CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE – OFFICIAL JOURNAL

Section I: Contracting Authority

I.1)

Name, Address and Contact Point(s)

I.2)

Type of contracting Authority and Main Activity or Activities

Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local sub-divisions National or federal agency/Office Regional or local Authority Regional or local Agency/Office Body governed by public law European Institution/Agency or International Organisation

General public services Defence Public order and safety Environment Economic and financial affairs Health Housing and community amenities Social protection Recreation, culture and religion Education

Section II: Object of the Contract

II.1)

Description

II.1.1)

Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority

Provision of Catering Services.

II.1.2(a))

Type of works contract

II.1.2(b))

Type of supplies contract

II.1.2(c))

Type of service contract

II.1.2)

Main site or location of works, place of delivery or performance

Thurston Community College.Bury St Edmunds.Suffolk.United Kingdom.

II.1.3)

This notice involves a framework agreement

II.1.4)

Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

Thurston Community College, located four miles outside of Bury St Edmunds, is one of the largest co-educational schools in West Suffolk. In September 2014, up to 1 065 Year 7 – 9 pupils mainly from the local middle schools at Beyton, Blackbourne and Ixworth will move to the main College site in Norton Road, Thurston and the current Sixth Form will move to the site at Beyton. The contractor selected at the conclusion of this tender process will therefore be providing a catering service for between an estimated 1 865 to 2 090 pupils across both sites and up to 200 staff.

The proportion of students entitled to free school meals is below average and the proportion of minority ethnic backgrounds well below average.

Under the leadership of the Principal, Helen Wilson, Thurston Community College is thriving. It is accredited as a National Healthy School and is a flagship school for the Food for Life Partnership.

The College serves a large rural catchment area and therefore the majority of students are bussed in. With the exception of the Sixth Form, all students have to remain on the College premises unless they live in Thurston and have a note from parents stating they are going home for lunch. When the Sixth Form moves to the Beyton Road site next year, there will be no local shops for them to buy snacks or lunch. The catering operator will therefore have a largely “captive audience” for its services on both sites and this is therefore a great opportunity for the right bidder.

At Beyton the service is managed in-house but the new contract will be for both sites and therefore TUPE is likely to apply to these staff. The catering service at the Thurston Site is outsourced but the contract ends in July 2014. The College is therefore taking this opportunity, at a moment of significant structural change, to ensure that going forward the best possible service is provided to all ages of students across both sites, and on the most competitive terms.

Students and staff at the Thurston site pay for breakfast, morning break and lunch services with a cashless biometric system. Annual paid-for meal income is currently around 166 000 GBP, with 22 000 GBP of this from Sixth Form sales. 186 students are currently entitled to a free school meal, of whom typically 115 actually take up the offer. In addition, staff who undertake a voluntary lunchtime duty are also provided with a school meal, paid for by the college. The total value of free school meals and staff meals is 37 000 GBP. The College is seeking a contractor who is able to adapt their services flexibly to the requirements of a changing student population. A healthy food offer that maximises uptake at both communities on the most economically advantageous terms is sought.

II.1.5)

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

II.1.6)

Contract covered by the government procurement agreement (GPA)

II.2)

Total final value of the contract(s)

II.2.1)

Total final value of the contract(s)

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)

Type of procedure

IV.1.1)

Type of procedure

IV.2)

Award criteria

IV.2.1)

Award criteria

IV.2.2)

An electronic auction has been used

IV.3)

Administrative information

IV.3.1)

File reference number attributed by the contracting authority

IV.3.2)

Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

Other previous publications

Section V: Award of contract

Contract No:

V.1)

Date of contract award:

V.2)

Numbers of offers received:

V.3)

Name and address of economic operator to whom the contract has been awarded

V.4)

Information on value of contract

V.5)

The contract is likely to be subcontracted

Short description of the value/proportion of the contract to be subcontracted

Section VI: Complementary Information

VI.1)

Contract related to a project and/or programme financed by community funds?

VI.2)

Additional Information

VI.3)

Procedures for appeal

VI.3.1)

Body responsible for appeal procedures

Body responsible for mediation procedures

VI.3.2)

Lodging of appeals

VI.3.3)

Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained

VI.4)

Dispatch date of this Notice