Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Alban Academies Trust
The Ridgeway
St Albans
AL4 9NX
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