrammeBurnley Borough Council · North WestWon by Mid Pennine Arts£170k
Where to bid
Where cultural programme tenders are run
MultiQuote23 88%- TAP2 8%
Open (NEPO)1 4%
Tenders published in the last year that name the bid portal they run on.
BLR World Ltd. won the most cultural programme contracts by value
Each dot is one contract, coloured by who bought it.
CouncilsCentral government
| Rank | Contractor | Contracts won, by buyer | Contracts | Value won | Buyers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1joint | Bath Arts Collective South West · SME · See every contract | 2 | £60k | 1 | ||
| 1joint | Arts Ekta Northern Ireland · See every contract | 2 | £41k | 1 | ||
| 1joint | Elizabeth Selby South West · See every contract | 2 | Not published | 1 | ||
| 4joint | BLR World Ltd. London · SME · See every contract | 1 | £900k | 1 | ||
| 4joint | Back to Ours Arts Limited Yorkshire and the Humber · SME · See every contract | 1 | £600k | 1 | ||
| 4joint | Henry Moore Foundation | 1 | £500k | 1 | ||
| 4joint | Dún Uladh Ltd Northern Ireland · See every contract | 1 | £227k | 1 | ||
| 4joint | Mid Pennine Arts North West · SME · See every contract | 1 | £170k | 1 | ||
| 4joint | Liverpool City Council North West · See every contract | 1 | £149k | 1 | ||
| 4joint | Beki Bateson LTD London · SME · See every contract | 1 | £100k | 1 |
28 more cultural programme contractors ranked. See the full ranking →
Win cultural programme contracts? Share your ranking.
Who buys
Councils award 85% of cultural programme contracts
Contracts with a published value in the last 2 years, from the type of buyer to the size of the contract.
7 buyers bought cultural programme more than once in the last 2 years
Each dot is a buyer, by how many cultural programme contracts it awarded in the last 2 years.
See who they are and when they usually buy →
Few and big, or many and small
Each dot is a buyer: how many cultural programme contracts it awarded against what they were worth. The busiest and biggest are named.
CouncilsCentral government
Top buyers by contracts awarded
| Rank | Buyer | Contracts | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newry, Mourne and Down District Council | 9 | £163k |
| 2 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council | 4 | £30k |
| 3 | Glasgow Life | 3 | £184k |
| 4 | British Council | 2 | £963k |
| 5 | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 2 | £511k |
| 6 | Bath & North East Somerset Council | 2 | £60k |
| 7 | Hartlepool Borough Council | 2 | £34k |
| 8 | Hull City Council | 1 | £600k |
| 9 | Fermanagh and Omagh District Council | 1 | £227k |
| 10 | Burnley Borough Council | 1 | £170k |
96 cultural programme contracts awarded since 2021
- 122021
- 142022
- 142023
- 162024
- 212025
- 192026 so far
Prices
Half of cultural programme contracts are worth less than £30k
CouncilsCentral government
The 10 biggest cultural programme contracts
- British CouncilBLR World Ltd. · 19 Feb 2026
- Hull City CouncilBack to Ours Arts Limited · 9 Sep 2025
- Royal Botanic Gardens, KewHenry Moore Foundation · 5 Jun 2025
- Fermanagh and Omagh District CouncilDún Uladh Ltd · 16 Jun 2025
- Burnley Borough CouncilMid Pennine Arts · 10 Feb 2025
- Sefton CouncilLiverpool City Council · 1 Aug 2025
- Glasgow LifeHexville Music Ltd · 12 Dec 2024
- London Borough of HaringeyBeki Bateson LTD · 7 Jul 2025
- Kirklees CouncilIncubating Arts CIC · 3 Sep 2026
- Rotherham Metropolitan Borough CouncilWalk the Plank · 16 Jul 2025
Renewing contracts
1 cultural programme contract comes up for renewal in the next 12 months
1 in the next 6 months. Most cultural programme work is one-off: 7% of the contracts ending are recurring terms that get re-let. The 1 ending soonest is shown in full.
Where and when
Northern Ireland awards the most cultural programme contracts. February and June are the busiest months.
Contracts by region and by month awarded. Click a region to filter the page.
FewerMore contracts
The regions as a table
| Region | Open now | Contracts | Value | Typical contract | Won the most | Bought the most | Renewing in 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 0 | 11 | £430k | £20k | Arts Ekta (2) | Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (9) | 0 |
| London | 1 | 6 | £1.1m | £36k | – | – | 0 |
| South West | 0 | 6 | £90k | £30k | Bath Arts Collective and Elizabeth Selby (2 each) | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (4) | 0 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 0 | 4 | £814k | £92k | – | – | 0 |
| North East | 0 | 3 | £61k | £23k | – | Hartlepool Borough Council (2) | 1 |
| Scotland | 0 | 3 | £184k | – | – | Glasgow Life (3) | 0 |
| North West | 0 | 2 | £319k | – | – | – | 0 |
| South East | 0 | 2 | £77k | – | – | – | 0 |
| East of England | 0 | 1 | £43k | – | – | – | 0 |
| East Midlands | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
| West Midlands | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
| Wales | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
Often bought with cultural programme
Related services
Key findings
- £41k a month
of cultural programme contracts awarded.
Typical contract £23k x 1.8 contracts a month, last 12 months. - 1.7
cultural programme contracts are awarded in a typical month.
41 contracts in the last 2 years. - 1
cultural programme contract comes up for renewal in the next 6 months.
Recurring contracts with a named supplier and a published end date before 4 May 2027. - 1
framework or DPS is running for cultural programme work.
0 open to join now. - 65%
of cultural programme contracts are won by SMEs.
As recorded by the buyer, on 26 award notices.
How many cultural programme tenders and contracts are there?
| Last 12 months | Since November 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Notices published | 59 | 220 |
| Contracts awarded | 21 | 85 |
35 cultural programme contracts and frameworks end in the next 12 months, 2 of them recurring services. In the last two years, 24 buyers awarded cultural programme contracts to 38 suppliers.
Source: Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI, to 4 November 2026. By Seamus White. How we count
Questions
How many cultural programme contracts does the UK public sector award?
41 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, from 24 public buyers.
How long are cultural programme tenders open for?
The median cultural programme tender is open for 28 days from publication to deadline.
How much is a typical public sector cultural programme contract worth?
The median is £30k, and 92% are worth less than £250k.
Which buyers award the most cultural programme contracts?
Councils award 85% of them.
Which part of the UK awards the most cultural programme contracts?
Northern Ireland: 11 of 41 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, then London (6) and the South West (6).
How many cultural programme contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months?
1 contract ends and is likely to be re-let, the first on 31 December 2026. Another 14 ending are one-off work.
What is included
Curators, creative producers and cultural partners who research, select and shape artistic and exhibition content: place-based cultural programmes, festival curation and programming, and guest and community curation of exhibitions.
- Cultural events programme partnerships
- Place-based cultural programmes
- Festival curation and programming
- Music showcase programme creation
- Production of new artistic work for festivals
- Guest curation
- Curatorial advisory roles
- Community exhibition curation
- Exhibition touring consultancy and partner venue identification
What is not included
- Festival site and infrastructure production (see Concert promotion)
- Booking individual performers (see Performers and entertainment)
- Exhibition design (see Museum exhibition design)
- Participatory community projects (see Participatory arts and community creative programmes)
- Arts and cultural programme marketing (see Destination, tourism and cultural marketing)
- Audience development plans and programmes (see Audience development for cultural and heritage organisations)
- Cultural strategies and business plans (another industry: