Tender

***Pre-Market Engagement*** BSP-24-017 Review of EA Catering Service Delivery Model

  • the Education Authority

UK4: Tender notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-015544

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-050401

Published 16 April 2025, 1:07pm



Scope

Reference

BSP-24-017

Description

***This is a Pre-Market Engagement Exercise*** The purpose of the preliminary market engagement exercise is to inform suppliers in the current market and gain information to inform a potential future procurement. At this stage, any information gathered through this Exercise will inform internal business planning and any possible subsequent procurement process and will NOT be appraised in any future tender evaluation exercise. For the avoidance of doubt, this is the scoping phase and is not part of a formal procurement process. The EA's Catering Service in Northern Ireland is responsible for producing approximately 155,000 - 160,000 meals per day to children within nursery, primary, special, and post-primary schools. The cost of production versus the school meal charge is one of a number of challenges the service is experiencing within the current delivery model. The EA Catering service wishes to look at possible other models which will address the risks and issues currently being experienced. This exercise will not include Post Primary Schools (133 locations). The EA is seeking to establish the costs of alternative catering model which will produce meals, package, deliver and serve in the school sectors detailed.

Total value (estimated)

  • £0 excluding VAT
  • £0 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Contract dates (estimated)

  • 29 August 2025 to 29 August 2025
  • 1 day

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

  • 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
  • 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services
  • 79410000 - Business and management consultancy services
  • 79411000 - General management consultancy services

Participation

Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation

***This is a Pre-Market Engagement Exercise***

Technical ability conditions of participation

***This is a Pre-Market Engagement Exercise***


Submission

Enquiry deadline

12 May 2025, 3:00pm

Submission type

Requests to participate

Deadline for requests to participate

12 May 2025, 11:59pm

Submission address and any special instructions

PME responses to be submitted via the secure messaging function in eTendersNI for this CfT https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps/home.do

Tenders may be submitted electronically

Yes

Languages that may be used for submission

English

Award decision date (estimated)

30 June 2025


Award criteria

This table displays the award criteria of the lot
Name Description Type
***This is a Pre-Market Engagement Exercise***

***This is a Pre-Market Engagement Exercise***

Quality

Weighting description

***This is a Pre-Market Engagement Exercise***


Other information

Applicable trade agreements

  • Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

Conflicts assessment prepared/revised

Yes


Procedure

Procedure type

Competitive flexible procedure

Competitive flexible procedure description

***This is a Pre-Market Engagement Exercise*** The purpose of the preliminary market engagement exercise is to inform suppliers in the current market and gain information to inform a potential future procurement. At this stage, any information gathered through this Exercise will inform internal business planning and any possible subsequent procurement process and will NOT be appraised in any future tender evaluation exercise. For the avoidance of doubt, this is the scoping phase and is not part of a formal procurement process. The EA's Catering Service in Northern Ireland is responsible for producing approximately 155,000 - 160,000 meals per day to children within nursery, primary, special, and post-primary schools. The cost of production versus the school meal charge is one of a number of challenges the service is experiencing within the current delivery model. The EA Catering service wishes to look at possible other models which will address the risks and issues currently being experienced. This exercise will not include Post Primary Schools (133 locations). The EA is seeking to establish the costs of alternative catering model which will produce meals, package, deliver and serve in the school sectors detailed.


Contracting authority

the Education Authority

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PPHJ-6982-JPXY

40 Academy Street

Belfast

BT1 2NQ

United Kingdom

Region: UKN06 - Belfast

Organisation type: Public authority - central government

Devolved regulations that apply: Northern Ireland