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Tenders

St Patrick & St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School & St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School ~ Catering Tender

Open
Deadline
21 days left
April 17, 2026
Contract Details
Category
Open Procedure
Reference
004294-2026
Value
£948,750
Location
West Midlands, United Kingdom
Published
March 19, 2026
CPV Code
Project Timeline

Tender Published

January 19, 2026

Deadline for Questions

April 10, 2026

Submission Deadline

April 17, 2026

Contract Start Date

August 31, 2026

Budget
£948,750
Duration
36 months
Location
West Midlands
Type
Open Procedure
70
Quality Score/100
Good

Original Tender Description

The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services for St Patrick and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School. The annual contract value for the two schools combined is approximately £189.750 and the initial contract term will be three years, commencing 1 September 2026 and concluding 31 August 2029. The contract will operate on a guaranteed performance basis, offering a fixed annual return and/or subsidy. There will be an option to extend for a further term of two years by mutual agreement. Overview of St Patrick and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School St Patrick’s & St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School is a Nursery to Year 6 primary school located in Birmingham, with nursery pupils attending either half-day or full-day sessions. Currently 42% of pupils are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). The school has approximately 306 pupils on roll including nursery pupils and 43 staff employed on site. The annual contract value is approximately £105,000. The school currently operates as a two-form entry, although pupil numbers are now in decline. The school is split across two separate sites: one accommodating EYFS and KS1 (Nursery to Year 2), and a second site for KS2 (Years 3–6). All food is prepared in the KS1 kitchen and then transported to the KS2 site for service during the lunch period. The two sites are located approximately 900 metres apart. Overview of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is based in Darlaston in the West Midlands. Currently 40.7% of pupils are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). The school has approximately 243 pupils on roll including nursery pupils and 26 staff employed on site. The annual contract value is approximately £84,750. The school has a serving kitchen only and lunches are currently delivered in from another site. This tender seeks to appoint a flexible, proactive, and innovative catering contractor capable of meeting the evolving needs of the school communities. The appointed contractor will be expected to deliver high-quality service standards, maintaining excellence in all aspects of the operation. The new food offer should deliver consistent quality and value, supported by regular engagement with both pupils and parents throughout the contract term. Moving into this new contract period, the school aims to expand both the range of foods and the level of service provision. One key objective is for the successful contractor to maximise the use of the local supply chain and farming network in the West Midlands by sourcing fresh produce — including bakery products, meat, fruit and vegetables, and dairy — from suppliers within a 25-mile radius of the schools Working with the local community is central to the school’s values, and we wish to ensure that all fresh produce is sourced locally wherever possible. Please see PSQ Document for more information. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at: https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Birmingham:-School-catering-services./9JMCZB5R98 To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/9JMCZB5R98

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Requirements & Qualifications

22 requirements across 5 categories

Submission (3)
Mandatory (1)
Compliance (4)
Technical (11)
Financial (3)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS3
--Must respond to the opportunity via the Delta eSourcing portal (https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/9JMCZB5R98).
--Must submit the bid by the deadline: 2026-04-17T12:00:00+01:00.
--Must provide information as requested in the PSQ Document.
MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS1
--No mandatory exclusion grounds are explicitly stated in the provided tender information.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS4
--Must be a catering contractor.
--Must be capable of providing catering services for St Patrick & St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School.
--Must be capable of operating on a guaranteed performance basis, offering a fixed annual return and/or subsidy.
TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS11
--Must be a flexible, proactive, and innovative catering contractor.
--Must be capable of meeting the evolving needs of the school communities.
--Must deliver high-quality service standards, maintaining excellence in all aspects of the operation.
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS3
--Must be able to provide catering services for a combined annual contract value of approximately £189,750.
--Must be able to operate on a guaranteed performance basis, offering a fixed annual return and/or subsidy.
--Must be prepared for a potential total contract value of up to £948,750 over five years (initial 3 years + 2-year extension option).

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Documents

4 documents available with AI summaries

OCDS RecordDOC
004294-2026_ocds_record.json

This tender seeks a flexible, proactive, and innovative catering contractor to provide high-quality, locally-sourced catering services for two Catholic primary schools in the West Midlands, with an annual value of approximately £189,750 over an initial three-year term.

