Catering and Associated Cleaning Services within Barrow Borough Council

Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council are seeking Contractors to provide Catering and associated Cleaning Services for two of their high profile venues in Barrow.

The Forum, theatre and arts centre is situated in the centre of Barrow, offering a varying programme with around 65,000 tickets sold per year and a healthy and dedicated conference and banqueting business, attracting c500 conferences per year. Catering consists of a public cafe, a bar-restaurant, pop up bars and the conference and banqueting functions.

The Dock Museum is a free entry museum attracting c60,500 visitors and with a public cafe located at the entrance to the museum and near the outdoor play area, which is regularly used by locals.

The 5 year contract covers the exclusive rights for all catering at both venues, plus associated cleaning services and there will be an option to extend a further 3 years, subject to satisfactory performance. The form of contract will be the Council's Standard Service Contract, along with a Service Level Agreement (SLA) setting out more operational detail and specifications, both included in the tender pack provided. The Council requires the successful Contractor to provide both catering and cleaning services at both venues, as per the specifications, with each service attracting a separate financial agreement. The Council's financial expectations are detailed in full in the Specification and the Pricing Schedule.

The Council is seeking applications from suitability qualified and experienced contractors able to provide evidence of the operation and management of similar contracts. The Council will be looking for a Contractor to operate these services who will share the Council's vision for the future of the venues as well as the overall ethos and business approach. The venues are high profile in the area and, as such need to retain their high standards and excellent reputation, of which the catering and cleaning are obviously integral elements.