School catering services

Description

The successful supplier will be required to provide catering services for LEARNERs’ Trust at eighteen locations. Full details in relation to the schools can be found on the LEARNERs’ Trust website: www.learnerstrust.org Services 4 Schools (S4S) and Oaks Consultancy have been commissioned by LEARNERs’ Trust to coordinate this project to ensure best value principles are achieved. The Litmus Partnership are working in partnership with S4S and Oaks Consultancy to manage the tender process and to assist with protocols that need to be in place throughout the tender management process. The catering services provision at all 18 schools has not been market tested in recent years and to ensure best value principles are applied LEARNERs’ Trust has made a decision to tender the catering services. LEARNERs’ Trust may grow further, with a number of additional schools becoming part of the Trust during this contract period. The provision of catering services at these schools if they have joined the Trust, or ended their current catering contract, will fall under the scope of this contract. The successful supplier will be expected to provide this service at these additional schools using the same costing model applied to the successful tender submission. The duration of contract for these schools will not be increased and they will join the contract for the remaining contract period that exists at the point of entry into the contract. Not all the schools have their own kitchen facilities, as detailed below, and it is expected that the successful Supplier will have the experience and ability to offer this type of delivered meal service. Current pupil roll numbers across all 18 sites is circa 3 690. Estimated annual turnover value based on the current universal free school meal allowance across all 18 locations is circa GBP 1 000 000.00 (1 million pounds) per annum including Universal free school meals, free school meals and cash sales. Current uptake levels vary across all sites and the Trust firmly believes that with improved choice and quality there is a real opportunity to increase levels of uptake. For the avoidance of doubt TUPE Regulations including pension rights will apply to this contract where applicable. The successful supplier will be expected to deliver a concise and detailed method of management reporting at the end of each month, thus updating the client on the consolidated contract performance. It is imperative that an open book policy is offered to ensure that each school has total clarity on financial performance. The fixed price contract will commence on 1 August 2020 for an initial period of 3 years, ending on 31 July 2023, with the opportunity to extend for a further period of 2 years at the discretion of the LEARNERs’ Trust’s governing body. Where improvements to financial surpluses are generated the supplier shall share these on an agreed percentage return. Free school meals uptake and any ad-hoc catering requirements will be invoiced on a monthly basis and detailed backup will be a requirement of the accounting system. The client invites suppliers to consider offers of appropriate capital investment and suppliers’ ideas for the development of the current catering service will be welcomed. Any capital investment provided shall subsequently be managed centrally by LEARNERs’ Trust on behalf of the schools. Please note: 1) The contract is being advertised as a single lot. 2) The current provision of a delivered meal service from High Greave Infant School to High Greave Junior School shall continue throughout the new contract; however, this shall cease to any non-trust Schools on 31 July 2020. 3) The current provision of a delivered meal service from Brimington Junior School shall cease on 31 July 2020. 4) The current provision of a delivered meal service from Somerlea Primary School shall cease on 31 July 2020. 5) There is no kitchen on site at Eckington Junior School; therefore, a delivered meal service is required from 1 August 2020. 6) There is no kitchen on site at Brimington Manor School; therefore, a delivered meal service is required from 1 August 2020. 7) There is no kitchen on site at Old Hall Junior School; therefore, a delivered meal service continues to be required from LEARNERs’ Trust’s Holme Hall Primary School (or another suitable hub kitchen) from 1 August 2020. 8) New Whittington Primary School is a split site, with a continued requirement for meals to be transferred between sites. 9) Reference site visits shall be conducted, as part of the bid assessment process, to view a live service at a primary school in close proximity to the current Trust schools. (Further information is provided in the SQ Document.)