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The Rainbow Multi Academy Trust ~ Catering Tender

Tender Overview

LOCATION

Merseyside, United Kingdom

VALUE

£2,600,000

DEADLINE

April 24, 2026 at 11:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

55524000

REFERENCE

001594-2026

Project Timeline

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Contact Information

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View Original

Original Tender Description

The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services for the following twelve Schools within The Rainbow Multi Academy Trust (MAT): 1.Bishop Bronescombe C of E School, Boscoppa Road, St Austell, Cornwall, PL5 3DT 2.Grampound Road Village CE School, South Street, Grampound Road, Truro, Cornwall, TR2 4DY 3.Grampound With Creed C of E School, Fore Street, Grampound, Truro, Cornwall, TR2 4SB 4.Ladock C of E Primary School, Ladock, Truro, Cornwall, TR2 4PL 5.Penponds School, Higher Penponds, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 0QN 6.St Issey C of E Primary School, Gardeners Way, St Issey, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 7RN 7.St Meriadoc C of E Infant Academy, Rectory Road, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 7DW 8.St Meriadoc C of E Junior Academy, Cranfield Road, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 7PN 9.St Michael’s C of E Primary School, Penberthy Road, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 8AR 10.Trevithick Learning Academy, Mount Pleasant Road, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 7RH 11.Troon Community Primary School, New Road, Troon, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 9ED 12.Veryan C of E School, Veryan, Truro, Cornwall, TR2 5QA The contract covers the scope for the provision of all catering services within the Schools, which is inclusive of all hospitality and free issue requirements. The duration of the contract being offered is for an initial five-year period commencing on 01 September 2026 and concluding on 31 August 2031, with the potential to then extend for a further two 12-month periods. This extension will be granted by mutual consent and on the same terms and conditions as the original contract without the right to further extend beyond the full five years. The contract being offered within this tender will be on a guaranteed performance basis, with an expected profit share of any betterment to the agreed budget. The Trust is seeking a suitably experienced contractor who is able to evidence working with multiple Primary Schools with varying requirements and Multi Academy Trusts. The successful contractor will already have, or need to develop, a strong operational base within the South West, thus allowing for both adequate contract support and operational flexibility that is to be delivered to support the contract as and when needed moving forwards into this contract term. 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-Liverpool:-School-catering-services./Z89537ZBH3 To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/Z89537ZBH3
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MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • No mandatory exclusion grounds are explicitly stated in the provided tender information.
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ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • The contractor must be suitably experienced.
  • The contractor must be able to evidence working with multiple Primary Schools.
  • The contractor must be able to evidence working with varying requirements across multiple Primary Schools.
  • The contractor must be able to evidence working with Multi Academy Trusts (MATs).
  • The contractor must already have, or need to develop, a strong operational base within the South West.
  • The contractor must be able to provide adequate contract support from their South West operational base.
  • The contractor must be able to provide operational flexibility from their South West operational base.
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TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • The supplier must provide comprehensive catering services for the twelve specified schools within The Rainbow Multi Academy Trust.
  • The services must be inclusive of all hospitality requirements.
  • The services must be inclusive of all free issue requirements.
  • The supplier must operate on a guaranteed performance basis.
  • The supplier must be capable of supporting an initial contract duration of five years, commencing 01 September 2026 and concluding 31 August 2031.
  • The supplier must be capable of extending the contract for a further two 12-month periods by mutual consent, on the same terms and conditions.
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FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • The contract will operate on a guaranteed performance basis.
  • The successful contractor must agree to an expected profit share of any betterment to the agreed budget.
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SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Bidders must visit the Delta eSourcing portal at https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Liverpool:-School-catering-services./Z89537ZBH3 for more information.
  • Bidders must respond to this opportunity via the Delta eSourcing portal at https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/Z89537ZBH3.
  • Bidders must submit their response by the deadline: 2026-04-24 11:00:00.
  • Bidders must refer to the PSQ document for more information regarding the submission process and specific requirements.

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PDF
Official PDF Version
PDF001594-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
This tender notice invites experienced catering contractors with a strong South West operational base to bid for a 5-year (plus 2-year extension) contract to provide comprehensive catering services, including hospitality, for twelve primary schools within The Rainbow Multi Academy Trust, with a guaranteed performance and profit-share model.

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66
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender for school catering services provides a clear scope and utilizes an e-sourcing portal, but is significantly hampered by the absence of specified evaluation criteria and several data inconsistencies.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance75/100

The tender provides a reasonable preparation period from today's date to the submission deadline. The CPV code is correctly assigned, and there are no reported disputes. However, the procedure type 'Competitive flexible procedure' lacks a formal code (N/A), and the reveal date is missing, which are minor legal compliance concerns.

•Missing reveal date
•Procedure type 'Competitive flexible procedure' lacks a formal code (N/A)
Clarity60/100

The description of services and AI-extracted requirements are clear and unambiguous. However, the critical absence of specified evaluation criteria is a major flaw, significantly impacting the clarity of how bids will be assessed.

•No evaluation criteria specified
Completeness60/100

Basic information, deadlines, value, and duration are provided. However, the tender is incomplete due to the lack of specified evaluation criteria. Furthermore, only one PDF document is listed (and marked 'Required: No'), despite mentioning a 'PSQ document' and indicating '4 total' documents, suggesting incomplete document processing or listing.

•No evaluation criteria specified
•Incomplete document listing/processing (PSQ document mentioned but not listed, only 1 of 4 total documents processed)
Fairness65/100

The tender utilizes an e-procurement portal and discloses the estimated value, promoting equal access. However, the complete absence of evaluation criteria severely undermines transparency and objectivity, making it difficult for bidders to understand how to compete fairly. The requirement for a 'strong operational base within the South West' could also be seen as potentially restrictive, favoring existing regional providers.

•No evaluation criteria specified, impacting transparency and objectivity
•Requirement for 'strong operational base within the South West' could be restrictive
Practicality90/100

The tender scores highly on practicality, supporting electronic submission via a provided e-sourcing portal. Key dates like contract start and duration are clearly specified, and financing information is available.

Data Consistency65/100

While most key fields are populated and dates are logical, there are several inconsistencies. 'Value Classified: Yes' contradicts the disclosed estimated value. 'Characteristics: Divided into Parts' is stated, but the description implies a single contract for all schools. 'Liable Person' is empty, and procedure codes are 'N/A'.

•'Value Classified: Yes' contradicts the disclosed 'Estimated Value'
•'Characteristics: Divided into Parts' does not align with the description of a single contract for 12 schools
Sustainability20/100

The tender does not explicitly mention any green procurement, social aspects, or innovation focus. It is also not indicated as EU funded, which typically correlates with higher sustainability standards.

•No explicit green procurement criteria
•No explicit social criteria

Strengths

Clear description of services and scope
Electronic submission supported via e-sourcing portal
Reasonable preparation time for bidders (from today's date)
Estimated value and contract duration clearly specified
CPV code correctly assigned

Concerns

Absence of specified evaluation criteria (major concern)
Incomplete document listing and processing
Several data inconsistencies (e.g., value classification, contract characteristics)
Potential for regional bias with 'strong operational base' requirement
Lack of explicit sustainability, social, or innovation criteria

Recommendations

1. Immediately publish comprehensive evaluation criteria to ensure transparency and fairness.
2. Ensure all relevant tender documents, including the PSQ, are clearly listed, accessible, and processed.
3. Review and correct all data inconsistencies, especially regarding value classification and contract characteristics.

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Tender Quality Score
66/ 100 · Good
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