Scope
Reference
GLF0016
Description
The Trust serves over 19,000 young people aged 2 to 19 in a diverse array of settings, with around 2,500 employees. Our schools are in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex and the London Boroughs of Wandsworth and Croydon.
The Trust is seeking experienced caterers to provide high quality school catering services across the Trust, currently there are 8 secondary schools and 35 primary schools. It is anticipated the majority of the schools will be in scope, however the final number of schools will be defined later in the process.
It is expected the contract will be divided into Lots, with bidders given the opportunity to apply for some or all of the various Lots.
Total value (estimated)
- £36,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2029
- Possible extension to 31 July 2031
- 5 years
Description of possible extension:
Two 12 month extension periods subject to being agreed in writing by both parties
Options
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid.
The scope of the tender may develop over the contract, as additional schools join the Trust, these schools will join the contract, when their previous contracts allow.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 55524000 - School catering services
Not the same for all lots
Contract locations are shown in Lot sections, because they are not the same for all lots.
Lot 1. West & Central
Description
Catering Services in Infant, Primary and Secondary Schools
Lot value (estimated)
- £20,000,000 excluding VAT
- £24,000,000 including VAT
Contract locations
- UKJ11 - Berkshire
- UKJ14 - Oxfordshire
- UKJ25 - West Surrey
- UKJ26 - East Surrey
- UKJ3 - Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Same for all lots
CPV classifications, contract dates and options are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot 2. East & South
Description
Catering Services for Infant, Primary and Secondary Schools
Lot value (estimated)
- £10,000,000 excluding VAT
- £12,000,000 including VAT
Contract locations
- UKI62 - Croydon
- UKJ25 - West Surrey
- UKJ26 - East Surrey
- UKJ27 - West Sussex (South West)
Same for all lots
CPV classifications, contract dates and options are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
Lot 1. West & Central
Lot 2. East & South
The Trust requires organisations of scale to operate their catering services contracts.
The minimum annual turnover for a bidder shall be £50m per annum
Technical ability conditions of participation
Lot 1. West & Central
Lot 2. East & South
The Trust has minimum insurance requirements of £10m EL and £10m PL
Submission
Submission type
Requests to participate
Deadline for requests to participate
12 December 2025, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
25 May 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | Quality will be assessed through a combination of the written response, presentation, and references provided by bidders. Moderation will be applied across all these areas to ensure consistency and... |
Quality | 70% |
| Price | Price | 30% |
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Competitive flexible procedure description
This catering tender is a two step process. The first stage is to find a minimum of four per lot of suitably qualified suppliers from the wider contract catering market, and then invite shortlisted suppliers to a second stage.
The second stage will be used to select the Most Advantageous Tender response. The second stage will include the submission of a financial offer and a written response.
These submissions will be moderated, with successful bidders being invited to a presentation. Further moderation of the bids will be undertaken by the Trust, which will include obtaining satisfactory references of the preferred bidders.
The scope of the tender may develop over the contractual period, as additional schools may join the Trust, these schools will join the contract, when their previous contracts allow.
Documents
Associated tender documents
https://bidiful-teamportal.app/p/aceadvice
Please express interest by contacting Ian@matriculateconsulting.co.uk or 07833 265675
Contracting authorities
GLF SCHOOLS
- Companies House: 07551959
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PHBQ-3225-WLBD
The Beacon School
Banstead
SM7 1AG
United Kingdom
Contact name: Sam Winter
Email: procurement@glfschools.org
Region: UKJ26 - East Surrey
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government
Banstead Community Junior School
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PPVQ-1843-DMBJ
The Horseshoe
Banstead
SM7 2BQ
United Kingdom
Email: finance@bcjs.org.uk
Region: UKJ26 - East Surrey
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government