Entertainment Tenders and Contracts

An entertainment tender is a public sector contract for entertainers or entertainment services procured by councils and other public bodies. This includes children's entertainers, festival and event entertainment and artistic or performance services.

Stotles brings together entertainment tenders and contracts from 100+ portals into one search, so you do not have to check each portal separately, and you can set alerts for new opportunities across the UK and Ireland.

If you want to search the government portals directly, Find a Tender carries higher-value contracts across the UK and Contracts Finder carries lower-value contracts in England. Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Ireland's eTenders covers Irish public bodies, and many councils, NHS bodies and housing associations publish on their own e-tendering portals such as ProContract. Councils often set up entertainment frameworks with lots for children's and specialist acts, and smaller bookings appear on Contracts Finder or a council's own portal.

Entertainers working with children need the right DBS checks, and performers using public spaces may need licences under the Licensing Act 2003. Tenders usually set minimum public liability insurance, check financial standing and ask for evidence of similar events at selection stage. Under the Procurement Act 2023, suppliers can be excluded for certain criminal convictions, insolvency or failure to pay tax.

Councils tender entertainment for markets, festivals and civic events, often as a framework with lots for children's and specialist acts. Galleries and other venues add an entertainment lot to wider event services frameworks.

Local councils are common buyers of entertainment services, procuring for markets, festivals and community events. NHS trusts and racecourses also procure entertainment services on occasion.

Read events calendars, market and festival programmes, tourism and cultural strategies and expiry dates for existing booking frameworks, which show work coming due ahead of a notice. On Stotles you can track those signals and the councils behind them, then follow a notice from pre-tender through to award.

Entertainment notices carry 92312240 (Services provided by entertainers) and 92300000 (Entertainment services).