Scope
Description
This procurement process is being advertised and run by First Greater Western Limited on its own behalf and on behalf of the successor operator of the rail passenger transport services in respect of National Rail Contract area. That successor operator will be a public sector company, is expected to be a wholly owned subsidiary of Department for Transport Operator (DfTO) and will be ultimately owned by the Secretary of State for Transport. The date for transfer of the current operations to the successor operator is not yet confirmed. Where the transfer is completed before contract award under this procurement process, the successor operator may elect (but will not be obliged) to carry on with this procurement process in place of First Greater Western Limited, by taking on the role of contracting entity from the date of completion of the transfer (with this notice and all other procurement documents to be interpreted accordingly). Where the transfer is not yet completed by the time of contract award, contractual rights may be included in the contractual arrangements to enable transfer to the successor operator. Bidders should note that this procurement process (if ongoing), or any awarded contract, may be included in a transfer scheme made by the Secretary of State under section 12 of the Railways Act 2005, or the transfer may be effected outside of, or separate from, such a scheme.
GWR require Catering Services to be delivered across the network, which will be run under one contract. The catering service has two core functions and sections 1 and 2 of the specification covers both functions and the information is intended to provide the detail and requirement the supplier/s need in order to deliver this contract.
Specification structure:
This specification is structured into two distinct areas to detail the two service functions.
1. Service Centre Operations and Delivery
The supplier must be able to supply logistics operations and staff management to all GWR catered fleet.
2. Catering Products and Supply
The supplier must be able to supply all of GWR catering products, packaging and ancillary equipment.
Collaboration between the two functions:
To ensure productive, proactive and innovative working practices for this contract opportunity, GWR welcome individual entities as well as consortium bids (joint proposals).
If this contract is a joint venture, the successful suppliers will be expected to work collaboratively and seamlessly to ensure the integrated and efficient delivery of the overall catering service and both functions. This collaboration will be crucial for operational effectiveness, customer satisfaction, and for achieving the strategic objectives of the business. This will involve, but is not limited to, sharing relevant information (subject to confidentiality agreements), coordinating operational interfaces, and participating in joint planning and review meetings as required by the Client.
As detailed throughout this specification, Suppliers will need to work in collaboration throughout the lifetime of the contract if in a consortium working structure. The following requirements cover both service functions.
Route Details
GWR manage many stations on the route with catered first-class lounges in Paddington, Cardiff, Penzance, and Truro as part of the logistics supply.
Currently trains do not run on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, although some elements of the Service will be required on these days.
GWR run:
• 254 catered trains a day Monday - Friday,
• 280 catered trains on Saturday and
• 210 catered trains on a Sunday.
Total value (estimated)
- £54,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029
- Possible extension to 31 March 2031
- 5 years
Description of possible extension:
The initial contract term will be 3 years with the option to extend for a further 2 years.
Options
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid.
Potential Future Enhancements and Contract Expansion.
GWR is tendering for Great Western Railway Catering and Logistics with an estimated initial contract value of £46 million over 5 years. In addition to the core service, GWR may seek to enhance or expand the service during the contract term.
Notice
Great Western Railway (GWR) reserves the right to introduce enhancements, modifications, or extensions to the scope of services or deliverables during the lifetime of the contract. These changes may arise due to evolving operational requirements, technological advancements, regulatory updates, or strategic priorities. Any such adjustments will be subject to mutual agreement between the parties and may be formalised through contract variation procedures, in accordance with the Procurement Act 23.
The enhancements expected during the lifetime of this contract are detailed below.
Future Enhancements
The service enhancement GWR anticipates taking place during the lifetime of the contract is that of the enhanced First-Class offer which will aim to improve the First-Class offer on services to improve service delivery and set new benchmarks (through improved customer satisfaction).
The enhanced offer aims to drive sustainable growth for GWR through revenue and loyalty. GWR want to improve the First-Class experience by enhancing both the quality and consistency of the catering services. This will include improving GWRs food offering and ensuring that a high standard of service is available throughout the day, every day, both on-board and within the station lounges, over the next five years (2025 - 2030).
The First-Class Lounge proposition is a 'Premium' catering product offering, such as the introduction of enhanced choice meal options and will include a review of GWRs Pullman service, and the Standard Class catering proposition.
