PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW TO COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION.

STEP 1: Complete an online application form once you have read our Criteria and Terms & Conditions. Please ensure that you give as much information as possible, referencing the criteria outlined below.

STEP 2: Once you have submitted your form, it will be assessed. You will not need to contact us again as we email all applicants, whether successful or otherwise, to notify them of the outcome of their application. We are a small team, and assessment can take some time during busy periods.

STEP 3: If you have been successful, we will then notify you of the outcome, or if you are on the waiting list.

An invoice for your pitch will be sent to you as an offer of space allocation with payment due 10 days from invoice date. Your booking is only confirmed on receipt of payment and failure to pay by due date may result in cancellation of booking. Your Trader Information Pack (with details of your pitch location, parking and set-up time) will be issued in the week prior to the market.

Please note:

• Submitting this form does not automatically guarantee you a place at Ruddington Village Christmas Market.
• All traders – new or existing – MUST reapply for Ruddington Village Christmas Market.
• We receive many more applications for Ruddington Village Christmas Market than we have pitches available. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer pitches to every trader who meets our criteria.
• We encourage you to give as much information in your application as possible, with reference to the criteria (outlined below) in order to help us make our selection. Please give as much information in your form as possible.
• You should leave plenty of time to apply for Ruddington Village Christmas Market. We cannot guarantee that applications submitted less than four weeks before Ruddington Village Christmas Market will be assessed in time.

OUR CRITERIA

Please see below for the different areas of the market, and our criteria for those wishing to trade. Please note in all categories businesses based in Ruddington will get preferential consideration.

Food and Drink

We are looking for those who…

• Hand-produce their dishes / products
• Use local, seasonal, ethical and fairtrade ingredients
• Demonstrate strong ethics with regard to sustainability, the environment and animal welfare
• Use recyclable or biodegradable packaging, cutlery and containers
• Offer new, interesting and innovative produce or cuisines
• Offer an interesting, eye-catching display of their products

Please note: Due to licensing, traders wishing to sell alcohol must obtain a TEN once you have been notified of a successful application.

Designer/Makers

We are looking for traders who:

• Offer products made with skilful, innovative design
• Are knowledgeable, passionate and skilful craftspeople
• Deliver an interesting and eye-catching display
• Adhere to environmental and ethical principles
• Use recyclable, biodegradable or recycled packaging and customer bags

Please note: We receive many more Designer/Maker applications than any other category, and competition for pitches of this type is very high.

We look at all applications on an individual basis, but do not consider those from traders wishing to sell mass-produced or bulk-imported items.

If you have any questions regarding our application process or criteria, please email us at enquiries@ruddingtonvillagemarket.co.uk

PITCH INFORMATION

Pitches are awarded according to quality of product, and to ensure an even range of product type throughout the market.

Exact pitch locations are determined by the Ruddington Village Christmas Market Team according to a number of factors.

If trading outdoors, you MUST bring your own gazebo cover unless using a trailer/van. Please note that we do not allow generators on site – please see our Terms & Conditions for full details.

Security details overnight – marquee venues will have overnight security. Building venues will be locked overnight

Pitch prices

Recognising the very high attendance and space issues in 2022, the Christmas Market this year will be spread across several days and locations around the village, with appropriate stewarding, and crowd control in place.

The following are the options for trading and you have the option to select 1st and 2nd choice if you wish indicating your preferred choice.

Trading hours are 4-9pm Thursday, 4-9pm Friday, 11-5pm Saturday

A 20% discount on pitch fees is available to Ruddington based traders. There is also limited availability for Ruddington Hobbyist traders in Option H, 40% discount.

Additional meterage is pro rata cost. i.e., pitch size 2m x 2m cost £200, additional metre £100.

We reserve the right to amend pitch fees with 4 week’s notice of the market date.

All pitch fees include £1 donation to plant a tree in conjunction with Just One Tree. 

Hot food or hot drink (“street food”) stallholders

Street food trading is offered under Option A, D and F.

Pitch fees for stallholders providing hot food or hot drinks are based on a percentage of your total revenue (your card machine “Z read” and any cash sales) at the end of the market:

• if you are VAT-registered, the pitch fee is a percentage of your total revenue excluding VAT;
• if you are not VAT-registered, the pitch fee is a percentage of your total revenue.

