Balmoral Show Guidance Notes & Eligibility

There are two sections to the application form.

Section 1: Pass/Fail.
Section 2: Scored Criteria.

Section 1 is eligibility criteria

It is essential an applicant meets all eligibility criteria to move to Scored Criteria.

Section 2 contains two questions with relevant weightings.

Each question will be awarded a score of 0-5 see guidance on scores below.

Applicants who score less than 3 in any question will not be successful.

Score Out of 0-5 - Scoring Matrix Guide to ratings.

5	Excellent adherence to criteria / with strong degree of evidence - a clear & detailed answer
4	Good adherence to criteria / good degree of evidence - a good answer with some detail
3	Moderate adherence to criteria / limited degree of evidence - a general answer but lacks clarity and detail
2	Poor adherence to criteria / little or no evidence - information provided by the applicant is unclear
1	Very poor adherence to criteria – information provided is unclear and has no detail
0	No information or evidence

Eligibility

Criteria for Council Supported and Producer Group Showcases (as set by Food NI).

This opportunity is open to businesses with up to 10 employees (10 employees or less) and have a maximum annual turnover of up to £500,000 (less than £500,000).

• Must be producing the product(s) in Northern Ireland using local ingredients where available.
• Must showcase high quality Northern Ireland food and drink produce.
• Must source, use and promote Northern Ireland ingredients.

In addition, you must have:

• Environmental Health Registration
• Environmental Health Hygiene Rating of 4 or above
• For alcohol companies to sell alcohol in the pavilion, for offsite consumption, the following criteria applies:
  • You must have been granted a licence to sell alcohol drinks from the courts and this licence must be a category 5(1)(m) local producer’s licence; and
  • You must have received written approval from a Senior Police Officer allowing you to sell at the event.
  • Requests to the PSNI must be made in writing at least 2 weeks before the show and should be sent to District Commander for Lisburn and Castlereagh: LisburnCastlereaghsecretariat@psni.police.uk
• ONLY PRODUCTS MADE IN NORTHERN IRELAND, USING NORTHERN IRELAND INGREDIENTS WHERE AVAILABLE, MAY BE PROMOTED AND SOLD IN THE NI FOOD AND DRINK PAVILION.
  THIS WILL BE MONITORED DURING THE EVENT
• Producers must NOT be showcasing their products at another stand at the Balmoral Show
• Priority will be given to businesses who have not exhibited at Balmoral before
• Businesses who have exhibited on Council’s stand at Balmoral on more than two previous occasions are not eligible to apply unless the opportunity is being used specifically to launch or promote new product ranges/service which must be clearly detailed in the application.
• Applications are particularly welcomed from businesses who have a new offering or who are specifically focused on innovation and growth.
• Food/drink tourism/experiences also encouraged.
• Council welcomes applications from micro businesses who wish to collaborate with another business.

If your business is selected:

• Council cannot guarantee that you will be offered the date you have selected.
• Traders must comply with all Health & Safety and Environmental Health requirements at all times and hold a hygiene rating of 4 or above.
• Have up to date Public Liability Insurance

Conditions for Businesses selected:

• Must attend a mandatory pre-show briefing session.
• Engage in a wraparound support programme via the Go Succeed Service
• Engage in an evaluation of the outcomes of the show.
• Pay a fee of £150 per day payable to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
  Businesses will be invoiced accordingly prior to show date.

Before final selection Council will request a copy of the following documents (failure to provide these documents will result in an unsuccessful application):

• Your Food Hygiene Rating Certificate
• Public Liability Insurance

Applications close at 5pm on 21 January 2025.