Harrow Schools Consortium - Tender for Catering Services

The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services for the Harrow Schools Consortium at the following locations: - Bentley Wood High School, - Aylward Primary School (note: supplied by Bentley Wood High School), - Canons High School, - Harrow High School, - Hatch End High School, - Nower Hill High School, - Park High School, - Rooks Heath College, - Earlsmead Primary School (note: supplied by Rooks Heath College), - Whitmore High School, - Jubilee Academy (note: supplied by Whitmore High School), - The Sacred Heart Language College, - Pinner High School.

Total sales value per annum for all schools = 2 121 000 GBP.

The contract being tendered is for 3 years in duration from April 2019 and will operate as a guaranteed performance contract, with the successful Supplier offering the clients a guaranteed return / cost per annum for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff is to remain with the clients for the duration of this contract.

The academic year is based on a calendar of 195 days. Five days are to be used for staff professional development which means that the schools will be open to receive students for the legal minimum of 190 days.

Whilst the clients prioritise value for money as a key objective of the competitive tender process, the governing body is not obliged to accept the lowest price.

Whilst turnover has grown in each year of the contract there is considerable scope for this to grow further following school expansion in recent years.

The school clients expect the successful Supplier 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 successful Supplier will be expected to evidence, through their bid, how they shall support and complement its values and support the principles of inclusive, healthy schools and / or Every Child Matters.

The clients believe that success should be celebrated and that pupils should enjoy their time at school; if lessons are stimulating and challenging then students will love learning. Much time therefore, is spent reviewing and planning schemes of work to ensure that they are differentiated to meet the needs of all students. As a result, the clients are very enthusiastic regarding work experience and apprenticeship proposals and would welcome the input of the successful Supplier.

As schools who are continually seeking ways to improve and develop the ethos and environment for students and staff, to give them the facilities they deserve and need to meet the challenges of the 21st Century, any consideration regarding inward capital investment as part of the Supplier's tender submission would be welcomed. The clients would wish the Supplier to look at making this investment within the existing kitchen / hall / dining areas, including technology.

Please be advised that this contract will be let on a 3 + 2 years basis.

Additional information: Interest in the selection 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 Selection Questionnaire and associated documents can be obtained at: http://www.litmuspartnership.co.uk/project/harrow_schools_consortium__catering_services

The closing date for receipt of the Selection Questionnaire is 1.6.2018 (12:00). Suppliers 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 Selection 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 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.