Scope
Description
The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering and hospitality services for Cotham School.
Two sites listed below of the school are included in the tender, and we are seeking tender submissions for the whole contract.
Cotham School has an excellent reputation in Bristol built upon its results and student performance ranked one of the best. The successful contractor will be required to deliver a service and meet the requirements of the specification at each site from the contract commencement.
1 - Secondary Schools 1 - Sixth form centre
The process is to be inclusive of the requirements for the following locations:
•Cotham School, Cotham Lawn Road, Cotham, Bristol, BS6 6DT
•Cotham Learning Community, Charnwood House, 30 Cotham Park, Bristol, BS6 6BU
The contract being tendered is for 3 years in duration from 1st September 2026 until 31st August 2029, with the option to extend for further terms of 1 +1 years on the same terms and conditions excluding the right to further extend. The contract will be guaranteed performance in nature.
The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor whose Initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of all catering services within the school. The high-quality service levels proposed, should maintain excellent standards throughout, resulting in a new food service offer with consistent high standards of food operations across the sites.
Regular customer and parental engagement (using digital platforms and social media) will be required to ensure this is the case moving into the contract term.
These new standards of operation should meet the needs of pupil's moving forward into this contract term.
The contract will operate on a guaranteed basis (return or subsidy) with free school meals being charged to the client monthly at net food cost only. All hospitality is to be charged on a net food cost basis.
The approximate current revenue (sales) within the contract annually is in the region of £352,000 across both locations.
The successful contractor will be expected to put forward both innovation and their proposals for making this contract more environmentally sensitive and carbon neutral moving into this contract term both by way of contract delivery and within the successful contractor's organisation, while working to deliver the Cotham School environmental policies. Your approach to sustainability should mirror that of the school's.
The successful contractor should be able to evidence significant steps towards carbon neutrality as well as demonstrable plans to achieve their targets throughout the contractual term. It will be expected that sustainability as well as social value be reported through the management review meetings.
The terms and conditions of employment and recognition offered to the catering operatives should be both progressive and forward thinking ensuring that the staffing establishment is always complete, and staff turnover is kept to a minimum.
Please see PSQ Document for more information.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:
https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Bristol:-School-catering-services./7JW8VU929F
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
Total value (estimated)
- £1,760,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2029
- Possible extension to 31 August 2031
- 5 years
Description of possible extension:
1+1
See PSQ Document for more information.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 55524000 - School catering services
Contract locations
- UKK1 - Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath area
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
9 January 2026, 12:00pm
Submission type
Tenders
Tender submission deadline
27 March 2026, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
No
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
9 June 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Criterion 1 | Quality | 70% |
| Criterion 2 | Price | 30% |
Other information
Applicable trade agreements
- Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Competitive flexible procedure description
Please see PSQ Document for more information.
Contracting authority
Cotham School
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PYBW-8563-JMZW
Cotham Lawn Road, Cotham
Bristol
BS6 6DT
United Kingdom
Telephone: 01276 673896
Region: UKK11 - Bristol, City of
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government