Official UK procurement notice
Provision of Outsourced Catering Service
Authority: Respect Collaboration Trust (Public body)·On behalf of: PHP LAW LLP
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Trust was looking for an outsourced catering provider to provide a high-quality service.
The Contractor shall:
a. provide an improved hot and cold option with greater focus on healthy eating and increased pupil uptake
b. provide a hot option at other sites where possible
CPV: School catering services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£750,000
- Economic & financial standing
Tenderers must demonstrate their economic and financial standing in accordance with the following:
Due diligence checks will be undertaken on the preferred Tenderer's accounts to determine a Tenderer's financial standing. This will incorporate credit checks and a financial appraisal.
To constitute a pass, tenderers must:
a) Complete a credit check & financial appraisal. No outstanding CCJ's or bankruptcy must be shown. A financial appraisal will be based upon the organisations gearing ratio, acceptable rates are around a target of 2:1
b) A minimum average annual turnover over the past two years of 1.5 times the Total Contract Value.
Any answers which lead the Trust, acting reasonably, to conclude, considering the risk that the relevant answer suggests about the Tenderer's ability to properly perform the specification, then the Tenderer may be rejected.
- Technical & professional ability
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.
If you cannot provide at least one example of previous contracts, please provide an explanation for this and how you meet the conditions of participation relating to technical ability.
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 (3)
- Quality Assessment: 60%
- Guaranteed Position Assessment: 30%
- Guaranteed Position Approach: 10%
Published award criteria (3)
- Quality Assessment
- Guaranteed Position Assessment
- Guaranteed Position Approach
- Economic & financial standing
Tenderers must demonstrate their economic and financial standing in accordance with the following:
Due diligence checks will be undertaken on the preferred Tenderer's accounts to determine a Tenderer's financial standing. This will incorporate credit checks and a financial appraisal.
To constitute a pass, tenderers must:
a) Complete a credit check & financial appraisal. No outstanding CCJ's or bankruptcy must be shown. A financial appraisal will be based upon the organisations gearing ratio, acceptable rates are around a target of 2:1
b) A minimum average annual turnover over the past two years of 1.5 times the Total Contract Value.
Any answers which lead the Trust, acting reasonably, to conclude, considering the risk that the relevant answer suggests about the Tenderer's ability to properly perform the specification, then the Tenderer may be rejected.
- Technical & professional ability
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.
If you cannot provide at least one example of previous contracts, please provide an explanation for this and how you meet the conditions of participation relating to technical ability.
- 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
- 1 May 2026, 15:24 BST
- Last source update
- 22 Jul 2026, 12:24 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 1 Jul 2026
- Authority reference
RCT01.05- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-040658- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-069094Find a Tender
- 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
- 10 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 1 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Via the EU Supply Tendering Portal - uk.eu-supply.com/login.asp ↗
Timeline
1 May 2026 → 1 Sept 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published173 days ago1 May 2026, 15:24 BST
- Clarification questions by142 days ago1 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline133 days ago10 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST
- Award decision expected by112 days ago1 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent92 days ago22 Jul 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published91 days ago22 Jul 2026, 12:24 BST
- Standstill ends82 days ago31 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts51 days ago1 Sept 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 1 May 2026- Tender notice published1 May 2026, 15:24 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published11 May 2026, 19:47 BSTUK4
- Published value updated to £750,00011 May 2026, 19:47 BSTwas £500,000
- Contract award notice published22 Jul 2026, 12:24 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete22 Jul 2026, 12:24 BST
- Contract signature expected3 Aug 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Published amendments (1)
Contract Value has been increased from £500k to £750k
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stir Food Ltd1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2029 · up to 30 Sept 2031Extensions: Possible extension of two (2) further years, in 12-month intervals (3 +1+1). · Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. To enable further schools/sites to be added to the contract as they join the Trust | £750,000 | 17 Jul 2026standstill to 31 Jul 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1final-stage tenders · 2 at stage one | 1 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeOther public bodies
- PHP LAW LLPProcess contact pointProcuring entityProcurement Consultant
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- STIR FOOD LTDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
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
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender