Official UK procurement notice
Embark - Outsource Catering Service
Authority: The Bolton Impact Trust (Public body)·On behalf of: PHP LAW LLP
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Trust was seeking an outsourced Catering Service to provide a high-quality service and school meal, whilst delivering value for money for the school, parents and pupils using the Services. The tender is for primary and secondary schools however further schools may join the contract as the Trust grows.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 Jan 2031, 23:59 GMT.
- No preliminary market engagement: The requirements are not complex, or niche and the Contracting Authority already has an understanding of what they want the service to deliver and the market is known.
CPV: Catering services · School catering services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£3,500,000
- Economic & financial standing
A financial appraisal will be based upon a credit check. Insurances Employer Liability £10m Public Liability - £10m Product Liability - £2m
- Technical & professional ability
Provide 3 relevant previous contract examples To constitute a pass, the contract examples provided shall be relevant to the requirement, with a sufficient level of detail that provides confidence in the Tenderer’s established past experience in similar and relevant projects/contracts. The contracts must be within the education sector and similar complexity and working on more than one site within the contract. My Checklist The checklist is here to help you finalize the notice. Click the Validate-button below to generate your checklist. Validate Europe/London
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).
Published sub-criteria (12)
- Proposed Service Model: 12.5%
- Service Model Case Study: 5%
- Menu Planning & Development: 10%
- Food Offering: 7.5%
- Allergy Management: 7.5%
- Contractor Staff: 5%
- Account Management: 2.5%
- Contract Management: 5%
- Contract Mobilisation & Risk Management: 2.5%
- Guaranteed Position Assessment: 30%
- Guaranteed: 10%
- Sustainability: 2.5%
Published award criteria (12)
- Proposed Service Model
- Service Model Case Study
- Menu Planning & Development
- Food Offering
- Allergy Management
- Contractor Staff
- Account Management
- Contract Management
- Contract Mobilisation & Risk Management
- Sustainability
- Guaranteed Position Assessment
- Guaranteed
- Economic & financial standing
A financial appraisal will be based upon a credit check. Insurances Employer Liability £10m Public Liability - £10m Product Liability - £2m
- Technical & professional ability
Provide 3 relevant previous contract examples To constitute a pass, the contract examples provided shall be relevant to the requirement, with a sufficient level of detail that provides confidence in the Tenderer’s established past experience in similar and relevant projects/contracts. The contracts must be within the education sector and similar complexity and working on more than one site within the contract. My Checklist The checklist is here to help you finalize the notice. Click the Validate-button below to generate your checklist. Validate Europe/London
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- 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
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 1 Jan 2031
- First published
- 18 Feb 2026, 20:00 GMT
- Last source update
- 16 Jun 2026, 10:28 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 7 May 2026
- Authority reference
EBMAT01.48- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-015007- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-065794Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
One invoice per month Invoicing for UIFSM & FSM based on actual meals taken, broken down by school
- Risks
Financial Inflation and Rising Costs: Food price inflation, energy bills, and wage increases. Caterers locked into long-term contracts may struggle to remain profitable, risking service quality or contract withdrawal. Staffing Challenges Recruitment Difficulties: Shortages of skilled catering staff, especially in rural or low-income areas. Difficulty attracting and retaining staff due to limited pay and benefits. Training Gaps: Inadequate training in food safety, allergens, and safeguarding can lead to compliance issues. Reputational and Compliance Risks Non-compliance with School Food Standards can result in reputational damage and regulatory scrutiny. Non-compliance with the tender specification or compliance requirement
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 2 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 2 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
18 Feb 2026 → 1 Sept 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published244 days ago18 Feb 2026, 20:00 GMT
- Clarification questions by202 days ago2 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline202 days ago2 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Award decision expected by166 days ago7 May 2026, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent127 days ago16 Jun 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published127 days ago16 Jun 2026, 10:28 BST
- Standstill ends117 days ago25 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts50 days ago1 Sept 2026
Notice history
5 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 18 Feb 2026- Tender notice published18 Feb 2026, 20:00 GMTUK4
- Contract award notice published16 Jun 2026, 10:28 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete16 Jun 2026, 10:28 BST
- Buyer details updated16 Jun 2026, 10:28 BST
- Contract signature expected26 Jun 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspens Services Limited1 Sept 2026 – 31 Aug 2029 · up to 31 Aug 2031Extensions: Two further 1 year extensions (3+1+1) · Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. To include schools who join the Trust and associated services | £3,500,000 | 15 Jun 2026standstill to 25 Jun 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3final-stage tenders | 1 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
3 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- Embark FederationContracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government
- PHP LAW LLPProcess contact pointProcuring entityProcurement Consultant
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- ASPENS-SERVICES LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender