Publication Date: 24/12/2025

Deadline Date: 23/01/2026

Reference: TKR-20251224-FTS-33910201

Value of Contact: £ 10,740,000

Estimated Annual Value: Check Contract

Type of Procedure: services contract

Nature of Procurement: Invitation to tender (contract notice)

Description:

Full details of how to submit are contained within the documents accompanying this tender. https://in-tendhost.co.uk/minervapcs/aspx/Home
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Public authority – sub-central government
Procuring Entity
Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Limited
Procurement consultancy managing the tender process for Nexus Education Schools Trust
Postal address:117 Devonshire House
Town:Basingstoke
Region:North Hampshire
Postal code:RG24 8PE
Country:United Kingdom

Contact Person:Maria Robinson
Telephone:01256467107
Email:[email protected]

II)Object
II.1.1) Title
Nexus Education Schools Trust – Catering and Cleaning Services
Reference number:MPN-10342
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
Special regime
LightTouch
II.1.4) Short description
Catering – Lot 1
Nexus Education Schools Trust is currently out to tender for the provision of a full daily catering service.
The contract is being offered for three years with the option to extend for a further two periods of 12 months. The contract commencement date is 01 August 2026.
The services at the Trust schools are currently outsourced.
The Contractor will be responsible for the provision of a full school food catering service for the pupils and staff at the schools. This will consist of breakfast and morning breaks at some sites and full lunch service for each school day on all sites.
Across the Trust of 12 schools, there are currently over 3700 pupils on roll for the academic year 2025/26. Of this figure, 1444 pupils are entitled to UIFSM and a further 328 to Free School Meals.
TUPE is expected to apply, details of which can be found in the tender documentation.
No members of the catering team are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
The Trust is keen to further increase uptake and continue the good work already in place for catering. It wishes to do so by working closely with the successful contractor in developing and continuously improving the service and partnership during the period of the contract and by introducing innovative and creative ideas as submitted in the tender process and ongoing.
The Trust is aware that there are always opportunities to improve and modernise. They are interested in ensuring that the caterers provide the best possible service, introducing new menu ideas and initiatives so that pupils are all eating and utilising the service regularly.
**********************************
Cleaning – Lot 2
The Trust is currently out to tender for the provision of a full daily cleaning service across 6 sites.
The contract is being offered for three years with the option to extend for a further two periods of 12 months. The contract commencement date is 01 September 2026.
The services at the Trust schools are currently a mix of in-house and outsourced provision.
The contract is for a full daily cleaning service during term time and periodic cleaning outside of term time.
TUPE is expected to apply, details of which can be found in the tender documentation.
Some members of the cleaning team (7) are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme and all details are in the tender documentation.
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value (including VAT)
12,888,000
Value (excluding VAT)
10,740,000
Currency
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.1) Title
Catering Services
Contract/Lot No
1
II.2.2) CPV codes
Main CPV codes
55524000
90919300
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
UKJ4 – Kent
UKI4 – Inner London — East
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Nexus Education Schools Trust is currently out to tender for the provision of a full daily catering service.
The contract is being offered for three years with the option to extend for a further two periods of 12 months. The contract commencement date is 01 August 2026.
The services at the Trust schools are currently outsourced.
The Contractor will be responsible for the provision of a full school food catering service for the pupils and staff at the schools. This will consist of breakfast and morning breaks at some sites and full lunch service for each school day on all sites.
Across the Trust of 12 schools, there are currently over 3700 pupils on roll for the academic year 2025/26. Of this figure, 1444 pupils are entitled to UIFSM and a further 328 to Free School Meals.
TUPE is expected to apply, details of which can be found in the tender documentation.
No members of the catering team are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
The Trust is keen to further increase uptake and continue the good work already in place for catering. It wishes to do so by working closely with the successful contractor in developing and continuously improving the service and partnership during the period of the contract and by introducing innovative and creative ideas as submitted in the tender process and ongoing.
The Trust is aware that there are always opportunities to improve and modernise. They are interested in ensuring that the caterers provide the best possible service, introducing new menu ideas and initiatives so that pupils are all eating and utilising the service regularly.
II.2.5) Award Criteria
Quality
Name:Quality
Weighting:90
Price
Name:Price
Weighting:10
II.2.6) Estimated Value
Value (excluding VAT)
8,580,000
Currency
GBP
II.2.7) Contract dates (estimated)
Start
2026-08-01 00:00
End
2029-07-31 23:59
Duration
3 years
Possible extension
2031-08-01 00:59
Extended duration
5 years
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The duration detailed above includes the initial term of 3 years as well as the 2 optional contract extension periods of 12 months each.
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged minimum number
1
Maximum number
5
II.2) Description
II.2.1) Title
Cleaning Services
Contract/Lot No
2
II.2.2) CPV codes
Main CPV codes
55524000
90919300
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
UKJ4 – Kent
UKI4 – Inner London — East
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Trust is currently out to tender for the provision of a full daily cleaning service across 6 sites.
The contract is being offered for three years with the option to extend for a further two periods of 12 months. The contract commencement date is 01 September 2026.
The services at the Trust schools are currently a mix of in-house and outsourced provision.
The contract is for a full daily cleaning service during term time and periodic cleaning outside of term time.
TUPE is expected to apply, details of which can be found in the tender documentation.
Some members of the cleaning team (7) are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme and all details are in the tender documentation.
II.2.5) Award Criteria
Quality
Name:Quality
Weighting:70
Price
Name:Price
Weighting:30
II.2.6) Estimated Value
Value (excluding VAT)
2,160,000
Currency
GBP
II.2.7) Contract dates (estimated)
Start
2026-09-01 00:00
End
2029-08-31 23:59
Duration
3 years
Possible extension
2031-09-01 00:59
Extended duration
5 years
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The duration detailed above includes the initial term of 3 years as well as the 2 optional contract extension periods of 12 months each.
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged minimum number
1
Maximum number
5

