EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR THE PROVISION OF SNACKS AND DRINKS STALLS DURING VALLETTA PAGEANT OF THE SEAS 2026
24th July 2026
- INTRODUCTION
The exciting biennial event of the Valletta Pageant of the Seas returns to the Grand Harbour in the summer of 2026, with a grand show that has now become synonymous with the Valletta Cultural Agency. The vendors’ area will be at Quarry Wharf, Valletta.
The show will take place at the Grand Harbour on Friday, 24th July 2026 at 21:00 hours.
The Valletta Cultural Agency is inviting prospective economic operators to submit an application to express their interest in providing bar and snacks services to the audience on the nights as per the conditions hereunder.
Disclaimer:
Prospective applicants are to note that by submitting an application as specified below, they are confirming agreement to all the terms and conditions related to the Expression of Interest (EOI) for Snacks and Drinks during the Valletta Pageant of the Seas 2026 event, which shall be held on Friday, 24th July 2026.
Applicants should also note that the Valletta Cultural Agency will respect any restrictions published by the local Health Authorities on the organisation of public events.
- GUIDELINES
2.1 INSTRUCTIONS TO PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS
- Prospective applicants are to submit a duly filled-in and endorsed Application Form, including the provision of all requested details and documents.
- Prospective applicants are to ensure that the contact’s name on the Application Form is that of the individual who, if successful, shall enter into an agreement with the Valletta Cultural Agency for the provision of bar and snacks services.
- By submitting the Application Form, it is understood that the applicant has read and is in agreement with the terms and conditions of this Expression of Interest and affirms all Declarations. No conditions and alterations to the requirements listed in this document shall be introduced/imposed by the applicant on the Valletta Cultural Agency.
- Multiple applications may be submitted, provided that each application is submitted separately.
- Each applicant must have a valid VAT number.
- By applying, prospective applicants shall confirm that their submissions shall remain valid for a period of 90 days from the deadline for submission of applications.
2.2 APPLICATION TIMETABLE
| Expression of Interest for participation opens on | 26th March 2026 |
| Clarification requests may be submitted via email by not later than | 30th March 2026 |
| Deadline for clarification responses as issued by the Valletta Cultural Agency | 3rd April 2026 |
| Applications are to be submitted via email by not later than | 26th April 2026 |
The deadline for Submission of applications is
Applications are to be submitted via email to applications@vca.gov.mt.
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Nonetheless, the Agency reserves the right to extend the deadline for the submission of Application at its own discretion.
The opening of applications will take place on 26th March 2026. An opening schedule shall be affixed on the notice board of the Valletta Cultural Agency in the order in which applications are received, based on the time stamp on the email. Only the name(s) of the applicant(s) submitting an application in connection with the Expression of Interest for Snacks and Drinks shall be displayed. Prices shall not be listed in the opening schedule.
2.3 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
2.3.1 Application Form and Declaration
The Application Form and Declaration as listed in Annex 1 of this Expression of Interest. As part of the Application Form, each applicant is to submit the following information and documentation:
Section A: Applicant’s Details
Section B: Proposal
Section C: Declaration
Section D: Checklist and Additional Documentation
Should one or more of the listed requirements or fields be missing or incomplete, the submitted application shall be immediately disqualified and will not be considered further.
Note 1: Applicants are to submit the relevant documents in PDF format via email or file transfer links (e.g. wetransfer.com). Links to cloud storage systems such as Google Drive or One Drive will not be considered.
2.4 SELECTION AND EVALUATION
2.4.1 Selection Criteria
Each application will be treated in strict confidence by the evaluation committee. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to select and/or reject any or all the submitted applications at its discretion. Should none of the applicants be considered satisfactory, the Contracting Authority reserves the right to assign the designated stalls to other economic operators (who may not necessarily be involved in this Expression of Interest).
The Contracting Authority also reserves the right to put some applications on a reserve list and contact them at a later date. In this case, no alterations to the contents of the applications as submitted by the respective economic operator shall be entertained.
The contracts will be awarded to the applicants submitting offers which obtain the highest points in accordance with the Evaluation Grid, and which include all the requirements of this EOI document. Should more than one applicant obtain the same marks, the spaces would be awarded by the Valletta Cultural Agency on a first-come, first-served basis; being the time stamp of the email submitted containing the application form and related documents.
2.4.2 Evaluation Grid
Prospective applicants are to submit the following documentation as part of their submission. Points shall be allocated based on the criteria listed adjacent to the points. The criteria marked as mandatory require the submission of a compulsory document thus a response to each criterion is to be provided for the technical compliance of the submission.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pass mark: 60
Total marks: 100
- TERMS AND CONDITIONS
3.1 PRODUCTS
- If applicable, prospective bidders are to submit a detailed list of products, such as;
- Number of alcoholic beverages, if any, including price list.
- Number of non-alcoholic beverages, if any, including price list.
A minimum of four (4) different non-alcoholic beverages (including water and soft drinks) must be provided. The provision of alcoholic beverages is optional and shall be subject to the applicable licensing requirements.
- If applicable, prospective bidders are to submit a detailed list of savoury products (snacks), if any, including a price list.
