Find a TenderAwarded
Published 15 Nov 2024, 16:05 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

The Circle Trust - Catering Tender

Official notice

Authority: The Circle Trust (Public body)

ServicesRestricted procedureSME suitable
Published estimate£6,141,755≈ £1.2m / year32.5% above published estimate
Submissions closed 20 Dec 2024awarded 12 May 2025
Awarded to Culinera Limited
Contract term 5 yrsends 31 Aug 2030 · starts 1 Sept 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The contract requires excellent catering services to be delivered to all schools within The Circle Trust (8 primary and 2 secondary schools at present) - based in Wokingham

CPV: School catering services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1The Circle Trust is an educational charity, that exists to do one thing, to promote…Awarded 5 yrsPublished value£6,141,755

The Circle Trust is an educational charity, that exists to do one thing, to promote education for the public benefit. We are a community of schools that have shared values and an essential common ethos and vision for education and learning.

We seek a catering contractor who will work in partnership with us and who will mirror our highest standards.

More information with regards to Circle Trust can be obtained here: thecircletrust.co.uk ↗

Our Schools: 1.Badgemore Primary School. 2.Emmbrook Infant School. 3.Emmbrook Junior School. 4.Nine Mile Ride Primary School. 5.Shinfield Infant and Nursery School. 6.St Crispin’s Secondary School. 7.The Emmbrook School (Secondary). 8.Wescott Infant School. 9.Westende Junior School. 10.The Hawthorns Primary School

All 10 schools listed above (two secondary and 8 primary schools) - are participating in this tender. Please note this is a growing Trust where one additional schools may join during this tender process. Please note that any other schools not listed above that may join the Trust during the tenure of this new catering contract may, at the Trust’s discretion, be added to this contract.

Tender information:

The successful tenderer will be required to provide excellent catering services to the Schools. The contract term being tendered is for three years 1st September 2025 – 31st August 2028. There is an option for a further extension period for up to two additional years to 31st August 2030. (Please note that Emmbrook Infant School, Emmbrook Junior School and The Hawthorns Primary School will commence their new contract one month earlier on 1st August 2025) The contract offers an excellent opportunity to review and propose enhancements to the current catering services at all of the Schools within the Trust. This includes but is not limited to; breakfast, morning break, lunchtime and after school services, over the academic year of 190 days. The Trust is keen to secure one provider to deliver catering services to all schools. The Trust requires continuity of excellence in both service delivery and management across all schools, with the bespoke requirements of each unique school taken into account and accommodated in the offer. The Trust is keen to secure a high quality catering service including fresh locally sourced ingredients prepared on site, with a menu design that is flexible to suit the requirements of each of the school’s specific students. The Trust is proud of it’s ‘family ethos’ and expects both a tightly managed service and a management style delivered by the successful contractor that supports, encourages and develops the catering staff. The Trust is not obliged to accept the lowest price submitted for this tender, rather the school is keen to secure ‘best value’ from this contract and to deliver ‘best value’ to it’s students. Innovative and creative ideas as to how the services can be developed and value added, will be welcomed. The Trust seeks a contractor that is keen to work in partnership and who will deliver to it’s highest abilities, at all times

The value of this contract is £6,141,755. The contract shall be a guaranteed performance contract with any hospitality requirements billed separately

Additional requirements and information:

•The Trust has a minimum requirement for a contractor’s employers' liability and public liability insurance of £5 million

•The minimum annual turnover that your company must have achieved to be considered for this opportunity is £1 million

•There are not any incumbent catering staff currently within the Local Government Pension Scheme at the schools

•The catering services are currently provided by: The School Lunch Company for Badgemore Primary School, Dolce for Emmbrook Infant School, Emmbrook Junior School and The Hawthorns Primary School, Aspens for all other schools Additional information: To respond to this opportunity please click here: www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/355J96W4XR ↗

Contract period: 1 Sept 2025 – 31 Aug 2030 (5 yrs)
Delivery: South East · Berkshire
Second stage: 5–10 candidates invited to tenderVariant bids: allowed

What it takes to win
i

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 more
How bids were scored
Quality: 70%Price: 30%
Published sub-criteria (2)
  • Criterion 1: 70%
  • Criterion 1: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Criterion 1: 70
  • Criterion 1: 30
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 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 · publisher note attached
Procedure method
Restricted procedure
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
15 Nov 2024, 16:05 GMT
Last source update
10 Sept 2025, 16:05 BST
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-055518
Classification (CPV)
School catering services
Delivery area
South East (UKJ11)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04b709 Find a Tender

Publisher note: To view this notice, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=974269790 GO Reference: GO-2025910-PRO-32261981

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
20 Dec 2024, 12:00 GMT
Submission channel
{"written"}
Accepted languages
en

Timeline

20 Dec 2024 → 10 Sept 2025 · 4 dates
  1. Submission deadline
    20 Dec 2024, 12:00 GMT
  2. Invitations to tender expected
    14 Feb 2025
  3. Contract starts
    1 Sept 2025, 00:00 BST
  4. Notice published
    10 Sept 2025, 16:05 BST

Notice history

1 event · 2 releases on Find a Tender
  1. Status changed to complete
    10 Sept 2025, 16:05 BST

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £8,140,4451 contract exc. VAT
Bids received 51 from SMEs
Contracts signed 1latest 12 May 2025
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Culinera LimitedSME£8,140,445 †—Awarded

Contracts

  • Contract 055518-2025-1 · Culinera LimitedSME

    Signed
    12 May 2025
    Value
    £8,140,445
    Period
    … – 31 Aug 2030
    Status
    active

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
5bids · 5 electronic · 5 from abroad1——

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

The Circle Trust

Contracting authorityPublic bodyBody governed by public lawEducation The Oval Offices c/o St Crispin’s School, London Road, Wokingham, South East, RG40 1SSContact name, email, phone Published organisation website ↗

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • Culinera LimitedAwarded supplier12382186 Rose House, Old Saw Mill Place, Little Chalfont, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, South East, HP6 6FAContact email

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Economic and financial selection criteriatenderEconomic and financial selection criteria
  • Technical selection criteriatenderTechnical selection criteria