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Tenders

Catering Managed Services

Open
Deadline
238 days left
November 20, 2026
Contract Details
Category
Restricted Procedure
Reference
006266-2026
Value
£123,562,648
Location
Essex, United Kingdom
Published
March 19, 2026
CPV Code
Project Timeline

Tender Published

January 23, 2026

Deadline for Questions

November 13, 2026

Submission Deadline

November 20, 2026

Contract Start Date

August 31, 2027

Budget
£123,562,648
Duration
60 months
Location
Essex
Type
Restricted Procedure
75
Quality Score/100
Good

Original Tender Description

Overview Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSE) currently delivers catering services across three hospital sites: Basildon, Broomfield, and Southend. These services encompass both patient meal provision and retail restaurant catering outlets, delivered through a combination of in-house operations and contracted arrangements. Strategic Objective The Trust is embarking on a transformation of its catering provision to establish a future-proof, compliant, and sustainable service model. This initiative is driven by the following key factors: 1. Compliance and Standards: Alignment with NHS food safety, nutrition, and sustainability requirements. 2. Enhanced Patient Experience: Meeting rising expectations for choice, quality, and overall patient satisfaction. 3. Commercial and Operational Efficiency: Leveraging opportunities to improve financial performance and operational effectiveness within retail catering. 4. Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to Cabinet Office requirements for business case approval and ensuring full compliance under the Procurement Act 2023. Please Note: This notice is for market testing purposes only and does not represent a decision to outsource catering services or a commitment to any future procurement.

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Requirements & Qualifications

5 requirements across 5 categories

Submission (1)
Mandatory (1)
Compliance (1)
Technical (1)
Financial (1)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS1
--No submission requirements for bids or formal responses are specified as this is a market testing notice only and does not represent a commitment to any future procurement. The submission deadline of 2026-11-20T00:00:00 is noted in the context of this market testing.
MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS1
--No mandatory exclusion grounds are specified as this is a market testing notice and not a formal tender for which bids are currently being sought.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS1
--No eligibility requirements are specified as this is a market testing notice and not a formal tender for which bids are currently being sought.
TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS1
--No technical capability requirements are specified for bidders as this is a market testing notice. The Trust's strategic objectives for future catering services include compliance with NHS food safety, nutrition, and sustainability requirements; enhancing patient experience; and improving commercial and operational efficiency.
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS1
--No financial requirements are specified for bidders as this is a market testing notice. The estimated contract value of 123,562,647.6 EUR for a 60-month duration is provided for informational purposes regarding potential future procurement.

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Documents

4 documents available with AI summaries

Planning NoticeHTM
006266-2026.html

This is a market testing notice from Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust regarding a potential future transformation of catering services across three hospital sites, covering patient meals and retail outlets, with an estimated value of over £102 million.

OCDS RecordDOC
006266-2026_ocds_record.json

This OCDS record details Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust's market testing for transforming catering services across three hospital sites, focusing on compliance, patient experience, and efficiency, but is not a commitment to future procurement.

OCDS Release PackageDOC
006266-2026_ocds_release.json

This OCDS data package provides details on a planned procurement notice for market testing purposes regarding the transformation of catering services for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, covering both patient meal provision and retail outlets across three hospital sites.

Official PDF VersionPDF
006266-2026_official.pdf

This notice outlines Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust's strategic plan to transform its catering services across three hospital sites, including patient and retail provisions, with an estimated value exceeding £100 million, emphasizing it's for market testing and not a firm procurement commitment.

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75
Good

Tender Quality Score

This is a clear and transparent market testing notice, providing a good overview of a future procurement, but it lacks e-submission capabilities and detailed sustainability criteria.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance75/100

The notice is legally compliant for market testing purposes, referencing the UK Procurement Act 2023. The long market testing period is reasonable. Minor issues include missing procedure codes for the 'Type' and 'Procedure' fields.

Missing procedure codes for 'Type' and 'Procedure'
Clarity80/100

The tender is exceptionally clear about its purpose as a market testing notice and explicitly states why formal requirements (exclusion, eligibility, technical, financial, submission, evaluation criteria) are not yet specified. Strategic objectives are well-articulated.

Completeness70/100

All basic information required for a market testing notice (title, reference, organization, value, duration, location) is present. However, as a 'tender' document, it lacks detailed requirements and evaluation criteria, which is appropriate for this preliminary stage but impacts overall completeness.

Absence of detailed eligibility, technical, financial, and submission requirements (appropriate for market testing, but noted for completeness)
Missing evaluation criteria (appropriate for market testing, but noted for completeness)
Fairness85/100

Fairness is high due to the transparency of the estimated value, the explicit statement that requirements are not tailored (as none are specified), and the very long market testing period allowing ample time for engagement. The lack of e-submission is a drawback for equal access.

No e-submission support for market engagement
Practicality65/100

Key dates (contract start, duration) are clearly specified. However, the absence of electronic submission support is a significant practical limitation for market participants. A direct document URL is not explicitly provided.

No electronic submission supported
No direct document URL provided
Data Consistency90/100

The data is largely consistent and logical, with no reported disputes or suspensions. Dates are coherent. Minor inconsistencies include the empty 'Liable Person' field and missing codes for procedure types.

Empty 'Liable Person' field
Missing codes for 'Type' and 'Procedure'
Sustainability50/100

The strategic objectives mention 'NHS food safety, nutrition, and sustainability requirements,' indicating an intent towards sustainability. However, specific, detailed green procurement, social, or innovation criteria are not yet defined beyond this general objective.

Lack of explicit, detailed green procurement criteria
Lack of explicit social criteria

Strengths

Clear identification as a market testing notice
Transparency regarding estimated contract value
Well-defined strategic objectives for future service
Long market testing period for market engagement
Reference to compliance with Procurement Act 2023

Concerns

Absence of e-submission capabilities for market engagement
Missing procedure codes for 'Type' and 'Procedure'
Lack of explicit, detailed sustainability/social/innovation criteria
Empty 'Liable Person' field
No direct URL for tender documents provided

Recommendations

1. Implement e-submission capabilities for future market engagement and formal tenders to enhance accessibility and fairness.
2. Ensure all procedural codes and responsible personnel details are fully populated in subsequent notices.
3. Develop and clearly articulate specific sustainability, social, and innovation criteria for the future procurement.

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