OCDS Release PackageDOC
004294-2026_ocds_release.json

This tender seeks a flexible, proactive, and innovative catering contractor to provide high-quality services for two Catholic primary schools in the West Midlands, with an annual value of approximately £189,750, emphasizing local sourcing and community engagement.

Official PDF VersionPDF
004294-2026_official.pdf

This tender seeks a flexible, proactive, and innovative catering contractor to provide high-quality services for two Catholic primary schools in the West Midlands, valued at approximately £189,750 annually for an initial three years, with a strong emphasis on local sourcing and meeting evolving community needs.

Tender NoticeHTM
004294-2026.html

This tender seeks a flexible, proactive, and innovative catering contractor to provide high-quality services for two Catholic primary schools in the West Midlands, with a combined annual value of £189,750, emphasizing local sourcing and community engagement.

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70
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender provides a clear description of the required catering services with a strong focus on sustainability, but significantly lacks explicit evaluation criteria, impacting clarity and fairness. While basic information is well-defined, the full tender documents are not directly provided in this extract.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance75/100

The tender provides a reasonable submission period and correctly assigned CPV codes. However, the procedure type 'Competitive flexible procedure' lacks a code and further definition, and mandatory exclusion grounds are not explicitly stated in the AI-extracted requirements. The 'Value Classified: Yes' flag contradicts the explicit value provided.

Missing procedure code and full definition for 'Competitive flexible procedure'
No explicit mandatory exclusion grounds stated
Clarity60/100

The description of the service and the schools' needs is very clear and detailed. The AI-extracted requirements are also comprehensive and understandable. However, the critical absence of specified evaluation criteria is a major drawback, making it difficult for bidders to understand how their proposals will be judged.

Missing explicit evaluation criteria
Completeness70/100

Basic information, timelines, estimated value, and duration are well-specified. Requirements are clearly outlined. However, the full tender documents (e.g., PSQ) are not directly included in this extract, and the crucial evaluation criteria are missing, limiting the overall completeness of the provided information.

Full tender documents (e.g., PSQ) not directly provided in the extract
Missing explicit evaluation criteria
Fairness65/100

The tender benefits from electronic submission, reasonable deadlines, and disclosed value. Requirements appear generic and not tailored. However, the lack of explicit and transparent evaluation criteria is a significant fairness concern, as it can lead to subjective assessment and reduce trust in the procurement process.

Missing explicit evaluation criteria
Practicality75/100

Electronic submission is supported, and direct URLs for information and response are provided. The contract start date and duration are clearly specified. While the estimated value is known, specific detailed financing information beyond 'guaranteed performance basis' is not fully elaborated in the provided text.

Lack of specific detailed financing information beyond estimated value
Data Consistency70/100

Dates are logical and consistent, and there are no reported disputes or suspensions. However, some key fields like 'Liable Person' are empty, and procedure codes are missing. The 'Value Classified: Yes' flag directly contradicts the explicit estimated value provided, indicating a data inconsistency.

Missing codes for 'Type' and 'Procedure'
'Value Classified: Yes' contradicts explicit estimated value
Sustainability85/100

This tender scores highly on sustainability due to its explicit focus on local sourcing (25-mile radius for fresh produce), which contributes to both green procurement (reduced food miles) and social aspects (supporting local economy and community values). The call for an 'innovative' contractor also indicates an innovation focus.

Strengths

Clear and detailed description of service requirements and school context
Strong emphasis on local sourcing and community engagement (sustainability)
Reasonable submission deadline (58 days)
Electronic submission and portal access provided
Value and duration clearly specified

Concerns

Missing explicit evaluation criteria, impacting clarity and fairness
'Competitive flexible procedure' not fully defined and missing procedure codes
'Value Classified: Yes' contradicts explicit value disclosure
Full tender documents (e.g., PSQ) not directly provided in the extract
No explicit mention of mandatory exclusion grounds in AI-extracted requirements

Recommendations

1. Clearly define and publish the evaluation criteria to ensure transparency and fairness for all bidders.
2. Ensure all full tender documentation (e.g., PSQ, ITT) is readily accessible and clearly linked from the main tender notice.
3. Clarify the 'Competitive flexible procedure' and populate all missing procedure codes for full legal compliance and consistency.

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