S4S School Cluster ~ Tender for Catering Services.

The successful tenderer will be required to provide catering services for the S4S School Cluster (the Client) at the following locations:

• Newcastle Academy ~ ST5 2QY

http://www.newcastleacademy.org/

• Clayton Hall Academy ~ ST5 3DN

http://www.claytonhallacademy.org/

• Sir Thomas Boughey High School ~ ST7 8AP

http://www.sirthomasboughey.staffs.sch.uk/

• Merridale Primary School ~ WV3 0UP

http://www.merridaleprimary.co.uk/

• Lanesfield Primary School ~ WV4 6BZ

http://www.lanesfieldprimary.co.uk/

• Uplands Junior School ~ WV3 8BA

http://www.uplandsjuniorschool.org.uk/

• Bantock Primary School ~ WV3 0HY

http://www.bantockprimaryschool.co.uk/

S4S have been commissioned by the Cluster to coordinate this project to ensure best value principles are achieved. The Litmus Partnership are working in partnership with S4S to manage the tender process and to assist with protocols that need to be in place throughout the tender management process.

The catering services provision at all seven schools has not been market tested in recent years and to ensure best value principles are applied the Headteachers and School Sponsors / Governors of each school have made a decision to tender their catering services.

All schools have their own kitchen facilities and it is expected all food served to students will be freshly prepared and produced on site.

Current pupil roll numbers across all seven sites is circa 3 274:

• Newcastle Academy ~ 383;

• Clayton Hall Academy ~ 980;

• Sir Thomas Boughey High School ~ 608;

• Merridale Primary School ~ 173;

• Lanesfield Primary School ~ 353;

• Uplands Junior School ~ 380;

• Bantock Primary School ~ 397 including Reception.

Current turnover value across all seven locations is circa 630 000 GBP per annum including Free School Meals. Current uptake levels across all sites average out at circa 60 % and the schools firmly believe that with improved choice and quality there is a real opportunity to increase this level of uptake, especially across the Wolverhampton schools.

For the avoidance of doubt TUPE Regulations will apply to this contract and some of the current catering staff are in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Both Newcastle Academy and Clayton Hall Academy currently manage their catering services with an in-house operation; all the Wolverhampton schools currently use the local DSO. The catering service provision at Sir Thomas Boughey High School is currently operated by an external catering contractor.

Please note: Although this project is being advertised as a single lot contract each School, at its own discretion, will have the option of awarding the contract to its preferred bidder.

(Further information is available 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/s4s_school_cluster__catering_services

The closing date for receipt of the Selection Questionnaire is 20.3.2017 (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.