Royal National College for the Blind - Catering Services

The successful tenderer will be required to provide catering services at Royal National College for the Blind. The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor whose initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of service within the existing facilities for the 130 students on roll and 180 teaching and support staff, with a focus on exciting new food concepts to satisfy a wide range of Student tastes and dietary requirements. The College would wish the successful contractor to review the current range of services offered and make recommendations accordingly. The contract being tendered is for three years in duration from 1 May 2016 until 30 April 2019 and will operate as a Guaranteed Performance Contract, with the successful Contractor offering the College a guaranteed cost per annum for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff is to remain with Royal National College for the Blind for the duration of this contract. The College year is based on a calendar of 36 weeks, for the majority of students, although adult students are here for up to 46 weeks and so a service should be available year round, on a reduced basis in non-term time. The contract offered covers the scope for the provision of all catering services within the College, which currently includes morning break, lunch, all hospitality and free issue requirements. Inclusive Student meals and hospitality will be charged based on consumption and at net food cost. There are up to 125 students who are residential students and who reside within the College for five or seven days per week, over 36 weeks per annum, 40 of whom may be at the college for up to 46 weeks. These students will receive, as part of their daily meal entitlement, the following provision: • Lunch • Evening Meal In addition, student self-catering Breakfast Provisions are sent to the halls, which are to be supplied by the successful contractor. There are up to 5 day students, who are entitled to a meal at lunchtime. Approximately 20 students receive a self-catering allowance for an evening meal with 6 of them having an additional allowance for two lunchtime meals at a weekend. Teaching and support staff, will pay for all meals taken throughout the day, at the point of sale. Adult students pay for meals, but do have a discount of 50%. The sales achieved in 2014/15 were £117,000 Whilst the College prioritises value for money as a key objective of the Competitive Tender Process, the Governing body is not obliged to accept the lowest price. Royal National College for the Blind expects the successful contractor to enable the continued development of catering through the provision of an innovative, healthy food service, with fresh, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients being prepared on-site. The College expects the successful tenderer to evidence, through their bid, how they shall support and complement its values.

Additional information: Interest in the pre-qualification process should be expressed via email only to [email protected], clearly stating within this email which contract / notice you are referring to. Please also provide, as a minimum, a contact name, full company postal address and telephone number.

The pre-qualification questionnaire and associated documents can be obtained at: http://www.litmuspartnership.co.uk/project/royal_national_college_for_the_blind

The closing date for receipt of the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire is 22.1.2016 (12:00). Tenderers are required to ensure that documents are obtained and returned to The Litmus Partnership Limited, by email to [email protected], by the above closing date and time.

Documents in respect of economic / financial standing (where indicated in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire) shall be returned to The Litmus Partnership Limited, by email to [email protected], by the above closing date and time.

It will be the Tenderer'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 OJEU 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.