Wessex Learning Trust~ Catering Tender

The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering and hospitality services for Wessex Learning Trust.

23 schools are part of the tender, and we are seeking tender submissions for the whole contract.

The Wessex Learning Trust is a well-established Multi Academy Trust situated in Somerset and will include at the commencement of this contract the following schools where the successful contractor will be required to deliver a service and meet the requirements of the specification at each school from the contract commencement.

The schools which will be part of the tender are:

Primary Schools (20)

•Axbridge CofE First School, Moorland Street, Axbridge, BS26 2BA

•Brent Knoll CofE Primary School, Brent Street, Brent Knoll, Highbridge, TA9 4EQ

•Cheddar First School, Hillfield, The Hayes, Cheddar, BS27 3HN

•Croscombe CofE Primary School, Long Street, Croscombe, Wells, Somerset, BA5 3QL

•Draycott & Rodney Stoke CofE First School, Draycott, Cheddar, BS27 3SD

•East Brent CofE Academy, Church Road, East Brent, Highbridge, TA9 4HZ

•Elmhurst Junior School, Elmhurst Lane, Street, BA16 0HH

•Fairlands Middle School, Mason’s Way, Cheddar, BS27 3PG

•Hugh Sexey CofE Middle School, Sexey’s Road, Blackford, Wedmore BS28 4ND

•Kewstoke Primary School, Kewstoke Road, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, BS22 9YF

•Lympsham CofE Academy, Rectory Way, Lympsham, Weston-Super-Mare, BS24 0EW

•Mark First CofE Academy, The Causeway, Mark, Highbridge, TA9 4QA

•Sandford Primary School, 49 Greenhill Road, Sandford, Winscombe, BS25 5PA

•Shipham CofE First School, Turnpike Road, Shipham, Winscombe, BS25 1TX

•St Cuthbert’s CofE Academy Infants, Keward Walk, Wells, Somerset, BA5 1TZ

•St Cuthbert’s CofE Junior School, Keward Avenue, Wells, Somerset, BA5 1TS

•Stoke St Michael Primary School, Moonshill Road, Stoke St Michael, Radstock, BA3 5LG

•Weare CofE First School, Notting Hill Way, Weare, Axbridge, BS26 2JS

•Wedmore First School, Blackford Road, Wedmore, BS28 4BS

•Winscombe Primary School, Moorham Road, Winscombe BS25 1HH

Secondary Schools (3)

•Crispin School, Church Road, Street, BA16 0AD

•Kings Academy & Kings Sixth Form, Station Road, Cheddar, BS27 3AQ

•Nailsea School, Mizzymead Road, Nailsea, Bristol, BS48 2HN

In addition to this the Multi Academy Trust is expected to grow in the number of schools becoming part of the trust during this contract period, and the provision of catering services within these schools when they have joined the MAT will fall under the scope of this contract. The successful contractor will be expected to provide the service within these additional schools using the same costing model, ratio’s etc they applied to their successful tender submission for the Wessex Learning Trust at the point of tender submission. The duration of the contract for these schools will not be increased, and they will join the contract for the remaining contract period that exists at the point of entry into the MAT.

The contract being tendered is for three years in duration from 1st August 2026 until 31st July 2029, with the option to extend for a further term of three years on the same terms and conditions excluding the right to further extend. The contract will be guaranteed performance in nature.

The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor whose Initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of all catering services within the trust. The high-quality service levels proposed, should maintain excellent standards throughout, resulting in a new food service offer with consistent high standards of food operations across all schools.

Regular customer and parental engagement (using digital platforms and social media) will be required to ensure this is the case moving into the contract term.

These new standards of operation should meet the needs of pupil’s moving forwards into this contract term. The current range of foods needs to be expanded along with the service provision. It is one of the objectives of this tender that the successful contractor will “Utilise a truly local supply chain and the farming belt” in the Somerset area to source all fresh produce, namely:

•Bakery products

•Meat

•Fruit and Vegetables

•Dairy products

The contract at each school will operate on a guaranteed basis (return or subsidy) with all universal free school meals and free school meals being charged to the client monthly at net food cost only. All hospitality is to be charged on a net food cost basis.

The approximate current turnover within the contract annually is £1.8m

The successful contractor will be expected to put forward both innovation and their proposals for making this contract more environmentally sensitive and carbon neutral moving into this contract term both by way of contract delivery and within the successful contractor’s organisation, while working to deliver the Wessex Learning Trust environmental policies. Your approach to sustainability should mirror that of the Wessex Learning Trust.

The successful contractor should be able to evidence significant steps towards carbon neutrality as well as demonstrable plans to achieve their targets throughout the contractual term. It will be expected that sustainability as well as social value be reported through the management review meetings.

The terms and conditions of employment and recognition offered to the catering operatives should be both progressive and forward thinking ensuring that the staffing establishment is always complete, and staff turnover is kept to a minimum.