Official UK procurement notice
Strategic Catering Partner for Catering Venues across County Durham
Authority: Durham County Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionDurham County Council (DCC) is seeking to secure a strategic partner, following a corporate wide catering review, to deliver catering services across a wide range of public facing venues.
The Council currently has 15 customer-facing venues across a diverse portfolio of leisure, cultural, heritage and visitor locations. Existing operational arrangements include internally managed sites and third-party operated venues. This has resulted in a wide range of service approaches and financial profiles, presenting opportunities to enhance service alignment, scale efficiencies and elevate customer experience.
The Council has developed a strong vision for this Procurement. Bidders will be invited to propose solutions, throughout the various stages of the procurement process, which align with this vision:
'To deliver a modern, financially sustainable and customer‑focused catering service that enhances the experience of residents and visitors, champions local suppliers and ensures high‑quality and nutritious, venue-appropriate food across in-scope venues.'
The procurement exercise is being run as a multiple stage Competitive Flexible procedure pursuant to the section 20 2(b) of PA23.
This procurement exercise is also being undertaken to award a light touch contract, that is, a contract that is wholly or mainly for the supply of services as specified in Procurement Regulations 2024, Schedule 1.
The Council reserves the right to amend the procurement exercise in line with PA23, s31 and/or refine the evaluation criteria in accordance with PA23, s24.
CPV: Catering services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£20,000,000
- Economic & financial standing
The bidder must have a turnover in last complete financial year of £30 million or more and have a Financial credit score of ≤ 51.
- Technical & professional ability
Bidders must demonstrate proven experience in mobilising and managing a comparable catering service to Durham County Council's requirements.
Bidders are required to provide details of two nominated reference sites which must include:
- A minimum of 10 catering venues under 1 contract
- Live contracts
- Experience operating in public‑facing environments. For the purposes of this requirement, 'public‑facing' includes venues that are regularly accessed by members of the public or large user groups, such as universities, museums, libraries, leisure centres, hospitals or similar facilities
- Mobilisation of new venues, including newly constructed sites or locations where no catering provision previously existed
- Public facing catering venues, include a range of venue types
- Appropriate infrastructure, including stock management systems, allergen tracking tools and food traceability.
The purpose is to ensure that the catering provider is already fully operational within a comparable setting and therefore has the knowledge, expertise and supply chain to effectively mobilise and manage this 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 (7)
- Operational Plan: 25%
- Market Positioning: 5%
- Resourcing: 15%
- Governance and management reporting:: 10%
- Risk Management: 15%
- Financial Planning: 20%
- Assessment of Legal Position: 10%
Published award criteria (7)
- Operational Plan: This section must also include, as a minimum: • Overarching programme of activities to support the Vision and Outcomes • Development strategy, including your proposed phasing sequence. • Sales and marketing strategy taking into account approach to branding including a view on PR. • Stakeholder and communications strategy • Asset management approach • Social value measures and strategy • Mobilisation timeline for each venue
- Market Positioning: Your response must include, as a minimum: • External market factors • Understanding of the local area and local demographics • Venue-specific offering including a coherent approach with venue-specific services.
- Resourcing: Your response must include, as a minimum: • Diagram showing how your core team and wider team will be structured, showing lines of responsibility and authority. • Clear articulation of all roles and their responsibilities • Recruitment and selection process • Consideration of TUPE as part of the mobilisation process • Training • Career Opportunities • How resourcing will be adapted based on external variables
- Governance and management reporting:: Your response must include, as a minimum: • Clear decision-making hierarchy • Escalation pathway for minor and major complaints. Please define examples of each. • Designated authority levels and examples of decisions • Compliance and Assurance including: Legal and regulatory requirements, Industry standards, Internal policies and procedures and Audit arrangements (internal or external) • Performance reporting framework and mechanism e.g. dashboards, internal milestone sign-off, variance monitoring • Monitoring and Continuous Improvement
- Risk Management: Your response should set out the extent to which key risks have been identified and will be managed by appropriate mitigation measures which will demonstrate how the proposed solution will achieve the four Outcomes. The response should include a comprehensive risk register setting out: • Identification of risk • Likelihood and impact • Risk owner • Risk mitigation • Post mitigation likelihood and impact
- Financial Planning: Your response must include, as a minimum: • Breakdown of financial forecast for each venue, throughout the contract period • Assumptions made for these finances • Committed investment throughout contract term • Financial model and the implications on the Council
- Assessment of Legal Position: Stage 2 - Bidders must confirm that they accept the non-negotiable provisions of the Key Legal Principles without amendment. Failure to confirm acceptance of the non-negotiable provisions of the Key Legal Principles without amendment will result in a score of 0 and therefore your bid will be removed from the process. Acceptance of all non-negotiable provisions will result a full score of 10% for stage 2. At Stage 3 and 4, where amendments are proposed they should be stated within a legal commentary table, in the form of a template to be provided. The Council will assess any comments or amendments to determine whether the proposed amendments materially alter the balance of risk between the Bidder or the Council and its counterparties and scored accordingly.
