Tender

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme Distribution

  • NHS Supply Chain

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-024953

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-03b3f9

Published 24 August 2023, 1:24pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

NHS Supply Chain

Wellington House, 133-155 Waterloo Road

London

SE1 8UG

Email

governance@supplychain.nhs.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care/about

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

https://nhssupplychain.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://nhssupplychain.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

National or federal Agency/Office

one.5) Main activity

Health


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme Distribution

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 15000000 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

NHS Supply Chain: Food is seeking suppliers who will have the capacity and capability to’ deliver and possess the drive to work collaboratively with NHS Supply Chain: Food and Schools to provide the right solution and manage the Distribution into Schools as part of the SFVS.

This procurement is for:

• The distribution, storage and management of Fruit and Vegetable products under the SFVS to schools in England, which is a Government funded initiative that supplies a piece of fruit or vegetable to all key stage 1 children (ages 4-7) in England for consumption up to 190 days each academic year.

This procurement will be known as School Fruit and Vegetable Distribution (SFVD) and the Authority will award in line with the evaluation steps outlined within this ITT which is anticipated to be no more than 21 suppliers (although this may be more including reserve suppliers awarded) to the Framework Agreement to the most economically advantageous Applicants who will act as suppliers for the SFVS (the “Framework Agreement”).

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £75,900,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: Yes

Tenders may be submitted for all lots

Maximum number of lots that may be awarded to one tenderer: 1

two.2) Description

two.2.1) Title

Lot 1 – School Fruit and Vegetable Distribution (SFVD)

Lot No

1

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 03200000 - Cereals, potatoes, vegetables, fruits and nuts
  • 03220000 - Vegetables, fruits and nuts
  • 03221200 - Fruit vegetables
  • 15300000 - Fruit, vegetables and related products
  • 15332410 - Dried fruit
  • 64120000 - Courier services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

NHS Supply Chain: Food seeks to establish a Non-exclusive Framework Agreement for the supply of School Fruit and Vegetable Distribution to Schools in England (the “Customer(s)”). via the Direct Route.

The awarded suppliers will be responsible for the storage management and distribution of the product lines to Schools within the scheme in England.

The Framework Agreement will have an initial term of 24 months with an option to extend incrementally for up to a further 24 months.

The contract will be for a maximum term of 48 months.

It is anticipated that in the first 24 months the value of the Framework Agreement will be in the region of £37,950,000. This is based on the around 16,520 Primary Schools currently using the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

For the full 48 month term (if extended) the anticipated value of the Framework Agreement will be in the region of £75,900,000.

These values are approximate only and are based on the most recent historical usage information. The values provided are for guidance only and are not a guarantee of business.

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: £75,900,000

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months

24

This contract is subject to renewal

Yes

Description of renewals

Applicants may tender for one, more than one, or all the Regions detailed in Appendix 8 – Distributor Depot Information.

The value for the first 24 months is anticipated to be £37,950,000 and £75,900,000 for the full 48 months (if extended).

Applicants should refer to Appendix 2 – Specification for full details regarding the Regions referred to in the Lot above.

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

The Framework Agreement will have the option to extend incrementally for up to a further

24 months.

The contract will be for a maximum term of 48 months.

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.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

List and brief description of conditions

List and brief description of conditions

Applicants may bid for one, more than one or all lots and Applicants should refer to the Invitation to Tender for more information in respect of this.

The term of contracts formed under the Framework Agreement may continue beyond the end of the term of the Framework Agreement itself.

NHS Supply Chain: Food will share savings information in order to assist its customers with making informed procurement decisions. NHS Supply Chain: Food intends to enter into arrangements under which it will be entitled to purchase supplies and/or services which it

will make available for purchase by the following eligible users:

1) any NHS Trust;

2) any other NHS entity;

3) any government department, agency or other statutory body;

4) any private sector entity active in the UK healthcare sector and/or

5) any local authority will be able to utilise this Framework agreement to run further

competition with the written consent of NHS Supply Chain: Food in order to secure a direct contract.

Electronic ordering will be used and electronic invoicing will be accepted and electronic payment will be used.

NHS Supply Chain: Food does not guarantee any level of purchase through the Framework and advises applicants that the Framework shall be established on a non-exclusive basis. Tenders and all supporting documentation for the contract must be priced in sterling and written in English. Any agreement entered into will be considered a contract made in England according to English law and will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English

Courts. NHS Supply Chain: Food is not liable for any costs (including any third party costs fees or expenses incurred by those expressing an interest, participating or tendering for this Page 14 to 17 contract opportunity. NHS Supply Chain: Food reserves the right to terminate the procurement process (or part of it), to change the basis of and the procedures for the procurement process at any time or to procure the subject matter of the contract by alternative means if it appears that it can be more advantageously procured by alternative means.

All communications must be made through NHS Supply Chain's eTendering portal at

https://nhssupplychain.app.jaggaer.com using the message centre facility linked to this

particular contract notice. Please note that the maximum number of suppliers as set out in

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

three.2) Conditions related to the contract

three.2.2) Contract performance conditions

The Framework Agreement includes obligations with respect to contract performance for the successful supplier.


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Open procedure

four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system

The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement

Framework agreement with several operators

Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 21

four.1.6) Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction will be used

Additional information about electronic auction

Once applicants have passed Steps 1-3 as described in the ITT, they will be invited to participate in an eAuction. Further details regarding the eAuction can be found within the ITT document.

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: 2023/S 000-007867

four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date

26 September 2023

Local time

3:00pm

four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted

English

four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

Duration in months: 7 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

27 September 2023

Local time

9:00am


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: Yes

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

Submission of expression of interest and procurement specific information:

This procurement exercise will be conducted on the NHS Supply Chain eProcurement portal at https://nhssupplychain.app.jaggaer.com/ Candidates wishing to be considered for this contract must register their expression of

interest and provide additional procurement-specific information (if required) through the NHS Supply Chain eProcurement portal using the URL https://nhssupplychain.app.jaggaer.com/ to access the portal. Please see instructions

below on how to Express Interest and Intend to Respond:

- Once you have registered and logged in to Jaggaer, you will see a section called ‘Supplier

Area’. Under this you will need to go to ‘ITTs open to All Suppliers’. In this section you will

find an ITT titled ‘School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme Distribution’, click into this.

- Once you have clicked into the ITT, click ‘Express Interest’ in the top right-hand corner.

Once you have expressed interest in the ITT, a new option will appear titled ‘Intent to

Respond’. You will need to click intend to respond to be able to fill in a response.

- Once you have Expressed Interest and Intended to Respond to the ITT, this will now sit

under ‘My ITTs’ in the Supplier Area and will no longer show under ‘ITTs Open to all

Suppliers’.

Please ensure to download and read all documents contained within the Attachments area

Details of how to submit your response can be found within the Invitation to Tender

document.

For any technical help with the portal please contact: Tel: 0800 069 8630 or email: help_uk@jaggaer.com

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

N/A

N/A

Country

United Kingdom

six.4.3) Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures

Appeals to be logged in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as

amended)