Publication Date: 14/07/2025
Deadline Date: 18/08/2025
Reference: TKR-20250714-FTS-31397493
Value of Contact:
Estimated Annual Value:
Type of Procedure: Services Contract
Nature of Procurement: Invitation to tender (contract notice)
Description:
Lot 1 – Catering Services and Lot 2 – Cleaning Services
Tanfield School is currently out to tender for the provision of a full daily catering and cleaning service.
The school is a secondary academy based in Tanfield and part of Eden Learning Trust.
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:
Catering – 05 April 2026
Cleaning – 31 May 2026
Lot 1 – Catering Services
The services at the school are outsourced.
The Contractor will be responsible for the provision of a full school food catering service for the pupils and staff at the school. This will consist of morning breaks and full lunch service for each school day.
The catering facilities at the school include 2 dining halls both with servery’s and take place over two sittings.
Across the school there are currently 692 pupils on roll for the academic year 2024/25. Of this figure, 235 pupils are entitled 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 part of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
The school 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 school 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.
Lot 2 – Cleaning Services
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.
One member of the cleaning team is a member 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)
1,695,000
Value (excluding VAT)
1,412,500
Currency
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.1) Title
Catering Services
Contract/Lot No
LOT-0001
II.2.2) CPV codes
Main CPV codes
55524000
90919300
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The services at the school are outsourced.
The Contractor will be responsible for the provision of a full school food catering service for the pupils and staff at the school. This will consist of morning breaks and full lunch service for each school day.
The catering facilities at the school include 2 dining halls both with servery’s and take place over two sittings.
Across the school there are currently 692 pupils on roll for the academic year 2024/25. Of this figure, 235 pupils are entitled 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 part of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
The school 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 school 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 – Lot 1 & Lot 2
Weighting:90
Price
Name:Price – Catering & Cleaning
Weighting:10
II.2.6) Estimated Value
Value (excluding VAT)
937,500
Currency
GBP
II.2.7) Contract dates (estimated)
Start
2026-04-05 01:00
End
2029-04-05 00:59
Duration
3 years
Possible extension
2031-04-05 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
LOT-0002
II.2.2) CPV codes
Main CPV codes
55524000
90919300
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
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.
One member of the cleaning team is a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme, and all details are in the tender documentation.
II.2.5) Award Criteria
Quality
Name:Quality – Lot 1 & Lot 2
Weighting:90
Price
Name:Price – Catering & Cleaning
Weighting:10
II.2.6) Estimated Value
Value (excluding VAT)
475,000
Currency
GBP
II.2.7) Contract dates (estimated)
Start
2026-05-31 01:00
End
2029-05-31 00:59
Duration
3 years
Possible extension
2031-05-31 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
Duty to Consider Lots
As part of the initial project set up and approval stage of the tender process, Tanfield School discussed with Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Limited the possibility of splitting the tender into more than one lot/contract.
It was agreed with Tanfield School that lots would be the most appropriate option for this tender process in order to encourage participation by SMEs who may wish to bid for only one of the services being tendered but also allowing bidders to submit for both Lots if they are able/wish to.
Tanfield School
Lot 1 Catering Services
Lot 2 Cleaning Services
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 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 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 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
2025-07-21 17:00
Estimated award decision date
2026-01-21 22:59
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
Deadline for requests to participate
2025-08-18 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/039613-2025
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement
Yes
Awarding Authority:
