Invitation to submit a bid to take over a service concession

Medieval Christmas market in the years 2026-2030

The City of Chemnitz is looking for interested organisers for the organisation and staging of a Medieval Christmas Market in the years 2026 to 2030.
The service concession will be put out to tender for five years, with the option of a one-year extension by Chemnitz City Council.

Event times/opening hours:

Analogue Chemnitz Christmas market as per current market tender:

27.11.2026 - 23.12.2026
26.11.2027 - 23.12.2027
01.12.2028 - 23.12.2028
30.11.2029 - 23.12.2029
29.11.2030 - 23.12.2030

Venue: Jakobikirchplatz, Innere Klosterstraße from Jakobikirchplatz to the former "Eiscafé Bellini" (Innere Klosterstraße 4)

The following general conditions must be observed:

1. group of participants

At least 10 to 12 stalls with typical medieval assortments

• historical jewellery
• leather and fur goods
• wooden goods
• historical clothing
• glassware
• precious stones
• historical armour

(assortments can be exchanged)

Catering services

• Taverns with hot drinks
• historical bakeries
• roasteries
• doughnut bakery
• flatbread
• potato snack bar
• Pancakes
• Soup kitchen
• Confectionery

Stalls with craft demonstrations, e.g.

• stonemason
• pottery
• Portrait artist
• blacksmiths
• Felting
• Candlestick maker
• Heraldist

(similar offers or exchange possible)

2. design

• Wooden stalls or huts, historically designed or medieval-style tents
• Arrangement of the stalls/tents according to the usage plan for Innere Klosterstraße (city centre usage plan)
• Historical clothing for staff
• Only wooden tables with integrated waste bins in front of the stands
• Covering of Innere Klosterstraße with historical flags/coats of arms, if possible due to the newly defined area
• Decoration of the trees on Jakobikirchplatz
• Uniformly designed reusable crockery
• Conversion of the electricity boxes

Further construction elements

• Medieval-style stage, size 4 x 3 m (wooden platform, roof and walls made of fabric, flame-retardant impregnation), if feasible due to local conditions
• Covered seating area/s
• Separate wellness area, e.g. in the form of a bathhouse with sauna or similar, insofar as this is feasible due to local conditions

3. cultural programme

• Stage or open-air performances with an exclusively medieval programme at the weekends (e.g. street art such as jugglers, musicians and fire-eaters)
• Provision of theme-based music for sound system
• Demonstration of a craft (e.g. blacksmith), daily/once/several times/weekly
• Other activities in keeping with the character of the market

4. other requirements

• The selected applicant must submit an application to the City of Chemnitz for the event to be recognised as a special market in accordance with Section 68 (1) of the Industrial Code (subject to a fee).
• Security must be provided.
• Accessibility must be ensured as far as possible.
• Area cleaning and winter service (fulfilment of traffic safety obligations)
• The security concept for the Chemnitz Christmas Market must be implemented.
• An annual concession fee of €3,000.00 must be paid to the City of Chemnitz. They are entitled to pay an additional voluntary licence fee of their choice.
• The usage fee for the allocated areas is not included in the licence fee and must be applied for via an application for special use at the Traffic and Civil Engineering Office.
• An additional payment must be made to the City of Chemnitz in the amount of the GEMA fee for the area used. A lump-sum payment of €6,000 must be made until GEMA has issued a legally enforceable decision. This will be offset against the fixed fee once the GEMA decision has been issued.
• Participation of each retailer in the voucher system (if implemented)
• annual proof of insurance required

The application must be accompanied by

• business registration
• current police clearance certificate of the legal representative of the licence holder
• current extract from the central trade register
• current tax clearance certificate
• current proof of insurance
• Event concept with photos or assessable design proposal for the structures
• References from comparably organised events
• Declaration by the applicant confirming that they are not prohibited from trading due to unreliability and that no corresponding proceedings are pending or a trade licence has been revoked or withdrawn
• Scaled sketch of the possible arrangement of the stands on the areas specified in this invitation to tender (see attachment)

5. services of the City of Chemnitz

• Advertising measures for the Chemnitz Christmas Market with reference to the Medieval Market (City of Chemnitz website, leaflets, adverts, etc.)
• Illumination of the street lamps with Christmas elements
• Provision of a radio set
• Provision and operation of the public address system
• Provision and operation of waste compactor containers for waste disposal
• Provision of a dishwashing station (separate contractual relationship required)

6. cancellation

• In the event of non-compliance with the concession requirements, the City of Chemnitz reserves the right to terminate the contract and to withdraw from the award.

Realisation risk

The economic risk in the realisation of the event is borne solely by the concessionaire. The licence holder must take out adequate insurance against claims for damages by event participants or third parties and provide proof of this to the City of Chemnitz without being asked to do so.

The following factors are taken into account in the evaluation of the application and the subsequent selection:

• Compliance with the design specifications according to the invitation to tender
• Compliance with the group of participants according to the invitation to tender
• Amount of the additional concession fee to be paid
• Cultural offerings/stage programme
• Completeness of the application documents

Incomplete applications must be completed/missing documents must be submitted by the end of the tender period. If this deadline is not met, the application cannot be considered.

If the requirements for exercising a trade in accordance with the Trade Regulation Act cease to apply after the application deadline, the relevant applicant and his/her application must be excluded from the procedure.

Written applications must be sent by 10.10.2025 to:
City of Chemnitz, Public Order Office
Department of Police Law, Regulatory Law, Markets
09106 Chemnitz

If several applications are received, the most attractive offer will be selected.
The procurement regulations according to VOL/VOB do not apply to this procedure.