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Contract Award Notice

Discovery Educational Trust - Catering Tender

  • First published: 26 November 2025
  • Last modified: 26 November 2025
  • Version: N/A
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The buyer is not using this website to administer the notice.

To record your interest or obtain additional information or documents please find instructions within the Full Notice Text. (NOTE: Contract Award Notices and Prior Information Notices do not normally require a response)

Contents

Summary

OCID:
ocds-h6vhtk-0444a6
Published by:
Discovery Educational Trust
Authority ID:
AA86528
Publication date:
26 November 2025
Deadline date:
-
Notice type:
Contract Award Notice
Has documents:
No
Has SPD:
No
Has Carbon Reduction Plan:
N/A

Abstract

The supplier will provide excellent catering services to the Discovery Educational Trust a Multi Academy Trust, based in South Essex and currently comprising five schools – Chase High School in Southend, Hogarth Primary School, Kelvedon Hatch Community Primary School, Larchwood Primary School and St. Martin’s School, all in Brentwood.

Full notice text

Contract award notice

Results of the procurement procedure

Section I: Contracting entity

I.1) Name and addresses

Discovery Educational Trust

PMQW-4887-GNTM

St Martin's House, St Martin's School, Hanging Hill Lane

Hutton

CM13 2HG

UK

Contact person: Rachel OGrady

Telephone: +44 1252977017

E-mail: tenders@rivapartnership.co.uk

NUTS: UKH3

Internet address(es)

Main address: https://www.discoveryeducationaltrust.co.uk/

Address of the buyer profile: https://www.discoveryeducationaltrust.co.uk/

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

Discovery Educational Trust - Catering Tender

II.1.2) Main CPV code

55524000

 

II.1.3) Type of contract

Services

II.1.4) Short description

The supplier will provide excellent catering services to the Discovery Educational Trust a Multi Academy Trust, based in South Essex and currently comprising five schools – Chase High School in Southend, Hogarth Primary School, Kelvedon Hatch Community Primary School, Larchwood Primary School and St. Martin’s School, all in Brentwood.

II.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

II.1.7) Total value of the procurement

Value excluding VAT: 7 525 055.00  GBP

II.2) Description

II.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS code:

UKH3


Main site or place of performance:

Essex

II.2.4) Description of the procurement

Discovery Educational Trust is a Multi Academy Trust, based in South Essex and currently comprising five schools – Chase High School in Southend, Hogarth Primary School, Kelvedon Hatch Community Primary School, Larchwood Primary School and St. Martin’s School, all in Brentwood.

We aim for each of our schools to become the school of choice within the community, offering a broad and exciting range of extracurricular activities to enhance the opportunities within their formal curriculum. More information with regards to the Trust can be found here: https://www.discoveryeducationaltrust.co.uk

The successful tenderer will be required to provide catering services to all five schools currently within the Discovery Educational Trust.

The contract term being tendered is for three years, 1st September 2025 – 31st August 2028. There is an option for a further extension period for up to two additional years to 31st August 2030.

The contract offers an excellent opportunity to review and propose enhancements to the current catering services at the Schools. This includes but is not limited to; breakfast, morning break, lunchtime and after school services, over the academic year of 190 days.

The schools are keen to secure a high quality catering service including fresh locally sourced ingredients prepared on site, with a menu design that is flexible to suit the requirements of the schools’ specific students. The schools are proud of their ‘family ethos’ and expects both a tightly managed service and a management style delivered by the successful contractor that supports, encourages and develops the catering staff.

The schools are not obliged to accept the lowest price submitted for this tender, rather they are keen to secure ‘best value’ from this contract and to deliver ‘best value’ to their students. Innovative and creative ideas as to how the services can be developed and value added, will be welcomed. The schools seeks a contractor that is keen to work in partnership and who will deliver to its highest abilities, at all times

The annual value of the current contract is £1,251,514 (the total sales per annum over the last annual period, for all schools added together)

Therefore the value of this contract is £6,257,570 (total annual costs as above x 5 as this contract is for a maximum of 5 years)

The contract shall be a fixed price contract with invoices raised monthly to the school.

Additional requirements and information:

•The School has a minimum requirement for a contractor’s employers' liability and public liability insurance of £5 million

•The minimum annual turnover that your company must have achieved to be considered for this opportunity is £1 million

•It is anticipated that some employees may be members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and therefore the successful contractor in that instance would be expected to gain Admitted Body Status (ABS) in order to continue contributing to the scheme.

•The winning bidder is required to pay the tender fee directly to RIVA Partnership, upon contract award

•This is a growing Trust. During the tenure of this catering contract - any further schools that join this Trust may join this catering contract, at the discretion of the client.

II.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion: Quality / Weighting: 70

Cost criterion: Cost / Weighting: 30

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

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.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number in the OJ S:

2024/S 000-006665

Section V: Award of contract

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

V.2 Award of contract

V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

14/07/2025

V.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 5

Number of tenders received from SMEs: 2

Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0

Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 5

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 5

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

CH&CO Catering Limited, Trading as Pabulum

02613820

Parklands Court, 24 Parklands,, Birmingham Great Park, Rubery,

Birmingham,

B45 9PZ

UK

E-mail: helenbenson@pabulum-catering.co.uk

NUTS: UKG31

Internet address(es)

URL: https://www.chandcogroup.com/

The contractor is an SME: No

V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot:

Total value of the contract/lot: : 7 525 055.00  GBP

V.2.5) Information about subcontracting

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.3) Additional information

To view this notice, please click here:

https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=978968748 GO Reference: GO-20251125-PRO-33397159

VI.4) Procedures for review

VI.4.1) Review body

Discovery Educational Trust

St Martin's House, St Martin's School, Hanging Hill Lane

Hutton

CM13 2HG

UK

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice

25/11/2025

Coding

Commodity categories

ID Title Parent category
55524000 School catering services Catering services

Delivery locations

ID Description
100 UK - All

Alert region restrictions

The buyer has restricted the alert for this notice to suppliers based in the following regions.

ID Description
There are no alert restrictions for this notice.

About the buyer

Main contact:
tenders@rivapartnership.co.uk
Admin contact:
N/a
Technical contact:
N/a
Other contact:
N/a

Further information

Date Details
No further information has been uploaded.

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