Figures will be collected and confirmed at end of each day and invoiced at the end of the market, and must be paid within 7 working days.

Extras

Electricity supply per supply: 13amp (£20), 16amp (£25), 32amp (£40). Power is not available for Option G.

Charity pitches

Please note, a limited number of charity pitches are available in. Charity pitches are space-only, under Options F and G above.

TRADER REQUIREMENTS

All traders must carry up to date Public Liability insurance of at least £5 million for outdoor spaces, or £2m for indoor/marquee spaces.

Food producers / traders must ensure that they meet our requirements regarding health and safety and food hygiene. Please read the relevant section on the Terms & Conditions. The market may appoint an independent health and safety consultant who visits events to ensure that traders are operating safely.

All traders must thoroughly read, agree, and adhere to the Terms & Conditions regarding conduct and regulations at the market. Failure to do so will result in individuals not being invited to trade. These are available to view at any time via our website and on the application form.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. GENERAL

1.1 Ruddington Village Christmas Market is operated by the Ruddington Village Community Partnership (RVCP).

2. APPLICATIONS

2.1 All stallholders must apply online using the information on the online form available on our website.

2.2 Submitting an application and meeting our criteria does not guarantee you a pitch. We allocate pitches according to how closely applications meet our criteria and we look to create a balance of products across the event. We will notify you by email if you are successful in securing a pitch.

3. PITCHES

3.1 Prices as detailed in Criteria and Guidelines. RVCP reserve the right to amend pitch fees within 6 week’s notice of the event

3.2 HIRE FEES

3.2.1 An electricity supply may be requested for hire at the following rates:

13amp @ £20 per duration

16amp @ £25 per duration

32amp @ £40 per duration

3.2.2 Availability of electricity supply is not guaranteed, unless invoiced and paid for

4. SETUP

4.1 Stallholders trading on Thursday/Friday may arrive no earlier than 1pm and be ready to trade by 4pm on the day of the event

4.2 Stallholders trading on Saturday may arrive no earlier than 6am and be ready to trade by 11am on the day of the event

4.3 Stallholders must remain open for trade until the end of the event at 9pm (Thursday and Friday) and 5pm (Saturday), or unless otherwise instructed by the Ruddington Village Christmas Market Team.

4.4 Stallholders will need to bring their own tables and gazebo unless requested for hire in the application form, and it has been invoiced and paid for.

4.5 Traders using their own gazebo must bring weights to adequately secure this cover. If a gazebo is found to be inadequately secured by our team you will be asked to remove it and you may not be able to trade.

4.6 Stallholders must not use an electricity point unless one has been requested for hire in the application form, and it has been invoiced and paid for.

4.7 Stallholders will need to bring their own display equipment

4.8 Stallholders electrical equipment must be PAT tested

5. INSURANCE, LIABILITY AND SAFETY

5.1 stallholders must have and carry with them public, and if relevant, product and employer liability insurance while trading at the event. Public Liability should be no less than £2 million for indoor spaces, and no less than £5 million for outdoor spaces. Without this, you will not be permitted to trade.

5.2 Any goods or services offered for sale to the public must not present a hazard to the stallholder, event staff or the public.

5.3 Stallholders are liable for any damage, injury or other incident caused by stock or equipment on their stall. stallholders must ensure that their stall is safe to use on the day.

5.4 Stallholders agree to indemnify RVCP and its affiliates and their partners, officers, directors, employees, representatives, agents, contractors and volunteers, from and against any and all damages, claims, losses, demands, costs, expenses (including professional fees and costs) suffered or incurred directly or indirectly.

6. ITEMS FOR SALE

6.1 Stallholders may only sell what is declared on their application. Any changes to your stock after applications have been approved must first be cleared with the Ruddington Village Christmas Market Team.

6.2 Any goods or services offered for sale to the public must be legal and comply with current Trading Standards and Environmental Health requirements. E.g., you may not sell pirated copyrighted materials, age-controlled items, potential weapons or other items which the Ruddington Village Christmas Market Team deem inappropriate, e.g., material that may incite racial or sexual hatred.

