Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
ACES Academies Trust
Brampton Road
Huntingdon
PE29 3BN
UK
Telephone: +44 1276673880
E-mail: tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
NUTS: UKH12
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.acesacademies.co.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
Hinchingbrooke School
Brampton Road
Huntingdon
PE29 3BN
UK
E-mail: tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
NUTS: UKH12
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.hinchingbrookeschool.net/
I.1) Name and addresses
Cromwell Academy
Parkway
Huntingdon
PE29 6JA
UK
E-mail: tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
NUTS: UKH12
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.cromwellacademy.com/
I.1) Name and addresses
Godmanchester Bridge Academy
Butcher Drive, Godmanchester
Huntingdon
PE29 2NL
UK
E-mail: tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
NUTS: UKH12
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.godmanchesterbridge.co.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
Godmanchester Community Academy
Park Lane, Godmanchester
Huntingdon
PE29 2AG
UK
E-mail: tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
NUTS: UKH12
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.godmanchester.cambs.sch.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
Spaldwick Primary School
Royston Avenue, Spaldwick
Huntingdon
PE28 0TH
UK
E-mail: tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
NUTS: UKH12
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.spaldwickschool.org.uk/
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
I.3) Communication
Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at:
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/2BD9M55V9X
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Education
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
ACES Academies trust ~ Catering Tender
II.1.2) Main CPV code
55524000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
ACES Academies Trust currently comprises one large secondary School (Hinchingbrooke School) and four primary school (Cromwell Academy, Godmanchester Bridge Academy, Godmanchester Community Academy and Spaldwick Primary school), all situated on the western approaches to Huntingdon and within a 5-mile radius.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
2 500 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKH12
Main site or place of performance:
Cambridgeshire CC
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
ACES Academies Trust currently comprises one large secondary School (Hinchingbrooke School) and four primary school (Cromwell Academy, Godmanchester Bridge Academy, Godmanchester Community Academy and Spaldwick Primary school), all situated on the western approaches to Huntingdon and within a 5-mile radius.
All schools within the Trust offer an environment for students to flourish and achieve their full potential through creativity. The schools have facilities constructed within the last 5 years through to a Grade 1 listed property at Hinchingbrooke School dating back to the mediaeval times.
We estimate the annual Contract turnover to be in excess of £500k which involves the feeding of over 3,000 pupils per day.
This is the first time that the Trust has been able to bundle its catering service to one supplier (currently there are 3 incumbent suppliers) and the Trust is keen to fully understand through this process both the commercial and operational advantages of having five schools under the same diligent and imaginative catering partner.
The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor with skill and expertise to thrive within the mix of primary and secondary feeding, of pupils and staff, and whose initiative and innovation will be evident throughout the ITT process and beyond.
The duration of the contract being offered is initially for three years commencing on 1 August 2025 and concluding on 31 July 2028. There will be an option to extend the contract for a further two years by mutual agreement.
At this stage we anticipate that the contract will operate as a Guaranteed Performance Contract, with the successful Contractor offering the Trust a guaranteed return / cost per annum for the provision of core catering services at each school. Sovereignty of the cash tariff/ parent selling price is to remain with the Trust for the duration of this contract.
The current contract term for Hinchingbrooke was assisted by a large capital investment from the incumbent caterer to provide equipment and fabric for a new dining hall facility and although there are no capital projects like this in any of the five schools, there could be a need for improved prime cooking equipment in the kitchens across the estate which could be funded via contractor.
Hence, inward capital investment is important and contractors at ITT stage, will be requested to submit outline plans and funding options for this project. As stated, the initial contract period would be 3 years, but the school will welcome proposals for investment options for longer contract tenures, for example 5 or 7 years. This will be discussed in more detail with shortlisted companies at the site meeting.
The contract will cover the scope for the provision of all catering services within the Schools of the Trust, which also includes all hospitality and free issue requirements, which are to be recharged on consumption at “net” food cost only.
Bidding contractors with prior knowledge of Hinchingbrooke may remember some additional Hospitality requirements to support the Wedding and Events business at Hinchingbrooke house – but this element will not be in scope of this process.
It is expected that menus will feature and utilise products in season when available.
Customer engagement will be fundamental to the continuous improvement in the service provision and within your tender response your methodology to this will need to be detailed along with examples of where this has been undertaken within similar contracts recently.
The successful contractor should have similar operations within the local area thus ensuring that the Operational Management Team responsible for the contract is available for regular unplanned visits and support for the contract, and that coverage for any planned or unplanned leave from within the establishment staffing structure can be easily provided.
See SQ Document for more information
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
2 500 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start:
01/08/2025
End:
31/07/2030
This contract is subject to renewal: No
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged minimum number: 5
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:
A minimum of 5 suppliers and a maximum of 10 suppliers will be taken forward to the tender stage of the process. Where less than 5 suppliers meet the minimum standards, only those that meet the minimum standards will be taken through to the tender stage. Where more than 5 suppliers meet the minimum standard, those suppliers with the highest scores will proceed to the tender stage.
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
Yes
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
II.2.14) Additional information
To respond to this opportunity please click here: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/2BD9M55V9X
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Restricted procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
14/03/2025
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
Date:
07/04/2025
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information
The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.It will be the supplier's responsibility to obtain any necessary documents in order to submit a response by the closing date and time.
The contracting authority reserves the right not to award any or part of the contract which is the subject of this contract notice and reserves the right to terminate the procurement process at any time.
The contracting authority will not be liable for any costs incurred by those expressing an interest in tendering for this contract opportunity.
The contracting authority will consider variant bids, evaluating them (so far as the variant or the evaluation of the variant is in the opinion of the contracting authority practicable) on the same basis as a conforming bid, but shall not be obliged to accept any such bid in preference to a conforming bid even if the variant bid scores more highly. No variant will be considered unless the bidder simultaneously submits a conforming bid.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:
https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Huntingdon:-School-catering-services./2BD9M55V9X
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/2BD9M55V9X
GO Reference: GO-202524-PRO-29301624
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
ACES Academies trust
Brampton Road
Huntingdon
PE29 3BN
UK
E-mail: tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
04/02/2025