The Two Counties Trust - Tender for Catering Services.

The Two Counties Trust is a brand-new multi-academy trust established on 1 April 2016, which consists solely of like-minded schools that share a passion for working in partnership in order to improve the quality of provision and outcomes for all learners through focussing on school improvement. All schools within the trust welcome the opportunity to be an equal and valued partner within the Trust and see their success as being measured in the achievement of their own targets and in the achievements of the Trust as a whole. The Two Counties Trust are committed to enabling each individual school to flourish with a high degree of autonomy whilst at the same time providing a culture of collaboration and mutual support.

The successful tenderer will be required to provide catering services to The Two Counties Trust at the following schools:

Ashfield School Selston High School Swanwick Hall School The Manor Academy.

The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor whose initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of service within the existing facilities for the teaching and support staff and students on roll, 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 contractor to review the current range of services offered and make recommendations accordingly.

The contract being tendered is for three years in duration from 1 August 2017 until 31 July 2020 and will operate as a guaranteed performance contract, with the successful Contractor offering the Client a guaranteed return / cost per annum for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff is to remain with the Schools for the duration of this contract.

The school year is based on a calendar of 195 days. Five days are to be used for staff professional development which means that the schools will be open to receive students for the legal minimum of 190 days.

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

The value of the current contracts, from September 2015 - August 2016 are circa:

Ashfield School:

Student Sales: 290 000 GBP

Staff Sales: 2 800 GBP

Free School Meal Sales: 87 000 GBP

Client Issue Sales: 2 000 GBP

Selston High School:

Student Sales: 134 500 GBP

Free School Meal Sales: 27 500 GBP

Client Issue Sales: 4 700 GBP

Swanwick Hall School:

Student Sales: 219 500 GBP

Staff Sales: 15 500 GBP

Free School Meal Sales: 53 000 GBP

Client Issue Sales: 25 000 GBP

The Manor Academy:

Student Sales: 142 000 GBP

Staff Sales: 6 000 GBP

Free School Meal Sales: 46 000 GBP Client

Additional information: Interest in the 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: https://www.litmuspartnership.co.uk/project/the_two_counties_trust

The closing date for receipt of the Selection Questionnaire is 16.1.2017 (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 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.