Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
The Arden Forest C of E Multi Academy Trust
St Nicholas Primary School, St Faith’s Road
Alcester
B49 6AG
tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
Telephone
+44 1276673880
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKG13 - Warwickshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.ardenforestmat.org/
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/2PSQ2986RU
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
The Arden Forest C of E Multi Academy 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 and hospitality services for The Arden Forest C of E Multi Academy Trust.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £3,840,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKG13 - Warwickshire
Main site or place of performance
Warwickshire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering and hospitality services for The Arden Forest C of E Multi Academy Trust.
Ten schools are part of this tender (please see below) we are seeking tender submissions for the whole contract.
The Arden Forest C of E Multi Academy Trust is well established Multi Academy Trust situated in South Warwickshire and will include at the commencement to this contract the following 8 schools with two further schools joining the contract in early 2026 (please see below) where the successful contractor will be required to deliver a service and meet the requirements of the specification at each school from the contract commencement.
The eight schools which will be part of this tender at contract commencement are:
•Coughton CE Primary School ~ Coughton Lane, Coughton, Warwickshire B49 5HN
•The Ferncumbe CE Primary School ~ Hatton Green, Warwick, CV35 7EX
•Harbury C of E Primary School ~ Mill Street, Harbury, Leamington Spa, CV33 9HR
•Henley in Arden Church of England Primary School ~ Arden Road, Henley in Arden, B95 5FT
•St Nicholas C of E Primary School ~ St Faiths Road, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6AG
•Studley Infants' School ~ High Street, Studley, Warwickshire, B80 7HJ
•Tanworth-in-Arden Church of England Primary School and Nursery ~ The Green, Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire, B94 5AJ.
•Wootton Wawen Church of England Primary School ~ Alcester Road, Wootton Wawen, Solihull, Warwickshire, B95 6AY
The below two schools will join the contract in 2026
•Temple Grafton Church of England Primary School ~ Church Bank, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 6NU ~ joining the contract on 3rd January 2026
•St Nicholas C of E Primary School ~ The Blundells, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2PE ~ joining the contract on 31st March 2026
In addition to this The Multi Academy Trust is expected to grow in the number of schools becoming part of the trust during this contract period, and the provision of catering services within these schools when they have joined the MAT will fall under the scope of this contract. The successful contractor will be expected to provide this service within these additional schools using the same costing model, ratios etc. that they applied to their successful tender submission for the Arden Forest C of E Multi Academy Trust at the point of tender submission. The duration of contract for these schools will not be increased and they will join the contract for the remaining contract period that exists at the point of entry into the MAT.
The contract being tendered is for three years in duration from 1 August 2025 until 31 July 2028, with the option to extend for a further term of three years on the same terms and conditions excluding the right to further extend. The contract will be guaranteed performance in nature.
The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor whose initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of all catering services within the Trust. The high-quality service levels proposed, should maintain excellent standards throughout, resulting in a new food service offer with consistent high standards of food operations across all Schools.
Regular customer and parental engagement (using digital platforms and social media) will be required to ensure this is the case moving into the contract term
These new standards of operation should meet the needs of the pupil’s moving forwards into this contract term. The current range of foods needs to be expanded along with the service provision. It is one of the objectives of this tender that the successful contractor will utilise a truly local supply chain and the farming” belt” in Warwickshire and Worcestershire areas to source all fresh produce, namely being:
Bakery Products
Meat
Fruit and Vegetables
Dairy Products
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: £3,840,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
1 August 2025
End date
31 July 2031
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 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
13 December 2024
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
20 January 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-Alcester:-School-catering-services./2PSQ2986RU
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/2PSQ2986RU
GO Reference: GO-2024114-PRO-28387454
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The Arden Forest C of E Multi Academy Trust
St Nicholas Primary School, St Faith’s Road
Alcester
B49 6AG
Country
United Kingdom