CO0220 Bringing Community Supermarkets to Essex

This procurement specification seeks to establish two, not for profit, community supermarkets, one (1) in Tendring (Lot 1) and one (1) in Basildon (Lot 2).

Priority areas for this procurement are based on the Essex County Council, Levelling-Up geographies, and Working Families priority areas, overlayed with the 2019 Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

It is important that any Community Supermarket is established with the support of local, public, voluntary and community sector partners as well as local residents and service users.

The Community Supermarket model will primarily support those individuals and families who fluctuate above and below the line of financial security providing a consistent point of support to avoid them falling into financial crisis.

Once established, the programmes will form a local responsibility with funding from Essex County Council only available as a one-off award in order to seed fund the development.

There will be ongoing support from Essex County Council, working alongside National experts Feeding Britain through a best practice and information sharing 'Good Food Essex Network'.

This procurement opportunity represents the first phase of delivery for the Community Supermarket programme. Subsequent phases of procurement in areas of geographic priority, will be dependent on the successful mobilisation of Phase 1.

Procurement will take the form of two geographical (lots) with the financial contribution to any one lot capped at £79,120.

Bidders may submit bids for one Lot only. There will only be one supplier per Lot.

For a community supermarket to be successful requires a local partnership between the District/ Borough or City Council, Voluntary Sector and the local community. As such it is envisaged that the Essex Community Supermarket Programme will be led by local partnerships coming together to access resources and work alongside national experts Feeding Britain, to utilise funding made available by ECC to plan and deliver community provision in areas if identified need.

The costs covered by this one-off award are expected to be sufficient to sustain the project for a period of 18months in total. 12 months within the terms of this contract, and a further 6 months beyond the conclusion of this contract.