Find a TenderPast planning noticePreliminary market engagement notice
Published 18 Mar 2025, 21:12 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Preliminary Market Engagement - Outsourced Meal prep and Transported In Catering Service

Official notice

Authority: Academies for Character & Excellence (Central government)·On behalf of: PHP Law LLP

ServicesAbove thresholdSME suitable
Planned pipeline valueValue not publishedpipeline notice, not a live tender
Tender notice expected 4 Apr 2025from the planned procurement notice
Contract term 1 yrends 31 Aug 2026 · up to 31 Aug 2027 with extensions · starts 1 Sept 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Trust is seeking a Contractor that will deliver an Outsourced “Meal Preparation Delivered In” Catering Service for this contract.

There are 6 schools in Somerset. The current contract ends in August 2025 and the production kitchens currently preparing and serving the meals are part of another Trust and will no longer be available for a new contract.

the Contractor shall:

  1. offer a service that is aligned to the vision, value and ethos of the Trust who deliver ’excellence’ in their own in-house catering service.
  2. formulate a service delivery schedule that accounts for each site’s geographical location, is streamlined, efficient and ensures journey times are below 30 mins.
  3. deliver a high-quality service, ensuring food quality, selecting suitable menu choices that can be transported and served effectively whilst delivering value for money for schools, parents and pupils using the services.
  4. provide management information and partnership working to improve take-up of meals, and continuous improvement particularly for FSM pupils.
  5. be responsible for TUPE of existing staff who are associated with the transporting of the meals

the schools are:

School Address

Ashill Primary School Road, Ashill, Ilminster, TA19 9ND

Buckland St Mary Buckland St Mary, Chard, TA20 3SJ

Hatch Beauchamp Station Road, Hatch Beauchamp, Taunton, TA3 6SQ

Holy Trinity South Street, Taunton, TA1 3AF

Stockland Primary Stockland, Honiton, EX14 9EF

Winsham Primary Church Street, Winsham, Near Chard, TA20 4HU

CPV: Canteen and catering services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1PlannedRenewal 1 yrSME
Contract period: 1 Sept 2025 – 31 Aug 2026 (1 yr) · up to 31 Aug 2027 with extensions
Delivery: South WestEligibility: SME eligible
Extensions: Extension options published

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Past planning notice
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
Unspecified in notice
First published
18 Mar 2025, 21:12 GMT
Last source update
18 Mar 2025, 21:12 GMT
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-010041
Latest notice
Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
Classification (CPV)
Canteen and catering services
Delivery area
South West (UKK23)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04eecf Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
—

Timeline

18 Mar 2025 → 1 Sept 2025 · 4 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    18 Mar 2025, 21:12 GMT
  2. Tender notice expected
    4 Apr 2025, 23:59 BST
  3. Market engagement
    4 Apr 2025, 23:59 BST

    The Trust Director of Operations Sam Ward is seeking potential solutions ahead of the catering service tender being published on the 4th April.

    The Trust are open to innovative solutions and options around splitting the service to the schools between different solutions or production kitchens.

    Please email [email protected] if you would like to participate in the preliminary market engagement by having a meeting with the Director of Opertions.

    All meetings will be minuted with any implications on our requirements or tender approach transparently updated. No prospective supplier would be put at a disadvantage.

  4. Contract starts
    1 Sept 2025, 00:00 BST

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    18 Mar 2025, 21:12 GMT
    UK2

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

2 public bodies on the notice

ACE (Academies for Character & Excellence)

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-COH: 10098444 Pathfields, Totnes, South West, TQ9 5TZContact name, email, phone

Other public bodies

  • PHP Law LLPProcuring entityProcurement ConsultantGB-PPON: PPRM-9434-VNYQ Totnes, South WestContact name, email, phone

Official documents & specifications (1)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure