ACES Academies trust ~ Catering Tender

ACES Academies Trust currently comprises one large secondary School (Hinchingbrooke School) and four primary school (Cromwell Academy, Godmanchester Bridge Academy, Godmanchester Community Academy and Spaldwick Primary school), all situated on the western approaches to Huntingdon and within a 5-mile radius. All schools within the Trust offer an environment for students to flourish and achieve their full potential through creativity. The schools have facilities constructed within the last 5 years through to a Grade 1 listed property at Hinchingbrooke School dating back to the mediaeval times. We estimate the annual Contract turnover to be in excess of £500k which involves the feeding of over 3,000 pupils per day. This is the first time that the Trust has been able to bundle its catering service to one supplier (currently there are 3 incumbent suppliers) and the Trust is keen to fully understand through this process both the commercial and operational advantages of having five schools under the same diligent and imaginative catering partner. The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor with skill and expertise to thrive within the mix of primary and secondary feeding, of pupils and staff, and whose initiative and innovation will be evident throughout the ITT process and beyond. The duration of the contract being offered is initially for three years commencing on 1 August 2025 and concluding on 31 July 2028. There will be an option to extend the contract for a further two years by mutual agreement. At this stage we anticipate that the contract will operate as a Guaranteed Performance Contract, with the successful Contractor offering the Trust a guaranteed return / cost per annum for the provision of core catering services at each school. Sovereignty of the cash tariff/ parent selling price is to remain with the Trust for the duration of this contract. The current contract term for Hinchingbrooke was assisted by a large capital investment from the incumbent caterer to provide equipment and fabric for a new dining hall facility and although there are no capital projects like this in any of the five schools, there could be a need for improved prime cooking equipment in the kitchens across the estate which could be funded via contractor. Hence, inward capital investment is important and contractors at ITT stage, will be requested to submit outline plans and funding options for this project. As stated, the initial contract period would be 3 years, but the school will welcome proposals for investment options for longer contract tenures, for example 5 or 7 years. This will be discussed in more detail with shortlisted companies at the site meeting. The contract will cover the scope for the provision of all catering services within the Schools of the Trust, which also includes all hospitality and free issue requirements, which are to be recharged on consumption at “net” food cost only. Bidding contractors with prior knowledge of Hinchingbrooke may remember some additional Hospitality requirements to support the Wedding and Events business at Hinchingbrooke house – but this element will not be in scope of this process. It is expected that menus will feature and utilise products in season when available. Customer engagement will be fundamental to the continuous improvement in the service provision and within your tender response your methodology to this will need to be detailed along with examples of where this has been undertaken within similar contracts recently. The successful contractor should have similar operations within the local area thus ensuring that the Operational Management Team responsible for the contract is available for regular unplanned visits and support for the contract, and that coverage for any planned or unplanned leave from within the establishment staffing structure can be easily provided. See SQ Document for more information Additional information: To respond to this opportunity please click here: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/2BD9M55V9X