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Tenders

The Fenland Cluster - Catering Tender

Open
Deadline
114 days left
July 19, 2026
Contract Details
Category
Open Procedure
Reference
004476-2026
Value
£963,000
Location
East Anglia, United Kingdom
Published
March 20, 2026
CPV Code
Project Timeline

Tender Published

January 19, 2026

Deadline for Questions

July 12, 2026

Submission Deadline

July 19, 2026

Contract Start Date

July 19, 2026

Budget
£963,000
Duration
36 months
Location
East Anglia
Type
Open Procedure
78
Quality Score/100
Good

Original Tender Description

The successful tenderer will be required to provide excellent catering services to all 5 schools. The contract term is for three years, with an option for a further extension period for up to two additional years. The annual value of the current contract is £160,500, making the total contract value circa £802,500.

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Requirements & Qualifications

32 requirements across 5 categories

Submission (9)
Mandatory (1)
Compliance (3)
Technical (15)
Financial (4)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS9
--Bidders must participate in a two-stage Competitive Flexible Procedure.
--Stage 1 requires submission of a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ).
--A minimum score of 60% must be achieved in Stage 1 (PSQ) to progress to Stage 2.
MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS1
--None explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS3
--The contractor must hold Employers' Liability insurance with a minimum cover of £5 million.
--The contractor must hold Public Liability insurance with a minimum cover of £5 million.
--The company must have achieved a minimum annual turnover of £500,000 to be considered.
TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS15
--The contractor must be able to provide excellent catering services to all 5 schools.
--The contractor must be able to provide breakfast, morning break, lunchtime, and after-school services.
--The contractor must be able to provide hospitality services upon request.
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS4
--The company must have achieved a minimum annual turnover of £500,000.
--The proposed price will be evaluated, contributing 35% to the overall score in Stage 2.
--The schools are not obliged to accept the lowest price, seeking 'best value' instead.

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Documents

4 documents available with AI summaries

OCDS RecordDOC
004476-2026_ocds_record.json

This OCDS record provides structured data for a tender seeking high-quality catering services for five schools, requiring a minimum £5M insurance and £500K annual turnover, with a contract value of £802,500 over 3-5 years.

OCDS Release PackageDOC
004476-2026_ocds_release.json

This tender seeks a high-quality catering service provider for five schools, offering a 3-5 year contract with a focus on fresh, locally sourced food, flexible menus, excellent service management, and best value, requiring a minimum annual turnover of £500,000 and £5M insurance.

Official PDF VersionPDF
004476-2026_official.pdf

This tender seeks a high-quality catering contractor to provide comprehensive services for five schools from 2026-2031, emphasizing fresh, locally sourced food, innovation, and a partnership approach, requiring a minimum £500,000 annual turnover and £5M insurance.

Tender NoticeHTM
004476-2026.html

This tender seeks a high-quality catering provider for five schools in the Fenland Cluster for a 3-5 year contract worth up to £802,500, requiring innovative services, a minimum £500,000 annual turnover, and £5M liability insurance.

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78
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender for school catering services is generally well-structured with clear requirements and a strong focus on quality and innovation, but it suffers from critical data inconsistencies regarding the contract start date and a potentially restrictive turnover requirement.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance75/100

The tender defines the procedure type and CPV codes correctly, and provides ample time for preparation from today's date. However, the reveal date is missing, which impacts transparency, and the specific legal framework (e.g., UK PCR 2015) is not explicitly referenced.

Missing reveal date
Specific legal framework not explicitly referenced
Clarity90/100

The description of services, requirements, and evaluation criteria (35% price, 65% quality for ITT; 60% minimum for PSQ) is exceptionally clear and unambiguous. Performance conditions are also well-stated.

Completeness90/100

All essential information, including title, reference, organization, deadlines, value, duration, and location, is provided. Requirements and evaluation criteria are well-defined, and relevant documents are available.

"Liable Person" field is empty
Fairness70/100

The tender offers full document access, discloses the value, provides reasonable preparation time, and outlines objective evaluation criteria. E-procurement is enabled. However, the minimum annual turnover requirement of £500,000 is relatively high compared to the annual contract value (£160,500), potentially limiting participation from smaller, capable businesses.

High minimum annual turnover requirement relative to contract value
Practicality90/100

Electronic submission is fully supported via the Delta eSourcing portal, and direct links are provided. The contract start date and duration are specified, and financing information is available.

Data Consistency40/100

A critical inconsistency exists where the contract start date (2026-07-19) is identical to the submission deadline (2026-07-19), which is practically impossible. There is also a minor discrepancy between the estimated value in EUR and the calculated GBP value. Key fields like "Liable Person," "Type Code," and "Procedure Code" are empty, and the reveal date is missing.

Contract start date same as submission deadline
Estimated value discrepancy
Sustainability85/100

The tender explicitly promotes sustainability by requiring "fresh locally sourced ingredients" (green aspect), includes social considerations by emphasizing staff support and development, and encourages innovation through "innovative and creative ideas."

Strengths

Clear requirements and evaluation criteria
Strong focus on quality and innovation
Good integration of sustainability aspects
E-procurement enabled
Ample preparation time for bidders

Concerns

Critical inconsistency in contract start date
High minimum turnover requirement potentially limiting competition
Missing tender reveal date
Minor discrepancy in estimated contract value

Recommendations

1. Correct the contract start date to be post-award and allow for evaluation period.
2. Review the minimum annual turnover requirement to ensure broader market access for capable bidders.
3. Provide the tender reveal date for full transparency and compliance.

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