Contract

Alban Academies Trust ~ Catering Tender

  • Alban Academies Trust

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2022/S 000-021209

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0322ee

Published 3 August 2022, 10:05am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Alban Academies Trust

The Ridgeway

St Albans

AL4 9NX

Email

tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk

Telephone

+44 1276673880

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKH23 - Hertfordshire

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://albanacademiestrust.org.uk/

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

Alban Academies 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 Supplier will be required to provide catering services for the Alban Academies Trust.

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)

Value excluding VAT: £1,750,340

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKH23 - Hertfordshire
Main site or place of performance

Hertfordshire

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Alban Academies Trust serves primary and secondary schools in and near St. Albans. Our mission is to build a learning community that shares and promotes educational excellence for everyone. All members of the Trust are valued and able to make a powerful contribution to the on-going progress of improvement across the AAT.

The Trust currently comprises of five schools, three secondary schools: Ridgeway Academy, Sandringham School and Verulam School and three primary schools: Garden Fields JMI School, Wheatfields Infants’ and Nursery School and Wheatfields Junior School.

This catering tender is for the catering services at 2 schools – where this is a 2 + 3 contract. It is likely that a Trust wide catering contract to encompass the other secondary schools at least, will be run for 1st August 2024 – to align with the end dates of the current contracts at the other schools.

Schools included in this tender:

Ridgeway Academy

Ridgeway Academy is an 11-18 Mixed Secondary School with Academy status and is part of the Alban Academies Trust.

The school currently employs 116 teaching and support staff and has 902 students on roll )expected to rise to 952 next year) which includes 83 students in Sixth Form (expected to rise to 100 next year)

•Please be advised that the catering service is currently contracted to Edwards and Blake

•The total catering sales per annum at this school are: 2018/19 £185,793 (pre-pandemic)

•Our current year to date sales for Sept 21 to Feb 22 are £72,848.95 (March 21 to August 2021was £58,750)

Garden Fields

Garden Fields Junior Mixed and Infant School is in St. Albans and currently has 578 pupils ages 4 to 11 and approximately 80 members of staff. The school is reducing its PAN from 90 to 60 in September 2022 and for subsequent years due to lower local pupil numbers. The school went through an expansion from 2015 to 2021 increasing PAN from 60 to 90 each year.

•The school is currently using Herts Catering Ltd.

•The 2019 sales were £164275

Therefore the total annual sales are £350,068

Therefore the total value of the contract (annual sales x 5) = £1,750,340

The Tender

The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor whose initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of service within the existing facilities of all schools, with a focus on exciting new food concepts to satisfy a wide range of pupil tastes and dietary requirements. The Schools would wish the successful contractor to review the current range of services offered and make recommendations accordingly.

The contract being tendered is for two years in duration from 1st August 2022 to 31st July 2024 with the option to extend for up to a further 3 years at the discretion of the client. However, it is very much expected that a Trust wide catering tender will be run to bring all schools into one catering contract for a new Trust contract for 1st August 2024.

This contract will operate as a Guaranteed Performance Contract, with the successful Contractor offering the School a guaranteed return / cost per annum for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff is to remain with the Trust for the duration of this contract.

The School year at all schools is based on a calendar of 195 days. Five days are to be used for staff professional development which means that School will be open to receive students for the legal minimum of 190 days.

The contract offered covers the scope for the provision of all catering services within the School, which currently includes morning break, lunch, all hospitality and free issue requirements. Free School meals are to be charged with a margin attached and hospitality will be charged based on consumption and at net food cost.

Whilst the Trust prioritises value for money as a key objective of the Competitive Tender Process, it is not obliged to accept the lowest price.

See SQ Document for more information.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

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 four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Restricted procedure

Accelerated procedure

Justification:

The current catering contract ends on 31 July 2022

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.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2022/S 000-007252


Section five. Award of contract

Contract No

007252

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

5 July 2022

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 4

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 4

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Aspens Services Limited

Ground Floor, Teme House, Whittington Road, Whittington

Worcester

WR5 2RY

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKG12 - Worcestershire
National registration number

06561073

The contractor is an SME

No

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot: £1,057,940


Section six. Complementary information

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.

To view this notice, please click here:

https://litmustms.co.uk/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=710705377

GO Reference: GO-202283-PRO-20723254

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Alban Academies Trust

The Ridgeway

St Albans

AL4 9NX

Country

United Kingdom