What event organisers ask to see

The documents organisers ask for at a glance

No single national list exists, so organisers build their own from council rules, their insurer's conditions and guidance from bodies such as NCASS. The table gathers the documents named in the published terms and guidance we read in November 2026.

Why organisers ask for paperwork

The HSE's event safety roles page says the event organiser has prime responsibility for the health and safety of workers, the audience and the contractors working for them. The NCASS 2026 festivals guide says organisers should state insurance requirements in their booking terms, should not let an event go ahead without adequate cover for all traders, and should check traders' documents before the event.

The same guide warns organisers that environmental health officers may visit before or during an event, announced or not, and can stop trading or the use of equipment if serious problems are found. A tidy folder protects your pitch as well as the organiser.

Insurance: the levels in published terms

Public liability is the document asked for most often. In Gala Tent's experience, most events require at least £5 million of public liability cover, although some require less, and some insurance providers offer one-off event cover of around £2 million. Requirements vary from one organiser to the next, so check each organiser's terms before you buy a policy. The table shows what several councils and bodies said on their own pages when we read them in November 2026. Terms change, so check the current rules for your market or event.

Lichfield District Council's page for organisers applying for special event status says the organiser must hold public liability of at least £5 million per claim. That is the organiser's own cover and does not say what traders must hold. On naming the organiser, the Broadstairs Food Festival terms do not ask for the festival to be named on your policy, and ask stallholders to indemnify it against loss, damage or liability instead. The Teddy Rocks and Great Exhibition Road Festival terms we read do not address named wording. NCASS's advice on event contracts says indemnity wording should be proportionate and that unlimited or one-sided clauses are a reason to pause before you sign. Our public liability guide explains what the cover includes, and the employers' liability guide covers the staff rule. GOV.UK sets the legal minimum for employers' liability at £5 million.

Risk assessments and method statements

Newark's stallholder FAQs tell traders to complete the council's blank risk assessment template and point to HSE guidance for examples. NCASS's event and festival catering page lists health and safety, food safety and fire safety risk assessments, site-specific RAMS and an allergen matrix among the documents events typically expect from caterers. Our guide to risk assessments for event stalls shows the HSE five steps with a worked stall example.

Fire, gas and electrical records

Organisers who ask about fire often use a standard form. Telford and Wrekin Council's checklist asks for the signed form, test certificates for firefighting equipment, certificates for flame retardant materials, and a gas safety or inspection certificate for LPG appliances and pipework. Our fire safety guide explains what each item covers.

The NCASS 2026 guide says organisers should check a Gas Safe certificate from an engineer competent in LPG issued in the last 12 months, an electrical installation certificate from the last 12 months for fixed wiring in mobile units, and evidence of annual PAT testing. The HSE says PAT is not compulsory under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and that equipment must be kept in a safe condition, so a test record is often the simplest proof to hand. Read the gas and electrical safety guide for more.

Food, identity and booking paperwork

For food traders the NCASS 2026 guide lists proof of registration with the local authority, a food hygiene rating (it suggests a minimum of 4 for high-risk food at large outdoor events), training evidence (Level 2 generally), allergen information and photos of the set-up. For identity, West Northamptonshire Council asks successful applicants for photo ID, proof of address and proof of a National Insurance number. Food registration is explained in the licence guide.

Which documents suit which kind of trader

Not every trader needs every item. A seller of crafts or gifts under a gazebo, with no staff and no heat, is usually asked first for public liability, a risk assessment and ID, then canopy evidence if the organiser requires it. A trader who employs helpers adds the employers' liability certificate, which GOV.UK says must be displayed where employees can read it and shown to inspectors.

A trader using LPG, a fryer or a generator should expect the longest list: fire risk assessment, extinguisher and fire blanket certificates, a Gas Safe LPG certificate dated within 12 months, electrical and PAT records, and often a food hygiene rating, training evidence and an allergen matrix if food is sold. Work out your own category before you read the trader terms, then tick off each item the terms name.

What spot checks look at on the day

Paperwork is only part of it. The NCASS 2026 guide says organisers should carry out on-site spot checks of priority hazards. Those include safe LPG and generator set-up with adequate separation, CE, UKCA or UKNI marked equipment, controlled trailing cables, barriered open flames and structural safety. It also lists safe waste and waste oil storage and, for food traders, handwashing facilities and temperature control. Your documents should match what the inspector sees on the pitch.

Redditch Borough Council shows another version of the process: its non-food trader application asks for a public liability certificate from all applicants and an electrical certificate only if you apply for electricity. Lichfield District Council says organisers applying for special event status must include a risk assessment and stall layout in the event management plan and make sure traders hold street trading licences.

Building a trader folder, and what to do if something is missing

1. Scan or photograph each document and name the files clearly, for example public-liability-2026.pdf.
2. Check the dates on every certificate, especially gas and electrical records dated within 12 months.
3. Save a copy on your phone and carry a printed set in a folder in the vehicle.
4. Send the set with your application, because NCASS advises organisers to verify applications and supporting information before the event.
5. Update the folder when you renew insurance, change equipment or add a product.

Tell the organiser what you hold and when the rest will arrive. Great Yarmouth Borough Council's market licence terms say a trader without proper insurance evidence may not be allowed to trade until it is rectified, and that no stall fee rebate is given, so a gap can cost you the day. Chorley Council expects proof of cover to be produced when an authorised officer asks. On format, the Great Exhibition Road Festival 2026 terms say insurance must be on display and health and safety documents must be available on site for inspection, and Highland Council asks for a valid certificate to be submitted before any stalls are placed. None of the terms we read insisted on paper, but a printed set avoids relying on phone signal. The NCASS 2026 guide adds that if serious problems are found on site, an environmental health officer can stop trading or the use of equipment, so an incomplete folder can end a day early as well as delay a booking.

What to do next: document checklist

• Read the trader terms for the event and list every document named.
• Check your public liability limit against the figure in those terms.
• Gather your risk assessment, and fire form if you cook or use heat.
• Add gas, electrical and canopy certificates where they apply.
• Send everything early and keep copies on the stall.
• This guide is general information. Check with the organiser or council where a requirement is unclear.