6.3 Ruddington Village Christmas Market is a Plastic Free Event – single use plastic is to be avoided on stall/products – further information available from www.plasticfree.org.uk

7. CONDUCT

7.1 Stallholders must be courteous at all times during the event.

7.2 All stallholders must prominently display the name of the business operating the stall and a price list/price labels for all products.

7.3 Stalls must be clean, attractively presented and safe. Work should be kept clean and tidy and packaging should be kept to a minimum.

7.4 All trading activity must be based at the space provided - roaming the event venue to approach visitors is not permitted.

7.5 Stallholders are expected to staff their stall at all times throughout the duration of the event.

7.6 Smoking by stallholders and staff is strictly prohibited within the boundaries of the event area.

7.7 RVCP operates a zero-tolerance policy to aggression. Any person acting aggressively to those at the event will be asked to leave and the police may be called if appropriate.

7.8 RVCP maintains the right to exclude a stallholder whose actions are not in the best interests of RVCP or whose behaviour is aggressive or deemed by the organisers as unacceptable.

8. VEHICLES

8.1 Stallholders may bring vehicles to their allocated venue to unload and load ONLY.

8.2 Vehicles will not be allowed to remain at the allocated venue without the written permission of the Ruddington Village Christmas Market Team.

8.3 Vehicles must be parked in the parking areas you are allocated a parking space in. No vehicles to be parked on pavements, blocking drives or in any way blocking access to buses.

9. PAYMENTS

9.1 All stallholders must pay in advance to confirm their booking no later than due date on invoice.

9.2 Payments must be made by BACS using an online banking facility or in person at a bank branch. Our account details will be on the invoice. We do not accept payment by cash, cheque or PayPal.

9.3 If we do not receive payment for a pitch fee by due date the booking may be cancelled and space allocated to waiting list applicants.

9.4 All pitch fees include a £1 donation to plant a tree in conjunction with Just One Tree.

10. WASTE

10.1 Stallholders are responsible for removing ALL waste that their activities generate. This includes all packaging, unsold stock etc.

10.2 Food and drink traders must mitigate against spillages. If there is a risk of this, they should cover the ground of their pitch with suitable flooring, to ensure the ground is left as found.

10.3 Any damage to the pitch area at the end of the event will need to be rectified at the cost of the stallholder, and will carry the risk of not being able to trade with us again.

10.4 Food and drink traders must not dispose of any fats or oils on site. Traders must make provision for removal of used fats and oils from their pitch area at the end of the day. We encourage all traders to ensure that they dispose of waste oils responsibly.

10.5 Street food traders must provide litter bins, clear up and remove from site ALL waste generated by their pitch after the event.

10.6 You must not place any waste in the street, public bins, commercial bins or our event (yellow) bins. The pitch must be left as found.

10.7 Note that the stallholder will be held responsible for any cost incurred by the event organiser in returning the pitch to the state it was found. Stallholders will be charged if you are found to have left any waste at the event.

11. CANCELLATIONS

11.1 CANCELLATION BY STALLHOLDERS:

11.1.1 Cancellations must be made to the Ruddington Village Christmas Market Team by email at enquiries@ruddingtonvillagemarket.co.uk

11.1.2 Your pitch is confirmed 10 days after invoices are issued; any cancellations or no-shows after this time may be charged at full pitch fee.

11.1.3 If you are unable to attend you are required to give at least 14 days’ notice.

11.1.4 Assessing applications, allocating pitches, invoicing and creating pitch plans incurs considerable administration costs that must be met even if a stallholder cancels their pitch.

11.2 CANCELLATION BY RVCP:

11.2.1 In the case of Ruddington Village Christmas Market being cancelled, stallholders will be notified BY EMAIL at the email address provided, by 5pm on the Thursday before the event. Stallholders are required to check emails regularly for updates.

11.2.2 RVCP is not liable for any costs incurred by stallholders due to a cancellation – stallholders should organise their own insurance policy to cover this.

11.2.3 Cancellation will only take place under the advice of the RVCP committee and/or the local authorities or emergency services.