III)Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

IV)Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive flexible procedure
IV.1.10) Identification of the national rules applicable to the procedure
Information about national procedures is available at
Preliminary Market Engagement
No preliminary market engagement undertaken as requirements are simple, standard and in a mature supply market.
Duty to Consider Lots
As part of the initial project set up and approval stage of the tender process, Nexus Education Schools Trust discussed with Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Limited the possibility of splitting the tender into more than one lot/contract.
It was agreed with Nexus Education Schools Trust that lots would be the most appropriate option for this tender process in order to encourage participation by SMEs, due to the different geographical areas where the Trust schools are located and the nature of the two services required.
Full details of the description of the process being used are contained within the documents accompanying this tender.
Stage 1 Conditions of participation with evaluation
Suppliers are invited to submit a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) response. Submissions will be evaluated based on the criteria detailed in the PSQ documentation. A maximum of five suppliers per Lot will be taken forward to the Invitation to Tender stage of the process. Where less than five suppliers meet the minimum standards, only those that meet the minimum standards will be taken through to the Invitation to Tender stage. Where more than five suppliers per Lot meet the minimum standard, those suppliers with the highest scores will proceed to the Invitation to Tender stage.
Stage 2 Invitation to Tender with evaluation
Suppliers shortlisted to the Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage will be required to submit their final tender and will be evaluated on the criteria detailed in the ITT documentation. Envisaged shortlist of the three highest scoring bidders per Lot to be invited to:
Stage 3 Presentation Day
Stage 4 Assessment Summaries and Publication of Contract Award Notice (commencing 8 working day standstill period)
Stage 5 Publication of Contract Details Notice
Further details of the CFP can be found in the documentation accompanying this tender.
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Tender period dates
Enquiry deadline
2026-01-12 17:00
Estimated award decision date
2026-06-10 23:59
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
Deadline for requests to participate
2026-01-23 17:00

VI)Complementary information
Link to source/bidding documents
https://in-tendhost.co.uk/minervapcs/aspx/Home
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/086060-2025
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement
Yes
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
2025-12-24 09:46

Awarding Authority:

Official name: Nexus Education Schools Trust Postal address: Worsley Bridge Primary School Town: Beckenham Region: UKI61 Postal code: BR3 1RF Country: United Kingdom Contact Person: Maria Robinson Telephone: 01256467107 Email: [email protected] Internet address https://www.nestschools.org/