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Temporary Hospitality, Catering and Events Staff for ACE

University Of Edinburgh

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

21 Jul 2026 at 13:22

Award Notice
Tender

09 Sep 2025 at 13:40

Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Edinburgh’s Accommodation, Catering and Events service procured a framework for temporary personnel to support university catering, hospitality, events and domestic operations when permanent staffing is insufficient. Work is across multiple venues and locations in Edinburgh, serving students, staff, visitors and commercial activities. The requirement covers hospitality and events staff, including catering assistants and plate waiters or silver-service staff; kitchen staff, including head chefs, chefs, kitchen assistants and kitchen porters; and domestic services staff, including hotel bedroom attendants, public-area cleaners and student-property cleaning staff. The procurement is for temporary staffing supply, with workers needed at short notice during demand peaks, planned events and unforeseen staffing shortages.

The procurement has been awarded through an open procedure as a framework agreement with up to nine participants. Three lots were awarded separately. Hospitality and Events was awarded to Blue Arrow, Navolio Limited trading as Off To Work, and Axis Recruitment Ltd, for £1,600,000. Domestic Services was awarded to Reed Recruitment, Blue Arrow and Brightwork, for £800,000. Kitchen Staff was awarded to Blue Arrow, Reed Recruitment and Search Consultancy, for £1,200,000. Each contract was signed on 6 July 2026 and has a 720-day period, with one discretionary 24-month extension, giving a possible four-year duration. Evaluation was 80% technical quality and 20% price. Nine, 13 and 10 bids were received for the three lots respectively.

This procurement demonstrates recurring demand from the University of Edinburgh for agencies able to provide varied hospitality, catering, kitchen and domestic personnel across multiple Edinburgh venues. Credible competitors would need an established pool of suitably experienced temporary workers, the operational capacity to respond at short notice, and the ability to cover simultaneous requirements at different locations and times. Relevant capability includes supplying senior and front-line kitchen staff, event and silver-service personnel, catering assistants, hotel and public-area cleaners, and student-property cleaning staff. The buyer required bidders to provide staff names and qualifications, so robust worker vetting, qualification records and reliable deployment processes would strengthen a future response. The award attracted substantial SME participation, indicating that specialist or regional staffing providers can compete alongside larger agencies.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Temporary Hospitality, Catering and Events Staff for ACE

Notice Description

The University's Accommodation, Catering and Events (ACE) service operates a range of essential catering facilities that support students, staff, visitors and commercial activities across the University. To ensure continuity of these critical services, the University supplements its permanent workforce with temporary agency staff during periods of increased demand, seasonal peaks, planned events and where unforeseen staffing shortages arise. Agency workers are engaged only where the existing permanent workforce is insufficient to meet operational requirements, helping to maintain service continuity, customer experience and contractual commitments. The purpose of this procurement is to establish a Framework Agreement with suitably experienced staffing providers that have the capacity and capability to supply high-quality catering personnel at short notice, as and when required. The Framework value is indicative and non-committal. This project is looking to establish a new framework agreement with suppliers who have the resource and capacity to work with the University to provide catering staffing resources as and when required.

Lot Information

Kitchen Staff

ACE operates across the city of Edinburgh. There are multiple venues and location across this wide geographical area, where agency staff will be required to attend for work. All locations may require staff at any one date and time. The volume and type of staff required will be dependent on business needs. Historical data highlights the roles where the highest volume of staff is required are: - Head Chef - Rare but maybe required for interim periods of up to 3 months; - Chef - estimate of up to 10+ on busier days; - Kitchen Assistants - estimate 15 + on very busy days; and - Kitchen Porter - estimate of up to 5+ on busier days. Please be aware that these figures are given in good faith but may not be representative of future demand.

Options: One extension period of 24 months will be available for use at the University's discretion, meaning a potential contract duration of 48 months, or four years.

Renewal: One extension period of 24 months will be available for use at the University's discretion, meaning a potential contract duration of 48 months, or four years.

Hospitality and Events

ACE operates across the city of Edinburgh. There are multiple venues and location across this wide geographical area, where agency staff will be required to attend for work. All locations may require staff at any one date and time. The volume and type of staff required will be dependent on business needs. Historical data highlights the roles where the highest volume of staff is required are: - Catering Assistants - estimate 15+ on very busy days; and - Plate Waiters/Silver Service Staff - estimate 50+ on very busy days. Please be aware that these figures are given in good faith but may not be representative of future demand.

Options: One extension period of 24 months will be available for use at the University's discretion, meaning a potential contract duration of 48 months, or four years.

Renewal: One extension period of 24 months will be available for use at the University's discretion, meaning a potential contract duration of 48 months, or four years.

Domestic Services

ACE operates across the city of Edinburgh. There are multiple venues and location across this wide geographical area, where agency staff will be required to attend for work. All locations may require staff at any one date and time. The volume and type of staff required will be dependent on business needs. Historical data highlights the roles where the highest volume of staff is required are: - Hotel Bedroom Attendants; - Hotel Public Area Cleaners - Student Property Domestic Cleaning Staff

Options: One extension period of 24 months will be available for use at the University's discretion, meaning a potential contract duration of 48 months, or four years.

Renewal: One extension period of 24 months will be available for use at the University's discretion, meaning a potential contract duration of 48 months, or four years.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0596b2
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068698-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large, SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79620000 - Supply services of personnel including temporary staff

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£3,600,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£3,600,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£3,600,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
10 Oct 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
University Of Edinburgh
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EDINBURGH
Postcode
EH1 1HT
Postcode Area
Edinburgh
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM1 East Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM13 City of Edinburgh
Delivery Location
TLM75 City of Edinburgh
Local Authority
City of Edinburgh
Electoral Ward
City Centre
Westminster Constituency
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
6
Supplier Names

Blue Arrow

Navolio Limited

AXIS RECRUITMENT LIMITED

Reed Recruitment

Brightwork Limited

Search Consultancy Ltd

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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