- Economic & financial standing
The bidder must have a turnover in last complete financial year of £30 million or more and have a Financial credit score of ≤ 51.
- Technical & professional ability
Bidders must demonstrate proven experience in mobilising and managing a comparable catering service to Durham County Council's requirements.
Bidders are required to provide details of two nominated reference sites which must include:
- A minimum of 10 catering venues under 1 contract
- Live contracts
- Experience operating in public‑facing environments. For the purposes of this requirement, 'public‑facing' includes venues that are regularly accessed by members of the public or large user groups, such as universities, museums, libraries, leisure centres, hospitals or similar facilities
- Mobilisation of new venues, including newly constructed sites or locations where no catering provision previously existed
- Public facing catering venues, include a range of venue types
- Appropriate infrastructure, including stock management systems, allergen tracking tools and food traceability.
The purpose is to ensure that the catering provider is already fully operational within a comparable setting and therefore has the knowledge, expertise and supply chain to effectively mobilise and manage this contract.
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
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 29 Oct 2025, 14:34 GMT
- Last source update
- 24 Mar 2026, 15:24 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 6 Oct 2026
- Authority reference
OPEN20251840- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-026938- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05d65aFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 20 Apr 2026, 10:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 15 Apr 2026, 10:00 BST
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Tender submissions must be made via the Open Portal at www.open-uk.org ↗
Timeline
29 Oct 2025 → 1 Apr 2027 · 8 dates- Planning notice published364 days ago29 Oct 2025, 14:34 GMT
- Market engagement329 days ago3 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
Durham County Council (DCC) are looking to explore the market options in relation to a corporate wide catering review and externally delivered catering solution across a number of its public facing venues.
The Council has taken time to consider its position and ability to deliver a catering offer through its public facing venues and initial input from the market through previous market engagement exercises. The Council has now identified two key delivery routes which it would like to explore further. This exercise is to help support the Council's decision making going forward and consider information provided by the market on the level of interest from external provision, potential lease options and key areas of information required to help the Council in any potential Procurement activity.
The Council has identified the following venues to be in scope of this market engagement opportunity:
- Abbey Leisure Centre
- Bishop Auckland Leisure Centre
- Bishop Auckland Town Hall
- Durham Dales Tearoom
- Durham Leadership Centre
- Empire Theatre, Consett
- Gala Theatre
- Hardwick Park
- Killhope Lead Mining Museum
- Peterlee Leisure Centre
- Spennymoor Leisure Centre
- The Dunes Café
- The Light (formerly known as the Durham Light Infantry Museum)
- The Louisa Centre
- The Story
- Wharton Park
Please note this is a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) opportunity only at this stage. We are welcoming written responses to our PME questionnaire at this stage. The questionnaire can be accessed free of charge by registering on the Open Portal at open-uk.org. Search for '002777 - Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for Strategic Catering Opportunities across County Durham.' Download, complete and submit the PME Questionnaire through the Open Portal by Wednesday 3rd December 2025 at 12 noon.
The estimated contract value includes all venues within scope, however we also welcome responses from SMEs who may be interested in one or more venue.
- Next notice expected223 days ago19 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Tender notice published218 days ago24 Mar 2026, 15:24 GMT
- Clarification questions by196 days ago15 Apr 2026, 10:00 BST
- Submission deadline191 days ago20 Apr 2026, 10:00 BST
- Award decision expected by22 days ago6 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
- Today29 Oct 2026
- Contract startsin 153 days1 Apr 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
8 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 29 Oct 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published29 Oct 2025, 14:34 GMTUK2
- Pipeline notice published16 Mar 2026, 17:34 GMTUK1
- Published value updated to £20,000,00016 Mar 2026, 17:34 GMTwas £24,000,000
- Status changed to planned16 Mar 2026, 17:34 GMT
- Procurement method changed16 Mar 2026, 17:34 GMT
- Tender notice published24 Mar 2026, 15:24 GMTUK4
- Status changed to active24 Mar 2026, 15:24 GMT
- Deadline published: 20 Apr 2026, 10:00 BST24 Mar 2026, 15:24 GMT
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specificationsTender documents can be accessed free of charge by registering on the Open Portal at www.open-uk.org
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender