Official UK procurement notice
DFC - Disability and Work Branch - Wholesale Supplies for the Ability Cafes
Authority: Ulster Supported Employment Limited (Central government)·On behalf of: CPD
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionUlster Supported Employment Limited (USEL) is an arms-length body of The Department
of Communities. USEL provide a wide range of services to people with disabilities or health conditions. USEL exists solely to help people with disabilities and health related conditions move into and sustain employment. Every year we employ, support and train over 1200 people across Northern Ireland. USEL offers a range of learning programs to help people get into employment and offer support to employers for our clients. USEL operates as a social enterprise model, combining a strong social mission with business operations. The Employment Services division is dedicated to supporting individuals with disabilities and/or health conditions in securing meaningful employment opportunities.
The Ability Cafés, established in 2018, are driven by a powerful mission: to empower local adults with disabilities through accredited onsite training in health and safety, food preparation, kitchen hygiene, and customer service. These cafés serve as a dynamic platform for individuals to gain hands-on experience in the hospitality industry, equipping them with the skills and confidence to excel in their careers.
USEL requires a Supplier for the supply and delivery of ambient, fresh and chilled products for the Ability Cafes with locations across the Belfast and Greater Belfast Area.
CPV: Animal or vegetable oils and fats · Animal products, meat and meat products · Beverages, tobacco and related products · Dairy products · Food, beverages, tobacco and related products · Fruit, vegetables and related products · Grain mill products, starches and starch products · Miscellaneous food products · Prepared and preserved fish
The lotProcurement structure
single 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).
- AC1 - Quality Control: 10.5 percent
- AC2 - Delivery Arrangements: 10.5 percent
- AC3 - Contingency Arrangments: 3 percent
- AC4 - Contract Management: 3 percent
- AC5 - Supply Chain, Human Rights and Modern Slavery: 3 percent
- AC6 - Total Cost: 70 percent
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 17 Oct 2025, 14:09 BST
- Last source update
- 7 Jan 2026, 13:45 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 16 Dec 2025
- Authority reference
ID 5988064- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-066345- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05ceedFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 17 Nov 2025, 14:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 7 Nov 2025, 16:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
17 Oct 2025 → 7 Jan 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published369 days ago17 Oct 2025, 14:09 BST
- Clarification questions by348 days ago7 Nov 2025, 16:00 GMT
- Submission deadline338 days ago17 Nov 2025, 14:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by309 days ago16 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts309 days ago17 Dec 2025
- Assessment summaries sent308 days ago18 Dec 2025
- Standstill ends294 days ago31 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Latest notice published287 days ago7 Jan 2026, 13:45 GMT
Notice history
5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 17 Oct 2025- Tender notice published17 Oct 2025, 14:09 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published18 Dec 2025, 14:45 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete18 Dec 2025, 14:45 GMT
- Contract details notice published7 Jan 2026, 13:45 GMTUK7
- Contract signature expected7 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson Foodservice Limited7 Jan 2026 – 6 Jan 2029Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. CPD and the Buyer reserve the right to add or remove products / locations during the period of the contract to meet their operational needs. | £334,000 | 18 Dec 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
DFC - Disability and Work Branch - Wholesale Supplies for the Ability Cafes · Henderson Foodservice Limited
- Signed
- 7 Jan 2026
- Value
- £334,000
- Period
- 8 Jan 2026 – 7 Jan 2029
- Status
- active
- Options
- CPD and the Buyer reserve the right to add or remove products / locations during the period of the contract to meet their operational needs.
No agreed KPIs: The value of this contract is below the relevant threshold of £5 million including VAT and as such the reporting and publication of KPIs is not mandated.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
3 public bodies on the noticeOther public bodies
- CPDBeneficiary authority
- CPD - Supplies & Services DivisionProcess contact pointProcuring entityConstruction and Procurement Delivery - Supplies and Services Division, is a Centre of Procurement Expertise and provides a central procurement function for central government in Northern Ireland.
Bidders & participating suppliers
2 commercial parties on the notice- HENDERSON FOODSERVICE LIMITEDAwarded supplier
- HENDERSON FOODSERVICE LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender