United Kingdom25 days leftOpen

Invitation to Tender for the provision of Catering Services at Bishop Stopford School

Tender Overview

ORGANIZATION

BISHOP STOPFORD SCHOOL

LOCATION

Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire, United Kingdom

VALUE

£1,387,659

DEADLINE

February 27, 2026 at 16:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

15894210

REFERENCE

002079-2026

Project Timeline

Contact Information

View Original

Original Tender Description

Bishop Stopford School has decided to tender their catering services to investigate the financial and qualitative benefits they could be offered through this process. The contract will be awarded for a three-year duration with the option of two additional, one-year extensions. This is subject to the satisfactory performance of the work. Their preferred arrangement is for a guaranteed return of nil subsidy catering service, which operates a special agreement for VAT, but the School are open to suggestions. The quality of the service and the proposed budget for the second year 2027-28 will be reviewed three months before the expiry of the first twelve months. The School at this time reserves the right to terminate the contract should either the quality or future costs be unacceptable. Aims of the Service Bishop Stopford School wish to be at the forefront of educational catering and as such require a modern, branded offer that reflects the leading trends in the industry. At this time, the School's wish is to commence a catering contract, with a partner who shares their vision for a customer-focused service that attracts the maximum number of students. The meals that are to be provided must be appealing to customers, imaginative, provide good value for money and be nutritionally balanced to encourage all students to make an educated choice. The service is currently managed by a contractor, where the catering team have delivered a good service to the students for many years. The School now feel that it is time to refresh the current contract, to allow the service to be taken to the next level, which will deliver the latest catering concepts and an even better service for its students. The School's objectives for the new contract are as follows: - * A catering service that is well managed and requires minimal involvement from the School's management team. * A strong Contractor Area Manager who will develop and lead the team to deliver exceptional customer service, a consistently high-quality food offer and spend a substantial amount of time on site at the outset to undertake this. * A Contractor who is proactive in their relationship management with the School. * Investment in the School's Catering service through increased marketing in return for a tenure of contract. * A higher number of students and staff using the facilities by providing a high quality, affordable and nutritious meal. * A catering service that encourages students to take a heathy and balanced meal. * Food and drinks that look appetising and are attractively presented. * A hospitality service that will help showcase the School through events to parents and visitors. * A Contractor that adopts a flexible and proactive approach to all School activities. * A service that is professionally merchandised and marketed with discretion and to the mutual benefit of the School and the Contractor. * A Contractor that operates using the optimum level of staffing. Catering Tender Schedule: Contract Start Date - 1st September 2026 Tender issued - 9th January 2026 Site Visits by Contractors - Monday 26th January 2026 Contractor Clarification Deadline - 20th February 2026 Tender Return Deadline - 27th February 2026 Evaluation - Early March 2026 Presentations - 24th March 2026 Reference Site Visits - WC 13th April 2026 Contract Award by - 1st May 2026 Mobilisation Meeting - 10 days after contract award
⚠️

MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • None explicitly stated in the provided tender information.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Must be a Contractor capable of providing catering services.
🔧

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Provide a modern, branded catering offer that reflects leading industry trends.
  • Demonstrate a customer-focused vision for the catering service.
  • Propose strategies to attract the maximum number of students and staff to use the catering facilities.
  • Provide appealing, imaginative, good value for money, and nutritionally balanced meals.
  • Design a service that encourages all students to make educated and healthy food choices.
  • Deliver the latest catering concepts.
  • Provide a service that is superior to the current catering provision.
  • Ensure the catering service is well-managed and requires minimal involvement from the School's management team.
  • Appoint a strong Contractor Area Manager.
  • The Contractor Area Manager must develop and lead the catering team.
  • The Contractor Area Manager must deliver exceptional customer service.
  • The Contractor Area Manager must ensure a consistently high-quality food offer.
  • The Contractor Area Manager must spend a substantial amount of time on site at the outset of the contract.
  • Demonstrate a proactive approach to relationship management with the School.
  • Propose investment in the School's catering service, including increased marketing, in return for contract tenure.
  • Ensure food and drinks are appetising and attractively presented.
  • Provide a hospitality service for school events to showcase the School to parents and visitors.
  • Adopt a flexible and proactive approach to all School activities.
  • Ensure the service is professionally merchandised and marketed discreetly and for mutual benefit.
  • Operate the service using the optimum level of staffing.
  • Maintain satisfactory performance throughout the contract duration (3 years + 2 optional 1-year extensions).
  • Maintain acceptable quality of service, subject to review after the first 12 months.
💰

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Propose a nil-subsidy catering service with a special agreement for VAT as the preferred arrangement, or offer alternative financial models for consideration.
  • Propose acceptable future costs for the second year (2027-28), subject to review after the first 12 months.
📋

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Attend the Contractor Site Visit on Monday, 26th January 2026 (recommended).
  • Submit any clarification questions by 20th February 2026.
  • Submit the tender by the deadline of 27th February 2026.
  • Be prepared to give a presentation on 24th March 2026.
  • Be prepared for reference site visits during the week commencing 13th April 2026 (implies providing references).

