Official UK procurement notice
Tanfield School - Catering & Cleaning Services
Authority: EDEN LEARNING TRUST (Public body)·On behalf of: Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Limited
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionLot 1 - Catering Services and Lot 2 - Cleaning Services
Tanfield School is currently out to tender for the provision of a full daily catering and cleaning service.
The school is a secondary academy based in Tanfield and part of Eden Learning Trust.
The contract is being offered for three years with the option to extend for a further two periods of 12 months. The contract commencement date is:
Catering - 05 April 2026
Cleaning - 31 May 2026
Lot 1 - Catering Services
The services at the school are outsourced.
The Contractor will be responsible for the provision of a full school food catering service for the pupils and staff at the school. This will consist of morning breaks and full lunch service for each school day.
The catering facilities at the school include 2 dining halls both with servery’s and take place over two sittings.
Across the school there are currently 692 pupils on roll for the academic year 2024/25. Of this figure, 235 pupils are entitled to Free School Meals.
TUPE is expected to apply, details of which can be found in the tender documentation. No members of the catering team are part of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
The school is keen to further increase uptake and continue the good work already in place for catering. It wishes to do so by working closely with the successful contractor in developing and continuously improving the service and partnership during the period of the contract and by introducing innovative and creative ideas as submitted in the tender process and ongoing.
The school is aware that there are always opportunities to improve and modernise. They are interested in ensuring that the caterers provide the best possible service, introducing new menu ideas and initiatives so that pupils are all eating and utilising the service regularly.
Lot 2 - Cleaning Services
The contract is for a full daily cleaning service during term time and periodic cleaning outside of term time.
TUPE is expected to apply, details of which can be found in the tender documentation.
One member of the cleaning team is a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme, and all details are in the tender documentation.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 15 Jul 2027, 00:59 BST.
- How the procedure runs: Duty to Consider Lots As part of the initial project set up and approval stage of the tender process, Tanfield School discussed with Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Limited the possibility of splitting the tender into more than one lot/contract. It was agreed with Tanfield School that lots would be the most appropriate option for this tender process in order to encourage participation by SMEs who may wish to bid for only one of the services being tendered but also allowing bidders to submit for both Lots if they are able/wish to. Tanfield School Lot 1 Catering Services Lot 2 Cleaning Services Full details of the description of the process being used are contained within the documents accompanying this tender. Stage 1 Conditions of participation with evaluation Suppliers are invited to submit a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) response. Submissions will be evaluated based on the criteria detailed in the PSQ documentation. A maximum of five suppliers will be taken forward to the Invitation to Tender stage of the process. Where less than five suppliers meet the minimum standards, only those that meet the minimum standards will be taken through to the Invitation to Tender stage. Where more than five suppliers meet the minimum standard, those suppliers with the highest scores will proceed to the Invitation to Tender stage. Stage 2 Invitation to Tender with evaluation Suppliers shortlisted to the Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage will be required to submit their final tender and will be evaluated on the criteria detailed in the ITT documentation. Envisaged shortlist of the three highest scoring bidders to be invited to: Stage 3 Presentation Day Stage 4 Assessment Summaries and Publication of Contract Award Notice (commencing 8 working day standstill period) Stage 5 Publication of Contract Details Notice Further details of the CFP can be found in the documentation accompanying this tender.
CPV: School catering services · School cleaning services
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · all with a published value (£1,412,500 together) · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1Catering ServicesAwardedRenewalPublished value£937,500
The source published no individual description for this lot.
Lot #2Cleaning ServicesAwardedRenewalPublished value£475,000
The contract is for a full daily cleaning service during term time and periodic cleaning outside of term time.
TUPE is expected to apply, details of which can be found in the tender documentation.
One member of the cleaning team is a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme, and all details are in the tender documentation.
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 - Lot 1 & Lot 2: 90%
- Price - Catering & Cleaning: 10%
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality - Lot 1 & Lot 2: Full details of the weightings and evaluation criteria are contained within the documents accompanying this tender. 90% Catering 70% Cleaning
- Price - Catering & Cleaning: Full details of the weightings and evaluation criteria are contained within the documents accompanying this tender. 10% Catering 30% Cleaning
- Price carries 10 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 1 point. 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
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- 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
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 15 Jul 2027
- First published
- 14 Jul 2025, 13:00 BST
- Last source update
- 5 May 2026, 18:42 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 21 Jan 2026
- Authority reference
MPN-10331- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-039613- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-055e8aFind a Tender
- How it runs
Duty to Consider Lots
As part of the initial project set up and approval stage of the tender process, Tanfield School discussed with Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Limited the possibility of splitting the tender into more than one lot/contract.
