TVI Learning - Catering Tender

TVI Learning is a vibrant Multi Academy Trust located within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham – currently formed of Thames View Infants and in the future to include our brand new Free School, Fords View Primary (earmarked to open post 2028). When full, this new Primary School will have 630 pupils on roll, all of which will require a 100% hot meal offer, mirroring the vision of Thames View Infants.

Thames View Infants is a thriving, award-winning, four-form multi-cultural Academy, situated within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. TVI has been judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted across three consecutive Inspections (in 2009, 2014 & 2024). We work hard to provide a caring, fun, vibrant and supportive learning community where every child and their family really do matter.

Further information regarding the School can be obtained here: thamesviewinfants.org ↗ and the trust, here: tvilearning.org ↗

Tender information:

The successful tenderer will be required to provide high quality catering services to Thames View Infants, which has 360 pupils (Reception to Year 2), an 18-place 30 hours’ Nursery, and 80 teaching and support staff.

The contract term being tendered is for three years, 25th May 2026 – 31st July 2029. There is an option for a further extension period for up to two additional years to 31st July 2031.

The contract offers an excellent opportunity to review and propose enhancements to the current catering services at the School. This includes but is not limited to lunchtime services over the academic year, plus hospitality services upon request.

At TVI, we recognise that everybody’s relationship with food is deeply complex, often rooted in intergenerational and traditional family habits. Our mission is to constructively challenge these inherited dispositions and build a truly positive food culture. We place food at the heart of the curriculum through whole-School and in-class family food events. Our ambition is to ensure every child is able to enjoy a wide variety of foods —setting a foundation for a lifelong and healthy love of food. This holistic approach, in partnership with our families and catering provider, aims to transform children's dispositions towards food. We are passionate about this ethos and the Headteacher regularly speaks at national conferences on this vision.

At Thames View Infants, we serve a 100% hot meal offer for all children (no packed lunches are permitted). We desire a high quality food offer for our children, including fresh locally sourced ingredients prepared on site, with a menu design that is flexible to suit the requirements of the School’s multicultural demographic. Meal choices must be balanced and change depending on the season, including themed menu days.

We are engaged in our catering offer. We have a 27-place High Needs Provision with children who may require a restrictive diet due to sensory sensitivities. We run a specialist Lunch Club dedicated to supporting children who are reluctant eaters, used to restrictive diets, or experiencing food phobias. It delivers a high success rate in developing children’s confidence when eating. Even our youngest Nursery children benefit from a nutritious “hot picky tea” at lunchtime. Up to five staff each day undertake a lunch duty and eat with the children, to model lunchtime behaviours and to develop speech and language skills.

The School is proud of its ‘family ethos’ and expects both a tightly managed service’ and a leadership style delivered by the successful contractor that supports the catering staff, who have their own crucial role to play in helping children to recognise and name the foods served. The School’s leadership team are hands-on during lunchtimes.

Lunch is served in the hall , which is a multi-use room. The Contractor will have limited time access each School day to deliver the hot meals service. Service commences at 11:45 and is ongoing until 13:00. During this time, there will be a free flow of children, and it is expected that the contractor will deliver a swift in/out service with provision of adequate staff ratios to manage the service in this manner. The hall must be cleared, cleaned and ready for assembly each day by 1:10pm.

The School 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 its Children; however, it is highly desirable that the winning contractor will offer a total charge per meal at or below the UIFSM funded price throughout the duration of its contract, which allows for school staff to eat with the children at no additional cost. Innovative and creative ideas as to how the services can be developed and value added, will be welcomed. The School seeks a contractor that is keen to work in partnership and who will deliver to its highest abilities, at all times. We welcome a company who are willing to adapt to our needs and embraces our vision for lunchtimes.

Value of contract:

The annual value of the current contract is £192,264

Therefore the value of this contract is £963,120

The contract shall be a guaranteed performance contract with any hospitality requirements billed separately.

The tender process will be run under a two stage Competitive Flexible procedure.

Additional requirements and information:

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

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

•This is a London living wage contract

•There are 3 permanent incumbent catering staff currently within the Local Government Pension Scheme.

•The catering services are currently contracted to Juniper Ventures.

•Please note that this is a growing Trust and should any schools join the trust during the tenure of this catering contract they may join this contract, at the trust’s discretion.

•Please note that the successful tenderer will be required to pay the RIVA tender fee for this project directly to RIVA, upon their contract award.