A minimum choice of four (4) savoury products is to be provided.
- Applications without any indication of product prices will be immediately disqualified.
- A list of prices for each item on sale must be displayed in a prominent area where the public can easily review. Prices are to be in compliance with local regulations.
- The applicant must comply with the Valletta Cultural Agency Event Sustainability Policy accessible from: https://www.vca.gov.mt/en/resources/.
- The selected economic operator shall retain ALL PROFITS generated from sales. No financial compensation shall be requested by the Contracting Authority for the provision of this service.
3.2 | FEES
No application fees apply.
3.3 SET UP AND DISMANTLING
- The setting up of equipment will commence four hours before the event. The precise timetable for setup will be communicated by the Valletta Cultural Agency one week prior to the commencement of the event.
- The selected economic operator shall set up in the designated spaces as specified in the presence of the organizers and must not exceed the boundaries of these spaces.
- The setting up of equipment must be done between 16:00 hours and 18:00 hours, on event day, that is the 24th of July 2026.
- The equipment must be dismantled immediately after the event has ended on the 24th of July 2026 at 23:59 hrs.
- The selected economic operator shall provide his/her own equipment, including canopies, fridges and draught units, lighting, at his/her own expense. Electricity supply will be provided by the Agency for the operation.
- The selected economic operator shall provide his/her own bins to use for the waste generated during service. This waste is within the responsibility of the applicant and shall be taken care of as needed. The selected economic operator shall provide recycling bins as well as bins for general waste.
Any type of waste is to be collected and disposed of by the economic operator in accordance with local environmental regulations. It is the responsibility of the selected economic operator to ensure proper clean-up procedures are implemented; no solid or liquid wastes are to be left on site or disposed of in the space.
- The selected applicants shall have all the necessary insurance policies including public liability; which covers any form of risks including damage, loss, bodily harm, death in relation to third parties. The Agency shall not be involved in any legal dispute as result of the economic operator(s)’ operations in connection with event. A copy of a valid public liability insurance policy shall be submitted to the Agency upon contract endorsement.
In addition, it is recommended that the selected economic operator possesses adequate insurance coverage to cater for any loss, damage or theft of equipment which is valid throughout the entire duration of the contract; a copy of which may be requested at contract implementation stage. The Agency shall not be held liable or be involved in any dispute or litigation related to the loss, damage or theft of any equipment left unattended by the selected economic operator(s) onsite.
3.4 PERMITS AND LICENSES
- The selected economic operator shall conform to local Health and Safety regulations, the regulations and legislation of the Maltese catering industry, any licenses and permits necessary to be eligible to sell/trade and the VAT Department. All snacks and drinks for sale must conform to the local sanitary regulations set by authorities, and the applicant must have all the necessary licenses and permits so as to sell the product. Such permits may be requested at any time by the Contracting Authority.
- The selected economic operator shall be in possession of a valid Food Handlers Certificate.
- All those serving/handling snacks and drinks shall wear the necessary protective clothing, disposable gloves and any other form of protective hygienic gear. Compliance with local health regulations is a must.
- The selected economic operator selling alcohol must be in possession of a valid Licence for selling alcohol. A copy of this licence shall be submitted to the Valletta Cultural Agency upon contract endorsement. All necessary legal requirements are the responsibility of the applicant. The Contracting Authority will not be liable for any action or fines incurred by the chosen applicant as a result of non-compliance with local regulations.
- The selected economic operator(s) shall have all the necessary insurance policies, including public liability, which covers any form of risks, including damage, loss, bodily harm, and death in relation to third parties. The Contracting Authority shall not be involved in any legal dispute as a result of the economic operator(s)’ operations in connection with the event. A copy of a valid public liability insurance policy shall be submitted to the Contracting Authority upon contract endorsement.
If the selected economic operator(s) is caught breaking any of the Health and Safety requirements as published by the Health Authorities, he/she may be requested by the Contracting Authority and/or other competent local authorities to close the stall and discontinue the sales with immediate effect. The economic operator(s) will not be entitled to any compensation and shall be liable to settle any fines incurred by the competent local authorities. Any fines incurred or Court proceedings resulting from such actions shall be entirely borne by / be the responsibility of the economic operator(s). In addition, any request for reimbursement of Schedule A and Schedule B fees shall not be entertained.
- All Maltese Laws relevant to the activity are to be observed in their entirety by the selected economic operator(s).
- The Agency will not be held liable for any action or fines incurred by the successful economic operator(s) as a result of non-compliance with local regulations.
3.5 INDEMNITY
The selected economic operator shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Valletta Cultural Agency, its officials, employees and representatives from and against any claims, demands, actions, damages, losses, liabilities, costs and expenses (including legal costs) arising out of or in connection with:
- the operation of the stall and provision of services;
- any act or omission of the economic operator, its employees, agents or subcontractors;
- any breach of applicable laws, regulations, permits or licensing requirements;
- any damage to property or injury (including death) to any person occurring during the execution of the services.
This indemnity shall survive the termination or expiry of the contract.
Click here to access the Application Form and Declaration
