Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Aylesbury High School
Aylesbury High School, Walton Road, Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP21 7SX
tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
Telephone
+44 1276673880
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKJ1 - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
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/4Y239HNB5V
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
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
Aylesbury High School ~ 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 Supplier will be required to provide catering services for Aylesbury High School
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £1,816,685
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ1 - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Main site or place of performance
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Aylesbury High School is a historic institution dating back to 1598, with the current school opening in 1959. It is the only girls' grammar school in North Buckinghamshire. Renowned for its high educational standards and strong vision and values, the school is both popular and oversubscribed. It serves students aged 11 to 18 from Aylesbury and North Buckinghamshire and in 2023 was awarded “Outstanding” by Ofsted.
The school currently has approximately 1,358 students, with 931 in Years 7 to 11 and 427 in the Sixth Form. The staff comprises 101 teaching and 78 non-teaching members.
For further information, visit the school website at Aylesbury High School - Home
Basis of Contract
The school is seeking a catering contractor with extensive experience to provide catering services at Aylesbury High School. The contractor must be highly creative and innovative, capable of introducing new food concepts while remaining adaptable in their approach to menus to accommodate the diverse range of pupil tastes and dietary requirements.
It is essential that the chosen contractor has extensive knowledge and expertise in providing healthy food options that are fresh, seasonal, locally sourced, and prepared on-site. This includes being well-versed in nutritional standards and requirements and ensuring that the menus are designed to fuel pupils throughout the day.
The school also seeks a contractor whose focus is not only on food quality but also on service delivery and customer satisfaction. The contractor will be expected to conduct a comprehensive review of the current catering services and provide recommendations on enhancing the existing offerings. The primary aim is to deliver a superior catering experience that aligns with the school's vision and values.
The chosen contractor must propose innovative ways to make the contract more environmentally friendly and carbon-neutral, applying sustainability principles to both contract delivery and the contractor’s organization. The contractor's sustainability approach must align with the school’s values.
The contract being tendered runs from 1st August 2025 to 31st July 2028 for an initial three-year period, with an option to extend for a further two years at the discretion of the client. The contract will operate as a Guaranteed Performance Contract, with the successful contractor offering the school a guaranteed return/cost for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff will remain with the school throughout the contract.
The contract covers the provision of all catering services within the school, which currently includes breakfast, mid-morning breaks, lunch, Sixth form café offer, hospitality, and free-issue requirements. Free school meals and hospitality will be charged based on consumption and at net food cost.
While value for money is a key objective of the competitive tender process, the school is not obliged to accept the lowest price. Contract value:
Sales performance per annum is circa £363,337
See SQ Document for more information.
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: £1,816,685
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
1 August 2025
End date
31 July 2030
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged minimum number: 5
Maximum number: 10
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:
A minimum of 5 suppliers and a maximum of 10 suppliers will be taken forward to the tender stage of the process. Where less than 5 suppliers meet the minimum standards, only those that meet the minimum standards will be taken through to the tender stage. Where more than 5 suppliers meet the minimum standard, those suppliers with the highest scores will proceed to the tender stage.
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
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
Restricted 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
28 March 2025
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
7 April 2025
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
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-Buckinghamshire:-School-catering-services./4Y239HNB5V
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/4Y239HNB5V
GO Reference: GO-2025212-PRO-29402827
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Aylesbury High School
Aylesbury High School, Walton Road, Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP21 7SX
tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
Country
United Kingdom