Catering Services · UK public procurement notice

The Governors of St Augustine's Academy are seeking interested parties to tender for a contract for the provision of a fully managed catering service to St Augustine's Academy in line with the school's requirements and specifications as described in this document.

Contractors must provide details of the service they propose to carry out in their Tender submission. Contractors can present their information in whatever format they choose.

Schools Background

St Augustine's Academy require a school meal service that provides both healthy and balanced meal options, in line with DFE guidelines.

We believe that there is a link between a healthy diet and the ability to learn effectively, and therefore, we require this important element of the school day to benefit our pupils.

We want every child or parent to be able to choose, and be provided with, their preferred meal choice. We also want every child to enjoy their meal in a well prepared and safe dining area.

We understand the school has a responsibility to promote and encourage healthy eating and we require a caterer to work with the school on developing this further.

It is very important that the service delivers both value for money as well as high standards in procurement, production and customer care.

Contractors are invited to visit the School and catering facilities to find out more, and are referred to the school's Ofsted Report (available online), and our website: www.staugustine'sacademy.co.uk ↗

Number of Pupils on Roll: 176

Number of Free School Meals: 73 UIFSM (of which 18 FSM, years R-2), 45 FSM (years 3-6)

Total FSM = 63 (excluding UIFSM)

Current Average Daily Uptake: 134 meals including FSM and paid.

Current Meal Price: 2.50

Contract Period

The contract shall commence on a date to be confirmed but no later than 1st January 2026 for a period of three years and will continue on a rolling basis.

Thereafter one terms notice will be required for termination.

Technical Requirements

1. The Contractor is required to:

Present a proposal for their service, including information on how they propose to maximise pupil meal uptake through the provision of the service. This should include a unit cost for children's and adult's meals, as well as any other associated contract costs.

Provide a high-quality service consistent with the statutory requirements of school food standards. It is important for the Contractor to ensure a healthy diet for young people is balanced with a cost-effective service for the school.

Outline how they can ensure every pupil will get their choice at the hatch.

Provide the school with an outline of the duties of the school and responsibilities of the Contractor.

Outline how and what payment options are available and how they will be processed.

Provide information regarding their debt management system.

Give detail on their management of allergens and how they can ensure no child receives an ingredient they are allergic too.

Set out lunch time furniture and put it away, with the aid of the lunchtime supervisors.

2. The Contractor may provide to the school, for consideration, any additional information or terms (which must be fair and even- handed), which they wish to include in a separate document included in their submission.
3. The Contractor must ensure the food provided is:

Prepared on-site.

Fresh.

Locally produced- as far as possible.

Seasonal.

Cooked from scratch.

Minimal use of frozen products (please specify frozen ingredients).

Nutritionally balanced and healthy.

Varied (at least 3 main and pudding options).

Age appropriate.

Child friendly.

4. Food presentation must be accessible and appealing to children. The Contractor should also link the food to the curriculum e.g. displays, theme days, nutritional information etc.
5. The Contractor must provide close and regular support of kitchen employees offering:

Training in food hygiene, safe working practices, health and safety at work and good kitchen practices.

Advice and training in presentation of food and communication with children

an overall child focussed service.

To take responsibility for health and safety in the kitchen.

6. The Contractor must follow these general principles:

Reflect the school's ethos of sustainable procurement.

Provide an affordable, high quality, value for money catering service.

Assist the school with planned future purchases so that they can budget proactively for repairs and maintenance.

Offer menus which consist of nutritionally balanced meals within the Government's food-based standards for school food.

Seek to improve eating habits of our children.

Actively involve and inform parents and respond to their enquiries directly.

Open Evenings, Parents Evenings, Hospitality

The school may require the Contractor to attend open evenings to promote school meals and future uptake by offering information and free samples to parents. This would be provided by the Contractor free of charge as an opportunity for them to market their company and increase future catering income.

The school may require the Contractor to provide additional catering services, such as lunches for staff and hospitality for visitors and meetings. The Contractor would invoice the school for such services, at an agreed price per head depending on the service provided.

Personnel

• The successful Contractor shall conform to the Terms of the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE).
• Appendix 1 represents a profile of the employees that are entitled to transfer under TUPE.
• The Tenderer is advised to seek independent professional advice on the consequence for them if they are the successful Tenderer as to the Tenderer's liabilities under the TUPE Regulations. In particular, the application of the TUPE Regulations could give rise to the following liabilities for both the outgoing provider and the successful Tenderer:

o A requirement to consult with recognised Trade Unions or other employee representatives of any employees of the transferor or transferee who may be affected by the transfer.

o A requirement to maintain existing rates of pay and conditions of employment of employees (including provision of pensions and holiday entitlement).

• The school requires the successful Contractor to establish with the current Contractor the most viable method in terms of employment transfer.
• The successful contractor will adhere to supplying future TUPE information within 14 days of a request from the school.

Pensions

• Current employees who have a pension are members of the current Contractor's employer pension scheme. The new Contractor must either buy into this pension scheme or provide a pension that is deemed, by an actuary registered with the IFoA, to be of equivalent terms or increasing upon current terms of employees' pension.
• Any expenses incurred by the Contractor in satisfying the necessary pension arrangements shall be at the Contractor's expense.

Schools Rights

The school reserves the right to:

• seek clarification or review submissions.
• disqualify any Tenderer that is guilty of serious misrepresentation in relation to its Tender.
• withdraw an Invitation to Tender at any time, or to re-invite Tenders on the same or any alternative basis.

Process

• All prospective suppliers shall complete the Standard Selection Questionnaire. This should be returned to [email protected]. Any questions suppliers have in the meantime can be addressed to the same email address.
• A maximum of 5 suppliers shall be invited to tender, based on financials, quality, proximity etc.
• Tenders will be scored according to criteria shared with suppliers.
• The winning tender will be awarded the contract.

Terms and Conditions of the Tender

• Any Tender Documents submitted by the Contractor are, and shall remain, the property of the school.
• It is the responsibility of Contractors to obtain for themselves at their own expense, all information necessary for the preparation of their Tenders. Information supplied by the school (whether in these Tender Documents or otherwise) is supplied for general guidance in the preparation of the Tenders. Contractors must satisfy themselves by their own investigations with regard to the accuracy of any such information and no responsibility is accepted by the school for any inaccurate information obtained by Contractors. This exclusion does not extend to any fraudulent misrepresentation made by or on behalf of the school.
• Tenders must be submitted for the supply of all the requirements specified.
• All information supplied by the school in connection with this Invitation to tender shall be regarded as confidential by the Contractor, except that such information may be disclosed for the purpose of obtaining quotations necessary for the preparation of the Tender.
• Tenderers are responsible for ensuring that no conflicts of interest exist between the Tenderer, its advisers and the school. Any Tenderer who fails to comply with this requirement may be disqualified from the procurement process at the discretion of the school.
• Requests for information received following the procurement process shall be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• The school shall treat all Tenderers' responses as confidential during the procurement process.

References

Any contractors invited to tender will be required to provide references from existing customers where applicable.

Appendix 1

Existing staff members for GMC Catering Ltd (incumbent provider)

Kitchen manager Wages £25000 per annum

52 week contract, works 45 weeks.

Currently not paying in pension.

Kitchen assistant. Wages £10,989 per annum (divided by 12 monthly payments)

= £915.75 pm.

Works 39 weeks at 20 hours per week (paid 45 weeks including holiday)

Currently not paying in pension as this is a second job.