UK-South Yorkshire: School catering services.
Section I: Contracting Authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Northern College
Wentworth Castle, Stainborough, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 3ET, United Kingdom
Tel. +44 1276673880, Email: tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
Main Address: https://www.northern.ac.uk/
NUTS Code: UKE3
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement: No.
In the case of joint procurement involving different countries, state applicable national procurement law: Not provided
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body: No.
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/G92HDZ7U65
Additional information can be obtained from: the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at: Not provided
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Education

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title: Northern College ~ Catering Tender
Reference Number: Not provided
II.1.2) Main CPV Code:
55524000 - School catering services.

II.1.3) Type of contract: SERVICES
II.1.4) Short description: The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services for Northern College
II.1.5) Estimated total value:
Value excluding VAT: 1,350,000
Currency: GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots:
This contract is divided into lots: No

II.2) Description

II.2.2) Additional CPV codes:
Not Provided
II.2.3) Place of performance:
UKE3 South Yorkshire

II.2.4) Description of procurement: The Requirement
The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services for Northern College.
The catering service provision is currently managed by the Thomas Franks on a 5 year contract which expires at the end of December 2024. To ensure that best value principles are applied the Governors and Senior Leaders of the College have decided to tender the catering services.
Northern College is the only residential college for adults to re-enter education, gain employment or to make career change through immersive residential learning and specialist support.
The catering service provides breakfast, lunch and supper service for, Monday-Friday, 48 weeks, and a limited service for up to 11 weekends per year
In 2023-24 Catering costs was around £270k
Objectives
We want our catering company to offer a high quality service to all our students, staff and visitors that matches the educational experience they receive on a daily basis all of the essential abilities and skills to provide an outstanding catering service to our students, staff and visitors at our College.
You should have the knowledge of how to provide exceptional dining experiences in Colleges, manage staff and the whole catering function.
Providing a high quality and reliable catering service has a major effect on the whole learning experience for all our students, staff and visitors and this is why the College is passionate about having very high quality catering facilities, with excellent food choices which are nutritionally balanced for everyone. Having excellent customer care, the caterer should be polite, diplomatic and thoughtful while dealing with all our students, staff and visitors.
We are looking for a refreshing and innovative approach that reflects, amongst other things, the changing profile of student life and their food preferences and types and preferred styles of dining including a wide range of vegan and vegetarian options which is very popular with our student body.
It’s essential to the college that the contractors bidding for this tender think broadly about all issues and not just the core catering service to compete and be successful in obtaining the contract of the college. We would like the contractors to always be on the lookout for new ways of doing things, coming up with new solutions for many common problems such as how you have dealt with the cost of living crisis in managing price increases
Contractors are requested to ensure they consider all the aspects of service delivery and think carefully about the catering requirements.
The College already knows that the successful provision of catering services is very much dependent on the development of a good working relationship between the Client of a facility and the contractor’s catering manager and catering team on site. The contractor is expected to use its best endeavours to cultivate such a relationship to benefit the smooth running of each establishment.
Key factors for the College are:
•A service that offers a light breakfast, light lunch and a cooked evening meal
•A model which is cost effective with high quality service and flexibility (to cover weekends as well as extended hours)
•A suitable and workable staffing structure to ensure that sufficient catering services will be provided every day.
•Flexibility of service delivery.
•What cover arrangements will be applied when inevitably some staff are off with illness.
•Management involvement.
•Monitoring of standards and service delivery.
•Availability and responsiveness of Management to any issues raised.
•Ability to provide hospitality for events and meetings outside of core working hours. With a clear cost structure.

The new contract will commence on 1 January 2025, for an initial 3 year term with the option of additional 2 x 1 year extensions.
For the avoidance of doubt, TUPE Regulations will apply to this contract.

Please see SQ Document for more information.
II.2.5) Award criteria:
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
II.2.6) Estimated value:
Value excluding VAT: 1,350,000
Currency: GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system:
Start: 01/01/2025 / End: 31/12/2029
This contract is subject to renewal: No
Description of renewals: Not provided
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited:
Envisaged minimum number: 5
/ Maximum number: 10
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates: A minimum of 5 suppliers and a maximum of 10 suppliers will be taken forward to the tender stage of the process. Where less than 5 suppliers meet the minimum standards, only those that meet the minimum standards will be taken through to the tender stage. Where more than 5 suppliers meet the minimum standard, those suppliers with the highest scores will proceed to the tender stage.
II.2.10) Information about variants:
Variants will be accepted: Yes
II.2.11) Information about options:
Options: No
Description of options: Not provided
II.2.12) Information about electronic catalogues:
Tenders must be presented in the form of electronic catalogues or include an electronic catalogue: No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds:
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Identification of the project: Not provided
II.2.14) Additional information: To respond to this opportunity please click here: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/G92HDZ7U65


Section III: Legal, Economic, Financial And Technical Information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions:
Not Provided
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
List and brief description of selection criteria:
Not Provided
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :
Not Provided
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
List and brief description of selection criteria:
Not Provided
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :
Not Provided
III.1.5) Information about reserved contracts (if applicable)
The contract is reserved to sheltered workshops and economic operators aiming at the social and professional integration of disabled or disadvantaged persons: No
The execution of the contract is restricted to the framework of sheltered employment programmes: No

III.2) Conditions related to the contract
III.2.1) Information about a particular profession
Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision:
Not Provided
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
Not Provided
III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract: No

Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description RESTRICTED
IV.1.1) Type of procedure: Restricted

IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement - NO
The procurement involves the setting up of a dynamic purchasing system - NO
In the case of framework agreements justification for any duration exceeding 4 years: Not Provided


IV.1.6) Information about electronic auction:
An electronic auction will be used: No
Additional information about electronic auction: Not provided
IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure:
Notice number in the OJ S: Not provided
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date: 05/07/2024 Time: 12:00
IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates: 29/07/2024
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English,
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender: Not Provided


Section VI: Complementary Information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
Estimated timing for further notices to be published: Not provided
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used Yes
Electronic invoicing will be accepted Yes
Electronic payment will be used Yes
VI.3) Additional Information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.

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.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:
https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-South-Yorkshire:-School-catering-services./G92HDZ7U65

To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/G92HDZ7U65
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body:
Northern College
Wentworth Castle, Stainborough, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 3ET, United Kingdom
VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures:
Not provided
VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
Not Provided
VI.4.4) Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained:
Not provided
VI.5) Date Of Dispatch Of This Notice: 31/05/2024

Annex A