Sharnbrook Academy Federation ~ Tender for Catering Services.

The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services for the Sharnbrook Academy Federation (the Client) at the following schools:

• Sharnbrook Upper School;

• Harrold Priory School;

• Lincroft School;

• Great Ouse Primary Academy;

• Oakley Lower School.

Sharnbrook Academy Federation (SAF) is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) based in rural North Bedfordshire. Formed in 2011 by the Federation of three schools; Sharnbrook Upper School, Lincroft Middle school and Harrold Middle school. In 2013, an additional school Margaret Beaufort Middle school joined the Federation. Recently, two more schools, Harrold Lower and Oakley Lower School joined in November 2016. The 6 schools between them serve an age range from Reception through to 18 years, some 3 200 students.

The contract being tendered will be awarded on a 3 + 2 years basis, subject to satisfactory performance and reviews. The end date is timed to coincide with the end of other outsourced services. The contract will run from 1.8.2017.

Due to the change to age ranges, the following is expected to occur:

Sharnbrook will operate as an 11 to 18 school and will for 1 year increase its number on roll to 2 200 before falling back to around 1 950.

Lincroft will become a secondary school, ages 11-16 and will increase in size in increments of 200 until a capacity of around 1 000 is reached.

Harrold Priory will close with the Lower school expanding to become a single form of entry primary school for age 4-11 years of around 200 children. There will be a period of 1 year from September 2017 when the number on roll will be 300.

Margaret Beaufort School will close and as a result does not form part of this tender.

A new build Primary school, Great Ouse will open in Bedford.

In the background, there are ongoing discussions with other academies with the intention of forming a larger group. The successful contractor will be given the opportunity to be involved in this expansion.

Contract:

The contract being tendered will be awarded on a 3 + 2 years basis, subject to satisfactory performance and reviews. The end date is timed to coincide with the end of other outsourced services. The contract will run from 1.8.2017. The intention is that the contractor will carry out the 2017 summer clean ready for the start of the new school year.

The school year is based on a calendar of 195 days. 5 days are to be used for staff professional development which means that each 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 catering services, including vending, within the schools, which currently includes breakfast, morning break, lunch, all hospitality and free issue requirements. Free School Meals, nursery meals and hospitality will be charged based on consumption and at net food cost.

(Further information is available in the procurement documents.

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/sharnbrook_academy_federation

The closing date for receipt of the Selection Questionnaire is 24.2.2017 (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.