Hereward College - Tender for Catering Services

Hereward is a College for young people with disabilities and additional needs, based in Coventry. Since 1971 Hereward College have been offering inclusive provision and specialist facilities for both day and residential learners with complex disabilities and learning difficulties.

Hereward's vision is to prepare their learners for the next stage of their lives, providing them with outstanding employability skills and greater control over their future. The College have a focus on creating independent individuals who can make more of their own decisions about work, education, health and living.

The College have extensive partnerships with employers and an expanding supported internship study programme. The internships build upon all of the skills that the young people have developed in College and extend them even further in real work situations.

The contract being tendered is for 3 years in duration from 1.8.2019 until 31.7.2022, with the option to extend the contract term for a further term of up to two years and will operate as a guaranteed performance contract, with the successful Supplier offering the Client a guaranteed cost per annum for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff is to remain with the Client for the duration of this contract.

The college year is based on a calendar of 36 weeks. Three days are to be used for staff professional development.

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

The tender project is seeking to appoint a Supplier whose initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of service within the existing facilities for the students on roll and for the teaching and support staff, all of whom have a focus on the introduction of exciting new food concepts to satisfy a wide range of tastes and dietary requirements. The Client would wish the successful Supplier to review the current range of services offered and make recommendations accordingly.

The contract offered covers the scope for the provision of all catering services at the college, which currently includes breakfast service, morning break, lunch, afternoon break, all hospitality and free issue requirements. Free Student Meals and hospitality will be charged based on consumption and at net food cost.

The Client expects 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 Client expects the successful Supplier to evidence, through their bid, how they shall support and complement its values and support the principles of Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Further information is provided in the SQ Document.

Additional information: Interest in the selection process should be expressed via email only to pqq@litmuspartnership.co.uk 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/hereward_college__catering_services

The closing date for receipt of the Selection Questionnaire is 15.3.2019 (12:00). Suppliers are required to ensure that documents are obtained and returned to The Litmus Partnership Limited, by email to pqq@litmuspartnership.co.uk 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 pqq@litmuspartnership.co.uk 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.