Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Active Life – Kingsmead Leisure Centre
Kingsmead Road
Canterbury
CT2 7PH
tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
Telephone
+44 1276673880
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKJ4 - Kent
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.kingsmeadleisurecentre.co.uk/
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/F58P6A87A4
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
Active Life – Kingsmead Leisure Centre ~ Catering Tender
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 55520000 - Catering services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Active Life, a leading Leisure service provider, are targeting the appointment of an outsourced caterer to commence in April 2024 to take on an operating lease/ concession at Kingsmead Leisure Centre. In order to work to this timescale, we are following a two stage restricted tender process (SQ submissions by all interested parties then shortlist suppliers for the Invitation to Tender (ITT)).
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £2,375,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ4 - Kent
Main site or place of performance
Kent
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services in a catering concession at Kingsmead Leisure Centre in Canterbury. The Leisure centre has just been refurbished with in excess of £10million invested. Kingsmead has a footfall between 40k and 50k per month with a market leading daytime group exercise programme attendees and a large swim school, which both drive footfall throughout each day. Pre- refurbishment, the café was self-operated and generated significant revenues upon which good net margins were consistently achieved. There are no existing employees designated for catering and therefore TUPE is not expected to apply.
The cafe is situated pre barrier – meaning it can be accessed additionally by non-leisure users and has a small terrace outside facing onto gardens and the centre carpark. The café has been significantly redesigned and upgraded as can be seen in the attached photos, but will require inward investment from the caterer in terms of refrigeration, prime cooking, further tables and chairs to find the optimum layout and further display materials and signage.
Due to the café’s location it is possible to inspect the area to get a feel for possibility without appointment, however there will be a formal site visit and bidders meeting for those shortlisted for the main Invitation to tender (ITT) when full details of the opportunity within the ITT will be explained.
The expectation is that the catering operation will function only within the centre opening times, and be a complementary service adding value to the loyal members and visitors.
The minimum expectation for contract term will be five years, and the ITT will allow for proposals to go beyond that term (subject to satisfactory performance and mutual agreement to allow longer depreciation of contractor assets).
It is anticipated that the ITT will look for bidders to propose basic annual fixed tenure fees, with additional royalty % on achievement of sales levels to help. To enable this, open book accountancy practices will be followed. Services, notably Electricity, Gas and Water will all be metered and chargeable to the successful bidder on consumption at agreed market rates. The rent and royalty arrangement offered via the tender and payment for services are expected to be the only external charges applicable.
Alongside operation of the café, the agreement with the preferred cater will have the opportunity to cater to events within the centre, which could be promoted by the centre themselves or promoted by the catering operator. Any additional service points via vended offers for out of hours will be defined in the main ITT specification these may well be out of scope).
Active Life, the client, will consider all applications from local entrepreneurs and SME’s alongside regional and wider reaching catering organisations and expect the ITT process to find a trustworthy and long-term concession partner to develop the service in a number of ways:
•To find ways of understanding/interpreting and meeting the differing needs of customers at different times of the day – from coffee/healthy & treat snacking, to proteinous and carbohydrate loading through the day, to options for parents and kids before or after swim school
•A balance of popular fayre and healthy options (to help promote healthier lifestyles)
•A menu offer that is attractive, seasonal and seen as value for money
•Increased skills and confidence in the catering team and ongoing effort in building partnership with the client
•Better communication with centre staff, members and visitors to develop trust by addressing all aspects of the customer journey, from card loading, menu presentation, marketing/ promotion and merchandising to point of sale
See SQ document for further 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: £2,375,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
1 April 2025
End date
31 March 2030
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 a 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
two.2.14) Additional information
To respond to this opportunity please click here: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/F58P6A87A4
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
Accelerated procedure
Justification:
Non PCR, April starts date.
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
20 December 2024
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
13 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-Canterbury:-Catering-services./F58P6A87A4
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/F58P6A87A4
GO Reference: GO-2024123-PRO-28746293
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Active Life – Kingsmead Leisure Centre
Kingsmead Road
Canterbury
CT2 7PH
Country
United Kingdom