Howard Primary School Catering Tender

Howard Primary School is a primary school in Croydon in the London Borough of Croydon with a student population of approximately 405 aged between 4 and 11 years of age. There is one busy main restaurant, equipped with a modern, well-maintained kitchen, serving as the hub of its catering provision.

The School Office Manager, in collaboration with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team (SLT), is committed to enhancing the school’s catering services. As part of this commitment, the school is tendering its catering contract to secure a provider that can deliver the very best service for every student at the school. The new contract will commence on 1st of August 2025 for an initial three-year term, with an option to extend for a further two years, subject to satisfactory performance and client agreement on budgets and service levels. The projected turnover for the three-year contract is expected to be circa £680,000.

This contract is designed to reward proactive management, ensuring high meal uptake, consistently high food quality and tangible contract support. The School, alongside CCL, expects the successful Contractor to reasonably guarantee their financial proposal and maintain excellent service standards.

The procurement process follows a two stage ‘Competitive Flexible’ approach, beginning with a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) stage followed by an Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage after shortlisting. This process is managed under the Light Touch Regime, and the School reserves the right to refine the award criteria throughout.

The School Office Manager and SLT has outlined key priorities for this tender, including: A TUPE-compliant bid with recommendations for service equipment, serving points, staffing levels and a bespoke food concept to drive sales and uptake.

In short, the School seeks a trusted catering partner who can deliver their promises, achieve their sales targets, deliver their service enhancements in full. If bidders fail to demonstrate their ability to meet expectations, the school reserves the right to revert to an ‘insourced’ solution or post no award. Any investment proposals will need to be consistent with ESFA guidelines.