The Wilnecote School ~ Tender for Catering Services

The successful supplier will be required to provide catering services at:

The Wilnecote school, Tinkers Green Road, Wilnecote, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B77 5LF.

(https://www.thewilnecoteschool.com/).

The Winecote school joined the Community academies trust in 2017 and has seen major positive improvements over the past year regarding academic achievements.

The catering service provision at the Wilnecote school has not been market tested in recent years and to ensure best value principles are applied the Headteachers and school / sponsors / governors of the school have made a decision to tender their catering services.

There are kitchen facilities at the school and it is expected all food served to students will be freshly prepared and produced on site.

There are 727 students on roll and 100 teaching and support staff.

Current turnover is approximately GBP 120 000 per annum.

The catering team at the Wilnecote school are employed by the incumbent contractor, entrust. For the avoidance of doubt TUPE Regulations, including pension rights, will apply to this contract.

The successful supplier will be expected to deliver a concise and detailed method of management reporting at the end of each month, thus updating the client on contract performance. It is imperative that an open book policy is offered to ensure that the client has total clarity on financial performance.

The client is seeking both innovation and the application of current food trends within the tender submissions and would expect as a result of this to be able to identify 'Best value' and work in partnership with the chosen Supplier going forward.

Clients objectives regarding the outcome of the tender process:

- Improve quality of service to staff and students;

- Capital investment into development of additional service points (ideas of how and where additional service points could be installed have been investigated and can be discussed);

- Implementation of a cashless catering system which will link in with the schools cashless provider, ParentPay;

- Profit contribution back to the Wilnecote school with possibility of profit share to staff to incentivise;

- Improve the aesthetic of the dining areas;

- Increase quality of menu including provision for dietary requirements such as gluten free;

- Support to leisure centre operation regarding vending and ad hoc catering requirements.

The contract term will be for an initial period of 3 years and will commence on 1.11.2018. The basis of the contract will be fixed price during the contract term and if any improvements to financial surpluses are generated then the supplier shall share these on an agreed percentage return. Free school meals uptake and any ad hoc catering requirements will be invoiced on a monthly basis and detailed backup will be part of the accounting system.

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/the_wilnecote_school

The closing date for receipt of the Selection Questionnaire is 11.5.2018 (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.