Catering Services for the Orchard Community Trust

Yes

Legal capacity

Tenderers must demonstrate that they:

# are a legally constituted organisation (e.g., company, LLP, registered charity, public body or other lawful entity) and are eligible to contract in the UK;

# have the corporate authority and capability to enter into and perform the contract;

# are not subject to any applicable exclusion grounds and are able to provide the required declarations and evidence through the Standard Selection/Preliminary Questionnaire process; and

# will comply with all applicable UK legislation and regulatory requirements relevant to the delivery of catering services (including food safety, hygiene, and employment law).

Financial and economic standing

Tenderers must demonstrate that they have sufficient financial and economic standing to perform the contract, including:

# submission of the most recent two years’ published accounts (or equivalent evidence where accounts are not available, e.g., management accounts, audited statements, or parent company accounts/guarantee);

# confirmation that the Tenderer is not insolvent, in administration, in liquidation, or subject to any arrangement with creditors, and is not subject to proceedings of the same nature;

# evidence of appropriate financial resilience and capacity to deliver the contract for the full duration (including any extension options); and

# maintenance of the following minimum insurance levels (or a commitment to obtain them prior to contract commencement):

Employers’ Liability: £10,000,000

Public Liability: £10,000,000 (or higher if required by the Authority)

Product Liability: £5,000,000 (or higher if required by the Authority)

Assessment approach

The Authority will assess these conditions on a pass/fail basis using the information and evidence provided. The Authority reserves the right to request clarifications and/or further evidence where necessary.

Bidders must demonstrate they have the technical and professional ability to deliver a school catering service of a comparable nature, scale and complexity:

Relevant experience

Evidence of delivering school catering services (primary and/or secondary schools) under contract within the last three (3) years, with a minimum of two (2) comparable contracts.

Comparable contracts should demonstrate delivery of:

# term-time catering operations,

# compliant food safety/hygiene systems,

# menu planning and nutrition appropriate to a school environment,

# safe staffing and operational management across one or more sites.

References

Provision of a minimum two references from current or recent school clients (or equivalent education settings) confirming satisfactory performance.

Operational capability

Demonstration of sufficient operational resources and management arrangements to deliver the service, including:

# an identified contract management structure,

# trained staff and supervision arrangements,

# business continuity arrangements (including cover for key roles),

# and supply chain capability to provide consistent food quality and service continuity.

Food safety and compliance

Confirmation that the Tenderer operates a documented food safety management system based on HACCP principles and is able to meet the Authority’s statutory and contractual requirements, including allergen management and audit compliance.

Accreditations

The Authority does not require specific ISO accreditations. Tenderers may provide equivalent evidence of quality and safety management arrangements (e.g., third-party audits, internal audit regimes, policies and procedures).

Assessment approach

The Authority will assess these conditions on a pass/fail basis using the evidence provided. Where necessary, the Authority may request clarifications and/or additional supporting evidence.