11.2.4 There will be a refund of 70% of your pitch fee in the event of RVCP cancelling the event due to Force Majeure.

12. FOOD AND DRINK TRADERS

12.1 Food/drink producers must have an appropriate food hygiene certificate.

12.2 One member of staff operating the stall should hold minimum Level 2 Food Safety in Catering.

12.3 All other people working on the stall should hold minimum Level 1 Food Safety in Catering if they are preparing, serving and handling food – unless the food/drink is being sold pre-packaged.

12.4 Food/drink traders must be registered (and have been inspected) as a food business by an Environmental Health Officer within their local authority.

12.5 Traders must adhere to the appropriate regulations, provide documentary evidence of food hygiene training or adequate supervision for anyone handling food.

12.6 Alcohol producers/sellers must provide their own temporary events notice (TEN) to cover their pitch and this must be available for inspection on market day.

12.7 Food/drink products must be compliant with Trading Standards, be clearly priced and weights shown for pre-weighed items. Ingredients must be listed when made up of more than one item.

12.8 Traders are expected to provide appropriate signage and training for staff in order that they can inform customers, as required, regarding any allergen ingredients in their products. Further information on allergen guidance for the industry and your responsibilities as a trader can be found on the FSA’s website here

12.9 All catering equipment must be clean, in good condition and free from defects.

12.10 All electricity will be provided by the Ruddington Village Christmas Market Team. Traders are not allowed to bring their own generators on site.

12.11 On market day you must be able to provide documentary evidence for any equipment that requires a certificate of safety inspection – this may be formal certification signed by a competent person or a Portable Appliance Test (PAT) sticker as appropriate, gas safety certification etc.

12.12 All electrical equipment for use out of doors will be protected by an RCD device and have appropriate weatherproof connections.

12.13 If you bring more electrical equipment than you declared in your application you will not be able to use it.

12.14 Induction hobs may not be used.

12.15 All gas equipment should be suitably maintained and will have been tested for safety by a suitably qualified gas engineer within the last year and have a certificate of testing. Please note that all gas connections must be crimped, screw-on (Jubilee) clips connectors are not permitted.

12.16 Gas must be located in a safe, well-ventilated position and spare supplies must be stored safely – in a gas safety cage with suitable signage if necessary.

12.17 No deep-fat fryers will be allowed without explicit agreement. This will involve confirmation that the deep-fat equipment is safely installed and will be safely operated by trained personnel. Domestic equipment is unlikely to be acceptable.

12.18 Any preparation, cooking or washing equipment will be sited so as not to be accessible to the public and barriered to prevent unauthorised access. You will provide suitable barriers (details of barriers to be agreed in advance).

12.19 All traders, particularly those using electric and gas, must provide suitable firefighting equipment for the equipment they use on their stall. This will include a fire blanket plus the relevant extinguisher e.g., carbon dioxide, foam, powder or wet chemical fire extinguishers. If you’re not sure what type of extinguisher you need guidance can be found here

12.20 You will provide a first aid kit appropriate for the number of people on the stall and activity you are doing.

12.21 Street Food/hot food stalls should provide dedicated hand washing facilities with disposable towels (e.g., ‘blue roll’) that are not to be used for washing up or other purposes. (A separate bowl with soap and disposable towels will usually be sufficient). You should bring suitable equipment to supply yourself with ready mixed hot water for handwashing that can be refreshed as needed.

12.22 You must make provision for suitable storage of foodstuffs for the outdoor operation of your business and ensure suitable monitoring and recording systems are in place i.e., monitoring temperature and condition of food, protect from contamination etc.

STALLHOLDERS WHO FAIL TO ADHERE TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OR ARE FOUND TO HAVE FALSIFIED THEIR APPLICATION WILL RESULT IN THEIR ALLOCATED PITCH BEING WITHDRAWN AND NO FUTURE PITCHES WILL BE OFFERED TO THE STALLHOLDER.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO AMEND THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AT ANY TIME. WE WILL INFORM STALLHOLDERS IF WE DO SO, BUT IT IS ALSO THE STALLHOLDER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REGULARLY CHECK FOR UPDATES.