Scope
Reference
CA16864
Description
New College is a further and higher education institution in Swindon, Wiltshire. There are two main campuses, Queens Drive and North Star, as well as an Adult Learning Centre in Swindon town centre. The College caters for approx. 4,800 students, to a range of ages, with its primary student body being 16-18-year-olds pursuing A-levels or vocational qualifications.
The new catering contract is to service the two main campuses, Queens Drive and North Star, from 1st August 2026, for a 3-year term plus possible 2 year extension on a +1year, +1year basis.
The College is undertaking this tender process to source a flexible and best value catering contractor with whom they can partner with to achieve service excellence through the provision of a great tasting food service, made with authentic recipes and ingredients. Healthy eating, service innovation and added value through food education and sustainability initiatives are equally as important.
This procurement will be run as per a Competitive Flexible Procedure in line with the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024. This process is managed under the Light Touch regime, and the College reserves the right to refine the award criteria throughout. Suppliers are invited to confirm their interest in this tender by submitting a completed 'Procurement Specific Questionnaire' (Stage 1) as per the guidance issued. Stage 1 has been designed to assess the suitability of Suppliers to deliver New College Swindon's contract requirements. Only Suppliers who are successful at this stage will be invited to participate in Stage 2 of the process and be invited to submit a Tender.
TUPE will apply.
Total value (estimated)
- £4,200,000 excluding VAT
- £5,040,000 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:
Maximum 2 extensions of 12 months per extension.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 55520000 - Catering services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
5 January 2026, 12:00pm
Submission type
Tenders
Tender submission deadline
9 January 2026, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
To access this opportunity, log in to https://suppliers.multiquote.com and view the opportunity. If you are not registered with MultiQuote, please visit https://suppliers.multiquote.com, complete the registration form on the log in page and quote the title and reference of the notice in your registration.
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
1 August 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | Quality |
Quality | 60.0% |
| Cost | Cost |
Cost | 20.0% |
| Social Value/Sustainability | Social Value/Sustainability |
Quality | 10.0% |
| Presentations/Clarifications | Presentations/Clarifications |
Quality | 10.0% |
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Special regime
Light touch
Competitive flexible procedure description
Stage 1: PSQ
Stage 2: Catering Services for New College Swindon
Stage 3: ITT
Stage 4: Standstill
Stage 5: Award
Contracting authority
New College Swindon
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PLQC-2725-XCGX
New College Drive, Queens Drive Campus
Swindon
SN3 1AH
United Kingdom
Region: UKK14 - Swindon
Organisation type: Public undertaking (commercial organisation subject to public authority oversight)