Official UK procurement notice
Delivered Ready Prepared Meals 2028
Authority: SUPPLY CHAIN COORDINATION LIMITED (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNHS Supply Chain: Food is planning to establish a Framework Agreement for the supply of products including but not limited to: Frozen and Chilled Bulk ready meals, frozen and chilled snacking/mini ready meals, finger food and chilled and frozen individual cakes and puddings, soups, main entrees, vegetables, breakfast items, religious/cultural meals, texture modified meals, therapeutic diet and paediatric meals, chilled, frozen or ambient ready prepared meals that are suitable for the use in retail or restaurant services settings.
The Framework Agreement is expected to be divided into lots. The lotting structure of the current Framework is:
Lot 1 - Standard Ready Prepared Meals
Lot 2 - Specialist Ready Prepared Meals
Lot 3 - Retail Ready Prepared Meals
Lot 4 - Small Community and Mental Health Site Provision
Final lot structure and scope will be detailed in the future tender notice.
The current intention is to use a Framework Agreement. However, NHS Supply Chain: Food reserves the right to adopt a different procurement approach if deemed more suitable.
Note: For future tenders the following requirements will apply:
- Micron2 Food Safety Accreditation
- Modern Slavery: Tenderers that have an annual turnover of at least £36 million must provide a link to their modern slavery statement on their website
- Modern Slavery Assessment Tool (MSAT): Tenderers must have a score of 41% or above within 12 months of the Tender Close Date via supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk ↗
- Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment: Tenderers will need to have completed the assessment and within 12 months of the Tender Close Date. Link for instructions and access for this assessment: www.england.nhs.uk/nhscommercial/centra… ↗
- Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP): Tenderers must have a valid CRP link on their website that meets the requirements of PPN 006 as outlined in the PPN, OR where Supplier has no website, the CRP is provided in PDF format that meets the requirements of PPN 006
as outlined in the PPN, OR excused in exceptional circumstances. CRP has to be dated within the 12 months prior to tender close date.
CPV: Deep-frozen products · Food, beverages, tobacco and related products · Hospital meals · Prepared dishes · Prepared meals · Snacks
How this framework works
From the published notice- Framework period
- 2 yrs · up to 4 yrs from 8 Mar 2028
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedWhat 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).
- “Delivered Ready Prepared Meals 2028” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.
Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How SUPPLY CHAIN COORDINATION LIMITED buys Miscellaneous food products and dried goods (CPV 1589), and who usually turns up
SUPPLY CHAIN COORDINATION LIMITED’s published record next to the market for the same work. Compared with other frameworks and DPS only. Whole-market view: Miscellaneous food products and dried goods (CPV 1589) →
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.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
No winner locations published for this authority. Local means a registered address 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 107 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.
The market share is a minimum: 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 bid0% / 0%
2–36% / 0%
4–644% / 76%
7+50% / 24%
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.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS: the price is set later, on each call-off.
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 #1CPV 1589Estimate 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 17 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid0%
2–30%
4–676%
7+24%
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- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 14 Nov 2025, 15:10 GMT
- Last source update
- 8 Apr 2026, 09:57 BST
- Authority reference
FAG 1671- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-031755- Latest notice
- Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e1b7Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- —
Timeline
14 Nov 2025 → 8 Mar 2028 · 5 dates- Planning notice published346 days ago14 Nov 2025, 15:10 GMT
- Latest notice published201 days ago8 Apr 2026, 09:57 BST
- Market engagement97 days ago20 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
We are seeking to engage with interested suppliers who can supply the Goods detailed in the procurement description. Suppliers can express interest in the opportunity using the following link:
PORTAL ACCESS & EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
- Login with URL nhssupplychain.app.jaggaer.com// ↗
- Click on "SQs Open to All Suppliers" and search for the title of the procurement:
SQ_657 - Delivered Ready Prepared Meals 2028 Framework RFI
Please note once you have expressed interest, you will be able to locate SQ_657 under “My SQs”.
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)
- Click on the 'Response Form' tab.
- Answer the questions in the Qualification Envelope
- Click 'submit response'.
On receipt of an Expression of Interest (EOI) and Request for Information (RFI), the relevant Buyer may contact you to arrange an engagement meeting. Please note this may not be undertaken with all interested Applicants due to timescales and resource.
Any communication regarding this RFI will be issued either via the Messages tab on Jaggaer or by the relevant Buyer.
- 08/04/2026 - 07/05/2026 - Request for Information (RFI) issued and responses reviewed.
- 08/05/2026 - 20/07/2026 – Engagement meetings held with incumbent and new suppliers.
Following the engagement meetings, the Category Team will analyse the feedback and input into the strategy as required.
Suppliers can, at any point during the engagement period (up to 20/07/2026) contact NHS Supply Chain: Food to discuss the proposed procurement by sending a message via the Messages tab on SQ_657.
There is no guarantee that a formal procurement process will be launched as a result of this early market engagement exercise, nor that any contract(s) will be placed. No remuneration or compensation etc will be paid to organisations who take part in this early market engagement exercise. Suppliers should take part in this process only on the basis that they fully understand and accept this position.
Please note the dates referred to above are subject to amendment.
- Today26 Oct 2026
- Tender notice expectedin 184 days27 Apr 2027, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts8 Mar 2028
Notice history
2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 14 Nov 2025- Pipeline notice published14 Nov 2025, 15:10 GMTUK1
- Preliminary market engagement notice published8 Apr 2026, 09:57 BSTUK2
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 (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender