Award

Supply And Delivery of Pre Prepared Meals to the Education Authority

THE EDUCATION AUTHORITY

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

27 Oct 2025 at 16:34

Tender

08 Aug 2025 at 16:14

Summary of the contracting process

The Education Authority has concluded the procurement process for the supply and delivery of pre-prepared meals to school meals kitchens across Northern Ireland. The contract, titled "Supply And Delivery of Pre Prepared Meals to the Education Authority," is awarded to Henderson Foodservice Limited. This contract, following an open procedure, is set to commence on 1st December 2025 and will last for five years, with options for two additional 12-month extensions. The procurement is categorised under the goods industry, specifically focusing on prepared meals, and covers educational institutions including primary, post-primary, and further education colleges. Key regions targeted for this service include Northern Ireland, with the overall value of the contract amounting to £402,000 gross (£335,000 net). The award was announced on 27th October 2025, with the standstill period concluding on 5th November 2025.

This tender presents significant potential for businesses involved in the supply of prepared and school meals, particularly those with the capacity to cater to a broad educational sector in Northern Ireland. The open procurement process welcomes businesses meeting specific criteria, thus offering an excellent growth opportunity for suppliers who can deliver a consistent, high-quality food service. Companies specializing in food logistics, nutritional meals, and large-scale catering services will find this contract advantageous, given the scope, duration, and financial scale involved. Collaborating with the Education Authority might yield further opportunities as they continuously review and potentially expand the product range, accommodating ongoing educational needs.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Supply And Delivery of Pre Prepared Meals to the Education Authority

Notice Description

Supply and delivery of Pre-Prepared Meals (Individual and Bulk) to school meals kitchens within Northern Ireland for a period of 5 years with the option to extend for a further two 12 month extension periods. This Contract is established by the Education Authority and is open to the EA, including NI educational bodies as follows, who at some point, during the life of the Contract may wish to utilise the agreement and should have access at any point, with the permission of EA. This Contract is not intended to replace any current agreements that participating or nonparticipating institutions may already have in place. Department of Education - Schools Plus https://www.educationni.gov.uk/services/schoolsplus Primary and Post Primary schools under the control of the EA, Catholic Maintained Schools Independent Schools in NI, Irish Medium Schools in NI, both Controlled and Voluntary Grammar Schools, Nursery School for NI (both controlled, and Catholic Maintained), schoolmeals kitchens on-site at all of these schools, and Controlled Youth Centres. Further Education Colleges in NI : https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/further-educationfecolleges NICIE - https://nicie.org/ Grant Controlled Integrated Education Schools in NI Independent Schools in NI https://www.isc.co.uk/schools/northern-ireland/ EA Teachers' and Educational Centres Council for the Curriculum, Examination and Assessment NI (CCEA) Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Middletown Centre for Autism Controlled Schools Support Council (CSSC) Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) Pre-Schools and Nurseries included within the EA Pre-School Education Programme (PSEP) Preliminary market engagement notice ocds-h6vhtk-04e889 was Published 28 February 2025, 10:25am

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. Additional items may be added to the Contract throughout the Term with the agreement of both the Buyer and the Supplier. This may include any individual or bulk pre-prepared meals options that may be required throughout the duration of the Contract. Any items added to the Contract during the Term must be in line with the Pricing submitted with similar items at tender.

Renewal: Two 12 month optional extensions

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05849c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068709-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

15 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products


CPV Codes

15894200 - Prepared meals

15894210 - School meals

15894300 - Prepared dishes

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£335,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£335,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£335,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 Oct 20252 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
8 Sep 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
27 Oct 20253 weeks ago
Contract Period
1 Dec 2025 - 30 Nov 2030 Over 5 years
Recurrence
2032-03-01

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE EDUCATION AUTHORITY
Contact Name
catering.procure@eani.org.uk
Contact Email
catering.procure@eani.org.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT1 2NQ
Post Town
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
TLN Northern Ireland

Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Duncairn
Westminster Constituency
Belfast North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

HENDERSON FOODSERVICE

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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