Decision details

Approval to appoint under Contract Standing Order 8.02 for a supplier to help deliver festive events in partnership with the borough’s Traders Associations across November and December 2021 using Welcome Back Fund grant.

The event will be delivered by Pickled Pepper Books Ltd, to provide Santa and Elves within Christmas Grottos, in the following town centres:

• Muswell Hill – 20 November
• Turnpike Lane – 2 December
• Tottenham (Holcombe Mkt) – 3-4 December
• Myddleton Road – 5 December

The event will involve a Storytime with Santa, on the hour, for up to 15 children, followed by a meet and greet with Santa. Every child receives an age-appropriate wrapped book, carefully selected for quality. Elves will assist with drumming up interest and creating a spectacle on the day.
Pickled Pepper Books previously ran an in-house, socially distanced grotto, every weekend in December 2020. The aim is to improve children’s literacy skills at this popular time of year in a fun environment.
Total Project Cost = £7,450 (excluding VAT)

Due to the contract value, one quote is sufficient in awarding of this contract, although ERDF procurement rules were followed on a three quotes system. We sought quotes from three suppliers and Pickled Pepper Books were the only one to respond. They achieved an overall score of 83%.

There is a high demand from traders and members for on-street festive events in various town centres across the borough, and for Traders Associations to be supported, particularly with locally sourced content.

These events will serve this need and attract footfall back to the high street post-pandemic, in support of local traders who recently suffered a decline in trade. This is a key element that has been agreed with the supplier so that the town centre will have the greatest positive impact with its target audience. This initiative would also form part of the Council’s High Street Recovery Action Plan to support high street businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and improve their reach and economic vitality.

Pickled Pepper Books Ltd have a proven track record of delivering Christmas events aimed at the target audience, including adhering to Health and Safety and COVID-safe practices.

1) Do Nothing – would not help improve the town centre trading environment during recent challenging trading conditions, or support the area to ‘bounce back’, encourage residents back to the high street at the most important trading time of the year, nor underpin the Council’s Live.Shop.Local campaign.

2) Go out to tender again on the open market and assess responses, as this was the only response to the RFQ. This option was discounted because the contract value is below £10k and the existing supplier has a proven local track record, and therefore is best placed to deliver the event element.