Official UK procurement notice
Catering Managed Services · UK public procurement notice
Authority: Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (Central government)
What is being bought3 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionOverview
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:
- Compliance and Standards: Alignment with NHS food safety, nutrition, and sustainability requirements.
- Enhanced Patient Experience: Meeting rising expectations for choice, quality, and overall patient satisfaction.
- Commercial and Operational Efficiency: Leveraging opportunities to improve financial performance and operational effectiveness within retail catering.
- 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.
- How the procedure runs: Stage 1 – Participation Period (Supplier Shortlisting) Interested suppliers will be invited to submit responses during the participation period. These responses will be assessed against the published selection criteria to create a shortlist of qualified suppliers. Stage 2 – Invitation to Tender (ITT) Shortlisted suppliers will receive the Invitation to Tender, including the detailed output specification. Following submission of tender responses, bids will be evaluated in accordance with the published award criteria. The highest-scoring suppliers (top X) will progress to the next stage, which includes presentations and product tastings. Stage 3 – Final Stage (Negotiation and Dialogue) Suppliers advancing to the final stage will engage in structured negotiation and dialogue sessions. This stage aims to refine proposals, clarify requirements, and ensure best value outcomes prior to contract award.
CPV: Catering services
Lots and requirements (3)Procurement structure
3 lots · no lot values publishedLot #1Broomfield Hospital Retail and Patient Catering ServicesPlannedRenewal
Delivery of patient and retail catering services at Broomfield Hospital
Lot #2Basildon Hospital Retail and Patient Catering ServicesPlannedRenewal
Delivery of Retail and Patient Catering Services at Basildon Hospital
Lot #3Southend Hospital Retail and Patient Catering ServicesPlannedRenewal
Delivery of patient and retail catering services at Southend Hospital
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust buys Catering services (CPV 5552), and who usually turns up
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Catering services (CPV 5552) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in East of England (authority’s region).
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered in the region where that award was delivered.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 64 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid14% / 5%
2–30% / 34%
4–657% / 46%
7+29% / 15%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate11%
Within ±2%21%
Above estimate68%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1Broomfield Hospital Retail and Patient Catering ServicesCPV 5552Estimate not published
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 41 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid5%
2–334%
4–646%
7+15%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
Lot #2Basildon Hospital Retail and Patient Catering ServicesCPV 5552Estimate not published
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 41 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid5%
2–334%
4–646%
7+15%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
Lot #3Southend Hospital Retail and Patient Catering ServicesCPV 5552Estimate not published
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 41 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid5%
2–334%
4–646%
7+15%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 23 Jan 2026, 14:41 GMT
- Last source update
- 23 Jan 2026, 14:41 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 20 Nov 2026
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-006266- Latest notice
- Planned procurement notice (UK3)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-060d84Find a Tender
- How it runs
Stage 1 – Participation Period (Supplier Shortlisting)
Interested suppliers will be invited to submit responses during the participation period. These responses will be assessed against the published selection criteria to create a shortlist of qualified suppliers.
Stage 2 – Invitation to Tender (ITT)
Shortlisted suppliers will receive the Invitation to Tender, including the detailed output specification. Following submission of tender responses, bids will be evaluated in accordance with the published award criteria. The highest-scoring suppliers (top X) will progress to the next stage, which includes presentations and product tastings.
Stage 3 – Final Stage (Negotiation and Dialogue)
Suppliers advancing to the final stage will engage in structured negotiation and dialogue sessions. This stage aims to refine proposals, clarify requirements, and ensure best value outcomes prior to contract award.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 30 Mar 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 30 Mar 2026, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 23 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Please visit Salesforce (NHS Atamis) portal:
Suppliers registration link is as follows:
Timeline
23 Jan 2026 → 1 Sept 2027 · 6 dates- Planning notice published273 days ago23 Jan 2026, 14:41 GMT
- Tender notice expected231 days ago5 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Clarification questions by214 days ago23 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadline207 days ago30 Mar 2026, 12:00 BST
- Today23 Oct 2026
- Award decision expected byin 29 days20 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 313 days1 Sept 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Planned procurement notice published23 Jan 2026, 14:41 GMTUK3
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender