Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Orwell Multi Academy Trust
Halifax Primary School, Prince Of Wales Drive
Ipswich
IP2 8PY
tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
Telephone
+44 1276673880
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH14 - Suffolk
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/C2M4533J28
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/C2M4533J28
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Education
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Orwell Multi Academy Trust ~ Catering Tender
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 55524000 - School catering services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The successful bidder will be required to provide catering services for Orwell Multi Academy Trust.
Please be advised that this tender is being run on an open process. Bidders must submit both their SQ and tender response by 24th February 2023 at 12.00. Please see below access links for both stages:
SQ https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/C2M4533J28
Tender https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/79TMRBK638
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £2,450,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH14 - Suffolk
Main site or place of performance
Suffolk
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Catering at Orwell Multi Academy Trust (OMAT) is generally regarded by stakeholders as being at even keel, with a settled workforce and safe systems of work being applied. The catering service does seem to be lacking in confidence and style and in consistency from school to school, which should be standard components, post Covid for a MAT with good facilities and relatively close locality.
The reason for this accelerated process is the incumbent service provider’s desire to exit the contract a term early due to a reassessment of operating priorities.
The Trust expects the successful Supplier to enable the continued development of catering through the provision of an innovative, healthy food service, with fresh, seasonal, with ideally some locally sourced ingredients being prepared on-site. The Trust expects the successful Supplier to evidence, through their bid, how they shall support and complement its values and support the principles of Every Child Matters.
Every child matters link:
The Trust believes that school meals should be accessible for all children and would love every child to have the value and benefit from a hot meal daily, and if not a hot meal then a nutritionally balanced and controlled cold offer from the ‘pick and mix’ menu.
As a Trust who are continually seeking ways to improve and develop the ethos and environment for pupils and staff, to give them the facilities they deserve and need to meet the challenges of the 21st Century, any consideration regarding inward capital investment as part of the Supplier’s tender submission would be welcomed. The facilities are generally good with functioning and well maintained core equipment – some of the more obvious (and significant) equipment gaps are noted in the kitchen snapshot part of the data pack.
The trust would also welcome bidders to create an as environmentally friendly provision as possible.
The trust intends the contract to give as much cost certainty as possible, through potential guaranteeing maximum key cost lines, cost of labour, management fee and elements of sundry spend, however the trust would expect any profit share scheme proposed to be with each individual school as opposed to trust level, therefore rewarding local best practices.
The core objectives of the trust for the catering service are as follows:
•To provide a food offer that fuels and inspires it’s pupils and staff with quality and consistency
•To find a service partner that proactively develops the menu and takes ownership of service development
•To develop the skills, competence and confidence of the loyal existing workforce to help raise quality and drive standards and consistency from school to school
Full details in relation to Orwell Multi Academy Trust and the latest Ofsted report findings may be obtained by visiting:
Home | Orwell Multi Academy Trust (omat.org.uk)
The contract being tendered is for three years and one term in duration - from April 2023 to 31st August 2026 with the option to extend for a further two years, the extension would only be for 1 year at a time and is expected to operate as a cost plus with guarantees contract, with the successful Supplier offering the Trust guaranteed lines or the caterer offering a guaranteed annual return for the provision of catering services. The school will maintain sovereignty of tariff throughout the contract and will work in partnership with the contractor to address any operational issues. The trust has a realistic approach to the current issues of food cost price inflation and Labour rate rises and will work in partnership with the chosen service partner to accommodate budgetary adjustments if they are required.
See SQ document for further details.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £2,450,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
1 April 2023
End date
31 August 2028
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: Yes
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2.14) Additional information
To respond to this opportunity please click here: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/C2M4533J28
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
24 February 2023
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
24 February 2023
Local time
12:00pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.3) Additional information
The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.
It will be the supplier's responsibility to obtain any necessary documents in order to submit a response by the closing date and time.
The contracting authority reserves the right not to award any or part of the contract which is the subject of this contract notice and reserves the right to terminate the procurement process at any time.
The contracting authority will not be liable for any costs incurred by those expressing an interest in tendering for this contract opportunity.
The contracting authority will consider variant bids, evaluating them (so far as the variant or the evaluation of the variant is in the opinion of the contracting authority practicable) on the same basis as a conforming bid, but shall not be obliged to accept any such bid in preference to a conforming bid even if the variant bid scores more highly. No variant will be considered unless the bidder simultaneously submits a conforming bid.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:
https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Ipswich:-School-catering-services./C2M4533J28" target="_blank">https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Ipswich:-School-catering-services./C2M4533J28
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/C2M4533J28" target="_blank">https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/C2M4533J28
GO Reference: GO-2023124-PRO-21972043
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Orwell Multi Academy Trust
Ipswich
Country
United Kingdom