GWR want to introduce an enhanced onboard catering experience on the High-Speed Services (HSS) routes in the form of a hot breakfast option. GWR also want to further enhance customer service provision with proactive promotion of the product, including menu cards for customers.
The aims are to:
• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction
• Increased loyalty and reduced complaints:
• Strengthened brand reputation:
• Improved employee engagement:
• Step change towards a national railway:
Enhanced Proposition
The proposition centres on the introduction of a reliable and consistent service offer, paired with improved quality catering, supported with better trolleys to see what's on offer and menu cards on train and online to improve awareness of the offer. This will increase First Class revenues, boost customer satisfaction and positively alter perceptions of performance. The result will be both growth and retention in First-Class customer base, further supported by tactical pricing adjustments that reflect the elevated value proposition.
Estimated increased contract value:
The estimated increase in contract value for the full enhancement offer could be £3.2m Annually and £16m over five years. These figures are estimates and will be based on customer uptake.
Further details will be made available in Stage Two of this tender process.
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
- 15000000 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products
- 55520000 - Catering services
Contract locations
- UKK1 - Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath area
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Submission type
Requests to participate
Deadline for requests to participate
13 October 2025, 1:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Registration of interest (access to documents)
Please follow this link to register your interest and gain access to the tender documentation.
Link: https://procurement.gwr.com/tenders or
http://redirect.transaxions.com/events/lHmsf
Once you have registered your interest, a link to the tender will be sent via email which will enable you to view the tender instructions & T&Cs and submit your tender response.
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
19 January 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Future Enhancement Proposal | Leading on from the above description for stage 1 and 2, this element will be pass/fail. In order to score a pass, the tenderer must submit a proposal for the future enhancement. All details/criteria... |
Quality |
Weighting description
There will be two stages to this procurement.
Stage 1 - Conditions of Participation (a minimum of the three highest scoring tenderers will be invited to submit a tender in stage 2).
These Conditions of Participation will relate to:
Legal capacity,
Financial capacity, and
Technical ability.
Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender
Due to the nature and technical requirements of the contract opportunity, the Client will be using certain mandatory Conditions of Participation with pass/fail criteria that all...
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Special regime
Utilities
Competitive flexible procedure description
Procedure:
This Procurement is being conducted in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 using the Competitive Flexible Procedure.
There will be two stages to this procurement.
Stage 1 - Conditions of Participation (a minimum of the three highest scoring tenderers will be invited to submit a tender in stage 2).
Due to the nature and technical requirements of the contract opportunity, the Client will be using certain mandatory Conditions of Participation with pass/fail criteria that all Tenderers must pass in order for their tender submission to be accepted and evaluated.
These Conditions of Participation will relate to:
Legal capacity,
Financial capacity, and
Technical ability.
Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender
A minimum of the three highest scoring tenderers from stage 1 will be invited to submit a tender through stage 2.
Stage 2 will be have the following weighting criteria:
Quality: 50%
Price: 40%
Commercial T&Cs: 5%
Presentation: 5%
The evaluation criteria is detailed in GWRs e-procurement portal Wax.
Documents
Associated tender documents
http://redirect.transaxions.com/events/lHmsf
Registration of interest (access to documents)
Please follow this link to register your interest and gain access to the tender documentation.
Link: http://redirect.transaxions.com/events/lHmsf
Once you have registered your interest, a link to the tender will be sent via email which will enable you to view the tender instructions & T&Cs and submit your tender response.
E-Procurement Portal:
The Client is using Wax Digital (current e-procurement portal). The detail within Wax Digital applicable to this tender describes how the Procurement will be conducted, including details of the associated Procurement timetable, participation and award criteria and how to respond to this opportunity. Tenderers are strongly encouraged to read through each tab/section before preparing their submission. Tenderers are also encouraged to review all attachments published with this tender.
Contracting authority
FIRST GREATER WESTERN LIMITED
- Companies House: 05113733
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PXVG-2764-GZCQ
Milford House 1 Milford Street
Wiltshire
SN1 1HL
United Kingdom
Email: Ben.Boatman@gwr.com
Region: UKK14 - Swindon
Organisation type: Private utility