Content

Salford City Council – Record of
Decision
 
I Councillor Youd, Lead Member
for Finance and Support Services and chairman of the Procurement
Board, accept the recommendation of the Procurement Board and in
exercise of the powers contained within the Council Constitution do
hereby
approve:
 
·     
the award of the Contract for Development and
Delivery of the Salford Centenary Cultural Framework, with an
aggregate value of £570,000, to the two successful
organisations, and
 
·     
authorise the City Solicitor to enter into the
requisite legal agreements with the two successful organisations in
relation to the Contract for Development and Delivery of the
Salford Centenary Cultural Framework, as detailed in the table
below:
 

Detail required

Answers

Title/Description of Contracted
Service/Supply/Project

Development
and Delivery of the Salford Centenary Cultural Framework

Procurement Reference numbers (DN and CR
number supplied by Procurement)

 

Name of Successful
Contractor

Walk the
Plank and From the Other

Supplier Registration Number

(to be supplied by Procurement

 

Proclass Classification No.

(to be completed by
procurement)

 

Type of organisation

(to be supplied by
Procurement)

Choose an item.

Status of Organisation

(to be supplied by
Procurement)

Choose an item.

Contract Value (£)

£         
570,000

Total contract value £ (including
extensions)

£         
570,000

Contract Duration

18 months

Contract Start Date

20/08/2025

Contract End Date

31/12/2027

Optional Extension Period 1

months

Optional Extension Period 2

months

Who will approve each Extension
Period?

Choose an item

Contact Officer (Name &
number)

Jacquie Russell,
Jacquie.russell@salford.gov.uk

Lead Service Group

Reform & Transformation

How the contract was procured?

(to be supplied by
procurement)

ITT

Framework Details (where
applicable)

(procurement body, framework reference
& title, start/ end date

 

Funding Source

Revenue Budget

Ethical Contractor (EC): Mayor’s
Employment Charter

Yes
 

EC: Committed to sign The Mayor’s
Employment Charter

Yes
 
 

EC: Committed to the principles outlined
in the Mayor’s Employment charter

Yes
 

EC: Accredited Living Wage
Employer

Yes
 

EC: Committed to becoming Accredited
Living wage Employer

Yes
?

 
 
The Reasons
are:
2026
marks Salford's 100th anniversary of city status. Today, Salford is
a dynamic and evolving city, thriving culturally, economically, and
residentially. To celebrate this milestone, the ambition is to
develop a programme that creates an education impact, gathers
business support, and engages with all stakeholders across the
city.  It might start with a culture
programme – but will extend well beyond that.
 
This
decision will provide agreement to enter into a contract for the
detailed development, design and delivery of the cultural framework
as part of the city wide programme of events and celebrations. This
contract will ensure the programme is delivered by organisations
with a proven track record in delivering creative events of the
highest calibre; a proven history of community engagement; the
capacity and experience to deliver an international standard of
events and experiences at both scale and pace.
 
The preferred suppliers have
been identified through a competitive tender exercise, undertaken
on behalf of Salford City Councuil and the Salford Culture and
Place Partnership by Salford CVS. 
 
Following a competitive process
Procurement Board is now asked to approve
the contract award to both Walk the Plank and From the Other to
enable the detailed design and delivery of that creative and
cultural framework.  This will involve
engagement and co-design with local communities, and other partners
and stakeholders across the city. 
Whilst the framework sets out an overall vision, this will evolve
and develop as a result of that engagement.
 
At the heart of the approach is
consideration of building a long-lasting legacy for the city beyond
the 12 month centenary programme. There are a number of
opportunities to align the programme with the city’s
priorities – especially those on Good Growth, Child Friendly
City, Responding to Climate Change, and the opportunity to explore
being a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts.
 
Both organisations are locally
based, and are Real Living Wage Employers.  Both pay freelancers above the Arts Council
England benchmarks.  Both organisations
have committed to create opportunities for local people to be fully
involved as participants, creatives and volunteers offering
opportunities for skills development and other transferable
benefits.  This includes ensuring the
programme developed is fully accessible for all of Salford’s
diverse communities.
 
Assessment of
Risk: Medium.
 
The source of funding
is:
SCC revenue.
 
Legal
Advice obtained: Surjit Tour, City Solicitor
A procurement exercise
has been undertaken in accordance with the Council’s Contract
Procurement Rules. The approval and award of the contract falls
within the delegated authority of the Procurement Board under
Standing Order 9.8.3 (page 279 of the Constitution).
 
The General Power of
Competence enables the Council to do things:
• an
individual may generally do
•
anywhere in the UK or elsewhere
• for
a commercial purpose or otherwise, for a charge or without a
charge
•
without the need to demonstrate that it will benefit the authority,
its area or persons resident or present in its area.
 
The initiative,
approach and actions proposed in this report fall within the the
Council’s General Power of Competence and are consistent with
the Council’s constitutional provisions.
 
Financial Advice
obtained: David Mills, Strategic Head of
Finance
This
initiative is part of the city’s 100th anniversary
celebrations in 2026 and aims to deliver a high-quality, inclusive
cultural programme that engages communities, supports local
creative sectors, and aligns with broader strategic goals such as
Salford’s bids for UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts and
Child Friendly City status. The contract, valued at £570,000
and funded from the revenue budget supported by an approved
draw-down of earmarked reserves, is to be awarded to a consortium
of two organisations—Walk the Plank and From the
Other—following a competitive tender process. Financially,
the commitment is significant but fixed, with no optional
extensions currently defined. While the report notes that external
funding will be pursued to complement council resources, the
primary financial risk lies in the urgency of initiating delivery
planning to ensure readiness for January 2026. Delays could
compromise programme quality and impact, making timely approval and
mobilisation essential.
 
Procurement Advice
obtained: Anthony Hilton, Head of
Procurement
The procurement team have not
been involved in this process, however the services to be provided
as detailed within this report, may be deemed to be captured under
the Light Touch Regime of the Procurement Act 2023.  
 
The Light Touch Regime (LTR) in
public procurement refers to a set of more flexible rules for
certain types of service contracts, particularly those related to
social, health, and education services, that are deemed to be of
lower interest to cross-border competition. These rules are
designed to offer greater flexibility compared to the standard
procurement procedures while still adhering to fundamental
principles. 
 
One element of the LTR covers
cultural event organisation services (code 79952100), which sits
under “Administrative social, educational, healthcare and
cultural services”. The services being sought within this
report may sit within this category. 
The LTR threshold/limit is £663,540 so the value of the
proposed work sits within these parameters.
 
A competitive process has been
undertaken, albeit, administered by Salford CVS on the
council’s behalf. If approved, under the Procurement Act
2023, a Contract Details Notice for LTR contracts must be published
within 120 days of the contract award, instead of the standard 30
days for other contracts types.
 
HR Advice obtained:N/A
 
Climate Change Advice
obtained: N/A
 
The following documents have
been used to assist the decision process:

·     
Report to Procurement Board, 18 August, Approval to
Award the Contract forSalford Centenary Cultural
Framework
 
Contact Officer: Jacquie Russell, Director Policy and Performance
             
Telephone number: 0161 793
3577
 
·     
The appropriate scrutiny to call-in the decision is
the Overview and Scrutiny Panel.
 
 

Signed:    Cllr J
Youd          Dated:   18 August
2025.
           
   Lead Member
 

For Democratic Services use
only
 

·     
This decision was
published on 19 August
2025

·     
This decision will
come in force at 4.00 p.m. on 27 August 2025 unless it is called-in in accordance with the
Decision Making Process Rules.