It was agreed with Tanfield School that lots would be the most appropriate option for this tender process in order to encourage participation by SMEs who may wish to bid for only one of the services being tendered but also allowing bidders to submit for both Lots if they are able/wish to.
Tanfield School
Lot 1 Catering Services
Lot 2 Cleaning Services
Full details of the description of the process being used are contained within the documents accompanying this tender.
Stage 1 Conditions of participation with evaluation
Suppliers are invited to submit a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) response. Submissions will be evaluated based on the criteria detailed in the PSQ documentation. A maximum of five suppliers will be taken forward to the Invitation to Tender stage of the process. Where less than five suppliers meet the minimum standards, only those that meet the minimum standards will be taken through to the Invitation to Tender stage. Where more than five suppliers meet the minimum standard, those suppliers with the highest scores will proceed to the Invitation to Tender stage.
Stage 2 Invitation to Tender with evaluation
Suppliers shortlisted to the Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage will be required to submit their final tender and will be evaluated on the criteria detailed in the ITT documentation. Envisaged shortlist of the three highest scoring bidders to be invited to:
Stage 3 Presentation Day
Stage 4 Assessment Summaries and Publication of Contract Award Notice (commencing 8 working day standstill period)
Stage 5 Publication of Contract Details Notice
Further details of the CFP can be found in the documentation accompanying this tender.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 18 Aug 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 18 Aug 2025, 17:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 21 Jul 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Full details of how to submit are contained within the documents accompanying this tender.
Timeline
14 Jul 2025 → 5 May 2026 · 7 dates- Tender notice published14 Jul 2025, 13:00 BST
- Clarification questions by21 Jul 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission deadline18 Aug 2025, 17:00 BST
- Award decision expected by268 days ago21 Jan 2026, 22:59 GMT
- Assessment summaries sent267 days ago23 Jan 2026
- Contract starts195 days ago5 Apr 2026
- Latest notice published164 days ago5 May 2026, 18:42 BST
Notice history
5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 14 Jul 2025- Tender notice published14 Jul 2025, 13:00 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published23 Jan 2026, 17:25 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete23 Jan 2026, 17:25 GMT
- Contract signature expected25 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published5 May 2026, 18:42 BSTUK7
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 1 · Catering Services2 awards | |||
| Compass Contract Services (U.K.) Limited, trading as ESS Government ServicesSMETanfield School - Catering Services5 Apr 2026 – 4 Apr 2029 · up to 4 Apr 2031Extensions: The duration detailed above includes the initial term of 3 years as well as the two optional extension periods of 12 months each. · Options: The contract will be awarded for an initial period of 3 years with two possible extensions of 12 months each meaning a maximum contract length of five years. | £1,496,895 | 22 Jan 2026 | Awarded |
| Polopre United Kingdom LimitedSMETanfield School - Cleaning Services31 May 2026 – 30 May 2029 · up to 30 May 2031Extensions: The duration detailed above includes the initial term of 3 years as well as the two optional extension periods of 12 months each. · Options: The contract will be awarded for an initial period of 3 years with two possible extensions of 12 months each meaning a maximum contract length of five years. | £777,062 | 22 Jan 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
Tanfield School - Cleaning Services · Polopre United Kingdom LimitedSME
- Signed
- 29 Apr 2026
- Value
- £777,062
- Period
- 31 May 2026 – 30 May 2029 · up to 30 May 2031 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- The duration detailed above includes the initial term of 3 years as well as the two optional extension periods of 12 months each.
- Options
- The contract will be awarded for an initial period of 3 years with two possible extensions of 12 months each meaning a maximum contract length of five years.
Tanfield School - Catering Services · Compass Contract Services (U.K.) Limited, trading as ESS Government ServicesSME
- Signed
- 2 Apr 2026
- Value
- £1,496,895
- Period
- 5 Apr 2026 – 4 Apr 2029 · up to 5 Apr 2031 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- The duration detailed above includes the initial term of 3 years as well as the two optional extension periods of 12 months each.
- Options
- The contract will be awarded for an initial period of 3 years with two possible extensions of 12 months each meaning a maximum contract length of five years.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Catering Services | 4final-stage tenders | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2 · Cleaning Services | 4final-stage tenders | 3 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeOther public bodies
- Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services LimitedProcess contact pointProcuring entityProcurement consultancy managing the tender process for Tanfield School part of Eden Learning Trust
Bidders & participating suppliers
2 commercial parties on the notice- Compass Contract ServicesAwarded supplier
- Polopre United Kingdom LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (6)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications All documents are being provided on publication of this Tender Notice. They will be hosted, and are freely available, on the In-tend portal for Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Limited.
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender