Scope
Reference
CAT-25-004
Description
***This is not a tender exercise by the Education Authority*** The Education Authority Northern Ireland (EANI) wishes to engage with the market to seek their views on establishing a robust, value for money contract for the provision of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables. Any information gathered through this market consultation exercise will inform internal business planning and any possible subsequent procurement process and will NOT be appraised in any future tender evaluation exercise. Please note that participation or non-participation in this preliminary market consultation exercise shall not prevent any supplier from participating in any potential procurement process, nor is it intended that any information supplied shall place any supplier at an advantage or disadvantage in any forthcoming procurement process. For the avoidance of doubt, this is the scoping phase of the project and is not part of a formal procurement process. Suppliers who wish to participate in the market engagement exercise should complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire. Further information including the questionnaire can be downloaded from CfT documents. The Questionnaire must be completed and PME Document signed and returned via the Messaging function of eTendersNI by no later than 3pm on Friday 25th July 2025 (deadline) in accordance with the instructions detailed in the PME Questionnaire" document. There are no formal tender documents to be completed other than the questionnaire.
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031
- Possible extension to 31 March 2032
- 6 years
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
- 15000000 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products
- 15300000 - Fruit, vegetables and related products
- 15310000 - Potatoes and potato products
- 15330000 - Processed fruit and vegetables
- 15312000 - Potato products
- 15313000 - Processed potatoes
- 15331000 - Processed vegetables
- 15331110 - Processed root vegetables
- 15331100 - Fresh or frozen vegetables
- 15331120 - Processed tuber vegetables
- 15331130 - Beans, peas, peppers, tomatoes and other vegetables
- 15331135 - Processed mushrooms
- 15331140 - Leaf and cabbage vegetables
- 15331136 - Processed peppers
- 15331142 - Processed cabbage
- 15331470 - Sweet corn
- 15331480 - Provisionally preserved vegetables
- 15332000 - Processed fruit and nuts
- 15332100 - Processed fruit
- 15332180 - Melons
- 03222310 - Berry fruit
- 03221000 - Vegetables
- 03220000 - Vegetables, fruits and nuts
- 03212100 - Potatoes
- 03221100 - Root and tuber vegetables
- 03221110 - Root vegetables
- 03221112 - Carrots
- 03221113 - Onions
- 03221114 - Turnips
- 03221120 - Tuber vegetables
- 03221200 - Fruit vegetables
- 03221222 - Mange-tout
- 03221230 - Peppers
- 03221240 - Tomatoes
- 03221250 - Courgettes
- 03221260 - Mushrooms
- 03221270 - Cucumbers
- 03221300 - Leaf vegetables
- 03221310 - Lettuce
- 03221320 - Salad leaves
- 03221340 - Spinach
- 03221400 - Cabbage vegetables
- 03221410 - Cabbage
- 03221420 - Cauliflower
- 03221430 - Broccoli
- 03222000 - Fruit and nuts
- 03222100 - Tropical fruit and nuts
- 03222110 - Tropical fruit
- 03222111 - Bananas
- 03222112 - Pineapples
- 03222118 - Kiwi fruit
- 03222200 - Citrus fruit
- 03222210 - Lemons
- 03222220 - Oranges
- 03222250 - Limes
- 03222300 - Non-tropical fruit
- 03222314 - Raspberries
- 03222320 - Apples, pears and quinces
- 03222322 - Pears
- 03222330 - Stone fruit
- 03222332 - Peaches
- 03222334 - Plums
- 03222340 - Grapes
- 03222341 - Table grapes
Engagement
Engagement deadline
25 July 2025
Engagement process description
PRE-MARKET ENGAGEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE (PME) for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables for the Education Authority. Interested suppliers are asked to complete and return the questionniare.
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Contracting authority
the Education Authority
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PPHJ-6982-JPXY
40 Academy Street
Belfast
BT12NQ
United Kingdom
Email: catering.procure@eani.org.uk
Region: UKN06 - Belfast
Organisation type: Public authority - central government
Devolved regulations that apply: Northern Ireland