Maidstone Grammar School - Tender for Catering Services

The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services at Maidstone Grammar School.

Maidstone Grammar School is a boys' grammar school with girls in the 6th form. It is located in Maidstone, Kent and was founded in 1549. In 2007 it changed its status from a maintained school to a Foundation.

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 1267 students on roll and 110 teaching and support staff, with a focus on exciting new food concepts to satisfy a wide range of pupil 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 being tendered is 3 years and 7 months in duration from 1.1.2019 to 31.7.2022 with an option of another year from 1.8.2022 until 31.7.2023 and will operate as a guaranteed performance contract, with the successful Supplier 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 Client for the duration of this contract.

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

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

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

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 Every Child Matters.

The Client believes that success should be celebrated and that pupils should enjoy their time at school; if lessons are stimulating and challenging then students will love learning. Much time therefore, is spent reviewing and planning schemes of work to ensure that they are differentiated to meet the needs of all students. As a result, the Client is very enthusiastic regarding work experience and apprenticeship proposals and would welcome the input of the successful Supplier.

Further information is provided in the SQ Documentation.

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/maidstone_grammar_school

The closing date for receipt of the Selection Questionnaire is 27.7.2018 (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.