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The Fenland Cluster - Catering Tender

Tender Overview

LOCATION

East Anglia, United Kingdom

VALUE

£963,000

DEADLINE

July 19, 2026 at 23:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

55524000

REFERENCE

004476-2026

Project Timeline

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Contact Information

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View Original

Original Tender Description

The successful tenderer will be required to provide excellent catering services to all 5 schools. The contract term being tendered is for three years, 20th July 2026 – 19th July 2029. There is an option for a further extension period for up to two additional years to 19th July 2031. The contract offers an excellent opportunity to review and propose enhancements to the current catering services at the schools. This includes but is not limited to; breakfast, morning break, lunchtime and after school services, over the academic year, plus hospitality services upon request. The schools are keen to secure a high quality catering service including fresh locally sourced ingredients prepared on site, with a menu design that is flexible to suit the requirements of the schools’ specific students. The schools expect both a tightly managed service and a management style delivered by the successful contractor that supports, encourages and develops the catering staff. The schools are not obliged to accept the lowest price submitted for this tender, rather they are keen to secure ‘best value’ from this contract and to deliver ‘best value’ to their students. Innovative and creative ideas as to how the services can be developed and value added, will be welcomed. The schools seek a contractor that is keen to work in partnership and who will deliver to its highest abilities, at all times. Whilst the objective is to secure one catering contractor to service all 5 schools, each school reserves the right to take its own appointment decision. Competitive Flexible Procedure This procurement will be run under the Competitive Flexible Procedure. This will follow a two stage approach, with stage 1 being the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ). Here a minimum of 5 candidates (or less, in the event less than 5 meet the minimum criteria) and a maximum of 10 candidates, will progress to stage 2. Any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement and a minimum score of 60% must be achieved. Selected tenderers will then be invited to stage 2, the Invitation To Tender (ITT). Here, the evaluation of tender response will be set as 35% price and 65% quality. Value of contract: The annual value of the current contract is £160,500 Therefore the value of this contract is £802,500 (above total x 5 as this contract is for a maximum of 5 years) The contract shall be a guaranteed performance contract with any hospitality requirements billed separately. Additional requirements and information: •The school has a minimum requirement for a contractor’s employers' liability and public liability insurances of £5 million •The minimum annual turnover that your company must have achieved to be considered for this opportunity is £500,000 •There are not any incumbent catering staff currently within the Local Government Pension Scheme •The catering services are currently contracted to Aspens Services and Lunchtime UK. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Cambridgeshire:-School-catering-services./S47T3MW2GV To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/S47T3MW2GV
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MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • None explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
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ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • 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.
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TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • 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.
  • The contractor must be able to provide services over the academic year.
  • The contractor must propose enhancements to the current catering services.
  • The contractor must provide high-quality catering services.
  • The contractor must use fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
  • The contractor must prepare food on site.
  • The contractor must design menus that are flexible to suit the requirements of the schools’ specific students.
  • The contractor must deliver a tightly managed service.
  • The contractor's management style must support, encourage, and develop catering staff.
  • The contractor must demonstrate innovative and creative ideas for service development and value addition.
  • The contractor must be keen to work in partnership with the schools.
  • The contractor must commit to delivering to its highest abilities at all times.
  • The contract shall be a guaranteed performance contract.
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FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • 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.
  • Hospitality requirements will be billed separately from the guaranteed performance contract.
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SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • 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.
  • Only a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 candidates will progress to Stage 2.
  • Selection of tenderers for Stage 2 will be based solely on the criteria set for the procurement.
  • Selected tenderers will be invited to Stage 2, the Invitation To Tender (ITT).
  • The evaluation of the tender response in Stage 2 will be 35% price and 65% quality.
  • The submission deadline is 2026-07-20T00:00:00+01:00.
  • Responses must be submitted via the Delta eSourcing portal.

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DOC
OCDS Record
OCDS Data004476-2026_ocds_record.json
Summary:
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.
DOC
OCDS Release Package
OCDS Data004476-2026_ocds_release.json
Summary:
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.
PDF
Official PDF Version
General Information004476-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
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.
HTM
Tender Notice
Administrative Documents004476-2026.html
Summary:
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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B
Tender Quality Score
78/ 100 · Good
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