Official UK procurement notice
The Circle Trust - Catering Tender
Authority: The Circle Trust (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe 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 publishedLot #1The Circle Trust is an educational charity, that exists to do one thing, to promote…AwardedPublished 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 ↗
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)
- Criterion 1: 70%
- Criterion 1: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
- Criterion 1: 70
- Criterion 1: 30
- 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)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04b709Find 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- Submission deadline20 Dec 2024, 12:00 GMT
- Invitations to tender expected14 Feb 2025
- Contract starts1 Sept 2025, 00:00 BST
- Notice published10 Sept 2025, 16:05 BST
Notice history
1 event · 2 releases on Find a Tender- Status changed to complete10 Sept 2025, 16:05 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5bids · 5 electronic · 5 from abroad | 1 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Culinera LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Economic and financial selection criteria
- Technical selection criteria