The FitzWimarc School - Tender for Catering Services.

The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services for The FitzWimarc School (the Client).

The FitzWimarc School was founded in 1937 and provides 11-18 education in Rayleigh, Essex. The School has been judged outstanding by OFSTED and became an Academy in March 2015. The School has a reputation for excellence, is heavily oversubscribed each year and achieves national recognition, particularly in sport. The sixth form opened in September 2016 with year 12 and will extend to year 13 in 2017.

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 1590 (anticipated full complement at September 2017) students on roll and 200+ 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 contractor to review the current range of services offered and make recommendations accordingly.

The contract being tendered is for three years in duration from 1.6.2017 to 31.5.2020 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 FitzWimarc Client 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 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 within the School, which currently includes morning break, lunch, hospitality and free issue requirements. Free School meals and hospitality will be charged based on consumption and 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 value of the current contract is:

Oct 15-Sept 16:

Cash sales: 251 643 GBP

Free School Meals: 17 583 GBP

Hospitality: 3 135 GBP

Total: 272 361 GBP

Oct 16-Nov 16:

Cash sales: 51 103 GBP

Free School Meals:£3356 GBP

Hospitality: 135 GBP

Total: 54 594 GBP

The FitzWimarc School 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 tenderer to evidence, through their bid, how they shall support and complement its values and support the principles of Every Child Matters.

(Further information is available in the procurement documents.)

Additional information: Interest in the pre-qualification 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_fitzwimarc_school__catering_services

The closing date for receipt of the Selection Questionnaire is 6.1.2017 (12:00). Tenderers 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 Tenderer'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.