Tender

Coastal Learning Partnership - Catering Services

COASTAL LEARNING PARTNERSHIP

UK4: Tender notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-058468

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-059ef7

Published 22 September 2025, 12:30pm

Scope

Reference

MPN-10332

Description

Coastal Learning Partnership is currently out to tender for the provision of a full daily catering service.

The services at the Trust schools are a mix of in-house production and a delivered-in service provision.

The Contractor will be responsible for the provision of a full school food catering service for the pupils and staff at the Trust schools. This will consist of a full lunch service for each school day at all sites.

Across the Trust there are currently over 5,500 pupils on roll for the academic year 2025/26]. Of this figure, 1866 pupils are entitled to UIFSM and a further 1448 to Free School Meals.

TUPE is expected to apply, details of which can be found in the tender documentation.

Some members of the catering team (2 members of staff) are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme and all details are in the tender documentation.

The Trust is keen to further increase uptake and continue the good work already in place for catering. It wishes to do so by working closely with the successful contractor in developing and continuously improving the service and partnership during the period of the contract and by introducing innovative and creative ideas as submitted in the tender process and ongoing.

The Trust is aware that there are always opportunities to improve and modernise. They are interested in ensuring that the caterers provide the best possible service, introducing new menu ideas and initiatives so that pupils are all eating and utilising the service regularly.

Total value (estimated)

£6,747,500 excluding VAT
£6,747,500 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Contract dates (estimated)

1 September 2026 to 31 August 2029
Possible extension to 1 September 2031
5 years, 1 day

Description of possible extension:

The duration detailed above includes the initial term of 3 years as well as the 2 optional contract extension periods of 12 months each.

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

55524000 - School catering services

Lot constraints

Description of how multiple lots may be awarded:

Refer to tender documents

Lot 1. Lot 1 - Catering

Description

Catering Service Provision for:

St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers

Swanage Primary School

Swanage St Mark's Church of England Primary School

Lot value (estimated)

£484,500 excluding VAT
£484,500 including VAT

Same for all lots

CPV classifications and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Lot 2. Lot 2 - Catering

Description

Catering Service Provision for:

Corfe Castle Church of England Primary School

Lulworth and Winfrith CofE Primary School (Infant and Junior Sites)

Wareham St Mary Church of England Primary School

Wool Church of England Primary School

Lot value (estimated)

£540,500 excluding VAT
£540,500 including VAT

Same for all lots

CPV classifications and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Lot 3. Lot 3 - Catering

Description

Catering Service Provision for:

Baden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior School

Courthill Infant School

Lilliput Church of England Infant School

Longfleet Church of England Primary School

Oakdale Junior School

St Luke's Church of England Primary School (Junior site)

Lot value (estimated)

£2,834,500 excluding VAT
£2,834,500 including VAT

Same for all lots

CPV classifications and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Lot 4. Lot 4 - Catering

Description

Catering Service Provision for:

Bethany Church of England Junior School

Heatherlands Primary School

Heathlands Primary Academy

Old Town Infant School and Nursery

Queen's Park Infant Academy

St Clement's and St John's Church of England Infant School

St Luke's Church of England Primary School (Infant site)

Lot value (estimated)

£2,888,000 excluding VAT
£2,888,000 including VAT

Same for all lots

CPV classifications and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Participation

Particular suitability

Lot 1. Lot 1 - Catering

Lot 2. Lot 2 - Catering

Lot 3. Lot 3 - Catering

Lot 4. Lot 4 - Catering

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Submission

Enquiry deadline

29 September 2025, 5:00pm

Submission type

Requests to participate

Deadline for requests to participate

27 October 2025, 5:00pm

Submission address and any special instructions

Full details of how to submit are contained within the documents accompanying this tender.

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/minervapcs/aspx/Home

Tenders may be submitted electronically

Yes

Languages that may be used for submission

English

Suppliers to be invited to tender

Lot 1. Lot 1 - Catering

Lot 2. Lot 2 - Catering

Lot 3. Lot 3 - Catering

Lot 4. Lot 4 - Catering

1 to 5 suppliers per lot

Award decision date (estimated)

11 March 2026

Recurring procurement

Publication date of next tender notice (estimated): 23 September 2027

Award criteria

This table contains award criteria for this lot
Name	Description	Type	Weighting
Quality	Full details of the weightings and evaluation criteria are contained within the documents accompanying this tender.	Quality	90%
Price	Full details of the weightings and evaluation criteria are contained within the documents accompanying this tender.	Price	10%

Other information

Conflicts assessment prepared/revised

Yes

Procedure

Procedure type

Competitive flexible procedure

Special regime

Light touch

Competitive flexible procedure description

Duty to Consider Lots

As part of the initial project set up and approval stage of the tender process, Coastal Learning Partnership discussed with Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Limited the possibility of splitting the tender into more than one lot/contract. It was agreed with Coastal Learning Partnership that lots would be the most appropriate option for this tender process in order to encourage participation by SMEs, due to the different geographical areas where the Trust schools are located and to consider multiple sources of service provision to reduce the risk of supplier failure. The Trust has structured this tender in 4 Lots in order to maximise the number and quality of bids received. Bidders are advised that the Trust has no preference for either one supplier for all Lots or separate suppliers delivering the service for each individual Lot.

Full details of the description of the process being used are contained within the documents accompanying this tender.

Stage 1 Conditions of participation with evaluation

Suppliers are invited to submit a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) response. Submissions will be evaluated based on the criteria detailed in the PSQ documentation. A maximum of five suppliers will be taken forward to the Invitation to Tender stage of the process. Where less than five suppliers meet the minimum standards, only those that meet the minimum standards will be taken through to the Invitation to Tender stage. Where more than five suppliers meet the minimum standard, those suppliers with the highest scores will proceed to the Invitation to Tender stage.

Stage 2 Invitation to Tender with evaluation

Suppliers shortlisted to the Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage will be required to submit their final tender and will be evaluated on the criteria detailed in the ITT documentation. Envisaged shortlist of the three highest scoring bidders to be invited to:

Stage 3 Presentation Day

Stage 4 Assessment Summaries and Publication of Contract Award Notice (commencing 8 working day standstill period)

Stage 5 Publication of Contract Details Notice

Further details of the CFP can be found in the documentation accompanying this tender.

Documents

Associated tender documents

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/minervapcs/aspx/Home

All documents are being provided on publication of this Tender Notice. They will be hosted, and are freely available, on the In-tend portal for Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Limited.

Contracting authority