E-Act Catering Tender

E-ACT is a dynamic, successful and growing Multi Academy Trust with primary and secondary academies across London, Bristol, Daventry, Birmingham, Oldham and Sheffield. The Trust has grown to 37 academies, with more than 93% rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, and 100% of them achieving the highest grade for leadership and management. Recognised nationally, E-ACT was named MAT of the Year at the 2023 MAT Excellence Awards. Guided by their mantra of "Opening Minds, Opening Doors," the Trust is committed to ensuring that disadvantaged students have equal opportunities to succeed and thrive.

The Trust is tendering its catering services in three Lots, with a contract commencement date of 1st August 2026. Bidders are invited to submit proposals for individual Lots or multiple Lots collectively. The initial contract term will be three years, with a potential extension for a further two years (either 1+1 years or a single 2-year extension), subject to client satisfaction and mutual agreement on budgets and service levels.

The Trust is conducting the procurement through a two stage Competitive Flexible process under the Light Touch Regime. The process will begin with a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) stage, followed by an Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage for shortlisted bidders. In line with the flexibility permitted under the Light Touch Regime, the Trust reserves the right to refine the award criteria during the process. Capital Investment is not required in bidders’ proposals.

The new contract will reward maximising sales and FSM uptake through pro-active management, consistently high food quality and tangible contract support. The Trust and CCL expect the successful Contractor to guarantee their financial proposals and maintain excellent standards throughout the life of the contract.

At present, the Trust operates a ‘price per meal’ model for Free School Meals (FSM) in primaries and secondary academies, under which the Contractor only invoices for the food cost of the meal. All other sales are processed via cashless systems, with some sixth form cafés use POS terminals for contactless payments. This process is currently under review.

The Trust requires a TUPE-compliant bid, including additional recommendations on service equipment, serving points, staffing levels and a bespoke food concept designed to drive sales and uptake.

In summary, the Trust must be convinced that bidders can deliver their promises, achieve their sales targets, deliver their service enhancements in full and provide ongoing support to the academies. Should the Trust not receive suitable bids, they reserve the right to cancel the procurement or revert to an ‘insourced’ solution. Any proposals for marketing and light equipment investment must comply with DFE guidelines.

The successful bidder will be expected to operate with a strong partnership, integrity and honesty.