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PDF
Official PDF Version
PDF002079-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
Bishop Stopford School is seeking a proactive catering partner to provide a modern, customer-focused, nil-subsidy service for a 3+2-year contract, aiming to enhance student and staff meal experiences with high-quality, affordable, and nutritionally balanced options.

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64
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender for catering services at Bishop Stopford School provides a clear description of requirements and a detailed timeline, but critically lacks explicit evaluation criteria and mandatory exclusion grounds, impacting legal compliance and fairness.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance65/100

The tender clearly defines the procedure type and assigns an appropriate CPV code. The submission deadline provides ample time for preparation. However, the absence of explicitly stated mandatory exclusion grounds and, more critically, the complete omission of evaluation criteria, represent significant legal compliance deficiencies for a tender of this value, which would typically fall under national regulations transposing EU directives.

Missing explicit mandatory exclusion grounds
No evaluation criteria specified
Clarity60/100

The tender description is detailed, outlining the school's objectives and desired service quality clearly. The AI-extracted requirements are comprehensive and understandable. However, the complete absence of specified evaluation criteria is a major clarity issue for potential bidders, making it impossible to understand how proposals will be assessed.

No evaluation criteria specified
Completeness65/100

The tender includes all essential basic information such as title, reference, organization, estimated value, duration, and key deadlines. Requirements are well-articulated. However, the critical omission of evaluation criteria renders the tender incomplete from a bidder's perspective, as a fundamental component for proposal preparation and understanding the award process is missing.

Missing evaluation criteria
Fairness55/100

The tender provides a reasonable timeframe for submission and discloses the estimated value, promoting transparency. However, the absence of evaluation criteria severely compromises fairness, as bidders cannot objectively tailor their proposals or understand the basis of comparison. Furthermore, the lack of electronic submission capabilities creates an unnecessary barrier and reduces equal access for all potential suppliers. The detailed requirements, while not overtly tailored, could implicitly favor larger, more resourced companies due to the emphasis on a 'strong Contractor Area Manager' and 'substantial time on site.'

No evaluation criteria specified
No e-submission
Practicality60/100

The tender clearly specifies the contract start date, duration, and financial expectations (nil-subsidy preference). A detailed tender schedule is provided, including site visits and clarification deadlines. However, the absence of electronic submission capabilities is a significant practical drawback in modern procurement, potentially increasing administrative burden for bidders and the contracting authority.

No e-submission
Data Consistency90/100

The tender exhibits strong data consistency, with all critical dates being logical and flowing correctly within the provided schedule. Key fields such as title, reference, organization, value, and CPV code are populated. Minor inconsistencies include an empty 'Liable Person' field and 'N/A' codes for the procedure type, but these do not detract significantly from overall data integrity.

'Liable Person' empty
'Code: N/A' for Type/Procedure
Sustainability70/100

The tender demonstrates a commendable focus on innovation, seeking a 'modern, branded offer' and 'latest catering concepts.' It also incorporates social aspects by emphasizing nutritionally balanced meals and encouraging healthy choices for students. However, it lacks explicit criteria related to environmental sustainability or green procurement practices, which are increasingly important in public tenders.

No explicit green procurement criteria

Strengths

Clear and detailed description of service aims and objectives
Comprehensive AI-extracted technical and financial requirements
Detailed and logical tender schedule with reasonable submission timeframe
Value disclosed and CPV code appropriately assigned
Strong focus on innovation and student well-being (nutritional aspects)

Concerns

Critical absence of explicit evaluation criteria
Missing explicit mandatory exclusion grounds
Lack of electronic submission capabilities
'Divided into Parts' characteristic is mentioned but not elaborated
Requirements for 'strong Contractor Area Manager' and 'substantial time on site' could implicitly favor larger, more resourced companies

Recommendations

1. Immediately publish clear and objective evaluation criteria to ensure transparency and fairness.
2. Explicitly state all mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds in accordance with national procurement regulations.
3. Implement an electronic submission platform to streamline the process and enhance equal access for bidders.

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B
Tender Quality Score
64/ 100 · Good

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