Find a TenderPlanned procurementPreliminary market engagement notice
Published 23 Sept 2026, 18:17 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Framework Agreement for Catering Services at Blackdown Education Partnership Schools

Authority: BLACKDOWN EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP (Education)·On behalf of: RED BOX CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED

Framework agreementServicesAbove thresholdSME suitable
Framework ceiling (notional)Value not publishedframework ceiling, not attributable revenue
Tender notice expected Date not publishedfrom the planned procurement notice
Framework period 3 yrsup to 5 yrs with extensions · starts 12 Apr 2027

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Blackdown Education Partnership are a Multi Academy Trust of 13 Schools based in Devon & Somerset. This tender will include six secondary schools, three of which deliver to Primary sites.

The schools currently have a mixture of contracted services (4 Secondaries) and externally supported in-house services (2 Secondaries).

The new contract will commence from Mon 12th April 2027, following the Easter break.

Key Dates: Market Engagement - Aug & Sept 2026

Red Box Data Gathering- Aug & Sept 2026

ITT release date- Est. Early October 2026

Contractor Site visits- November across several days, exact dates TBC

Bid Deadline- 5th Jan 2027

Shortlisting announced- 13th Jan 2027

Presentations- 21st Jan between 9.30 - 3.30 pm

Contract start date- Mon 12th April (after Easter break)

CPV: School catering services

How this framework works

From the published notice
Framework period
3 yrs · up to 5 yrs from 12 Apr 2027

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1Lot 1PlannedRenewal 3 yrsSME
Contract period: 12 Apr 2027 — 12 Apr 2030 (3 yrs) · up to 5 yrs with extensionsEligibility: SME eligibleDelivery: South West
Extensions
Extension options published
55524000 School catering services

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Planned procurement
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Framework agreement
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
23 Sept 2026, 18:17 BST
Last source update
23 Sept 2026, 18:17 BST
Latest notice
Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
Classification (CPV)
School catering services
Delivery area
South West (UKK23)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077907

How it was run

Appointment period ends
—

Timeline

3 published dates · Europe/London
  1. Planning notice published3 days ago
    23 Sept 2026, 18:17 BST
  2. Market engagementin 8 days
    5 Oct 2026, 00:59 BST
    Contractors are invited to register interest in this procurement through Red Box Tender Portal, where all communication, documents and bids will be managed. If you are not already registered with Red Box, please email [email protected] to request registration. We expect the ITT and supporting more…documents to be released and site visit bookings to open from W/C 5th October. Site visits will be held in November, giving contractors the opportunity to see service and meet the client. You must book onto these visits via the Red Box Portal. The deadline for bids will be 3pm January 5th 2027, with shortlisting on the 13th January 2027 and presentations for the shortlisted bidders on the 21st January 2027. New contract start date will be 12th April 2027, for a 3 year initial term and 2 x 12 month optional extensions.
  3. Contract startsin 197 days
    12 Apr 2027, 01:00 BST

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Pipeline notice
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    23 Sept 2026, 18:17 BSTUK2

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

2 public bodies on the notice

BLACKDOWN EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-COH: 07338835 · GB-PPON: PNNY-8358-CNMQ Uffculme School Chapel Hill, Devon, South West, EX15 3AG [email protected]

Other public bodies

Official documents & specifications (1)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure