Official UK procurement notice
PROVISION OF OUTSOURCED CATERING SERVICE
Authority: Aspire Academy Trust (Public body)·On behalf of: PHP LAW LLP
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe contract will be for the provision of Outsourced Catering Service to the Trust. The Trust was seeking a Contractor that will deliver the service for this contract, providing a high-quality service, whilst delivering value for money for the school, parents
and pupils using the Services. The Contract will include all food and staff provision to support the delivery of the catering services requirement. In addition to the above, the Contractor shall: a. work in partnership with the Trust, operating at Trust level,
demonstrating a centralised approach that offers transparency and visibility of management information, KPI and financial performance. This will allow for a robust level of oversight regarding contract delivery as a whole.
CPV: Catering services · School catering services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£11,000,000
- Economic & financial standing
A financial appraisal will be based upon a credit check.
- 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.
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 (2)
- Quality: 60%
- Guaranteed Position: 40%
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality: Proposed Service Model 5.0% Service Model Case Study 5.0% Menu Selection - Primary 10.0% Menu Selection – Nursery & Lunches 5.0% Inclusive Safe & Compliant Meal Provision 10.0% Catering Service provision - Serveries 5.0% Catering Service Provision – Relief Staff 10.0% Catering Service Provision – Staff Retention 5.0% Catering Service Delivery – Training & Recruitment 10.0% Contract Management Structure 5.0% Contract Reporting & Service Quality Monitoring 5.0% Complaint Management 5.0% Mobilisation Plan 5.0% Added Value 10.0% Sustainability 5.0%
- Guaranteed Position: Agreed Position Year 1 - 7.5% Agreed Position Year 1-14 - 7.5% Alternative Position Year 1 - 7.5% Alternative Position Year 1-4 - 7.5% Agreed Position Approach - 5% Alternative Position Approach - 5%
- Economic & financial standing
A financial appraisal will be based upon a credit check.
- 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.
- 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
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 15 Aug 2025, 12:37 BST
- Last source update
- 9 Feb 2026, 12:04 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 25 Oct 2025
- Authority reference
ASP01.49- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-049116- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0588e2Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
The Contractor shall submit invoices and associated documentation. The Trust requires the invoices received to be by academy broken down as follows: Adult Paid Hospitality KS1 FSM KS1 UFSM KS2 Paid KS2 SS FSM Staff Duty Nursery Snacks Nursery Meals Each month the Trust undertakes a meal reconciliation with each academy to this invoice and will meet with the Contractor to discuss all discrepancies which are then credited back to the Trust the following month if the discrepancy is agreed.Meal payments are received by the school via ParentPay. At the end of each monthly accounting period, the Contractor shall invoice the Trust for the number of UIFSM & FSM meals provided multiplied by the FSM/UIFSM cost per meal, one invoice, broken down by school. Invoices are then reconciled with the catering figures. Depending on whether there is a guaranteed position subsidy or payment to the Trust, for each school commercial offer, this should be invoiced or paid to the Trust on a monthly basis, broken down by 12 equal payments Where, during a monthly period, it has been identified, and agreed, that adjustments are required (in respect of service credits, additional works, errors or omissions), these will be taken account of within the invoice for the following month.
- 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
- 29 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 29 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
15 Aug 2025 → 9 Feb 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published15 Aug 2025, 12:37 BST
- Clarification questions by386 days ago29 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline386 days ago29 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent363 days ago22 Oct 2025, 00:00 BST
- Award decision expected by360 days ago25 Oct 2025, 00:59 BST
- Standstill ends353 days ago31 Oct 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts288 days ago5 Jan 2026
- Latest notice published253 days ago9 Feb 2026, 12:04 GMT
Notice history
6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 15 Aug 2025- Tender notice published15 Aug 2025, 12:37 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published22 Oct 2025, 15:00 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete22 Oct 2025, 15:00 BST
- Buyer details updated22 Oct 2025, 15:00 BST
- Contract signature expected10 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published9 Feb 2026, 12:04 GMTUK7
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspens Services Limited5 Jan 2026 – 31 Aug 2029 · up to 31 Aug 2031Extensions: Possible extensions - two (2) further years, in 12-month intervals (3.8 + 1 + 1). · Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. Contract value has account for the potential for additional schools joining the Trust during the Contract term. | £11,000,000 | 22 Oct 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
Provision of Outsourced Catering Service · Aspens Services Limited
- Signed
- 26 Jan 2026
- Value
- £11,000,000
- Period
- 5 Feb 2026 – 31 Aug 2029 · up to 31 Aug 2031 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- Possible extensions - two (2) further years, in 12-month intervals (3.8 + 1 + 1).
- Options
- The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. Contract value has account for the potential for additional schools joining the Trust during the Contract term.
6 agreed KPIs: Meal Uptake · Meal Delivery Timeliness · Food Quality Compliance …
- Meal Uptake, 95% in accordance with proposed rate set
- Meal Delivery Timeliness, 95% of meals delivered on time.
- Food Quality Compliance, 98% of meals meeting the agreed quality standards.
- Customer Satisfaction, 90% positive feedback from students and staff.
- Nutritional Standards, 95% compliance with nutritional guidelines.
- Health and Safety Compliance, 100% adherence to health and safety regulations.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3final-stage tenders | 1 | 0 | — |
Who bid
- wonASPENS-SERVICES LIMITED · Greater London
- did not winCOMPASS CONTRACT SERVICES (U.K.) LIMITED · West Midlands
- did not winMIQUILL CATERING LIMITEDSME · West Midlands
Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- PHP LAW LLPProcess contact pointProcuring entityProcurement Advisor
Bidders & participating suppliers
3 commercial parties on the notice · 1 awarded- ASPENS-SERVICES LIMITEDAwarded supplier
- COMPASS CONTRACT SERVICES (U.K.) LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
- MIQUILL CATERING LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
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