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E-Act Catering Tender

E-ACT

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

19 Jun 2026 at 14:23

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

19 Sep 2025 at 11:59

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process for the E-Act Catering Tender, managed by the buying organisation E-ACT, concluded with awards announced on 19th June 2026. This procurement, falling under the industry category of 'School catering services', is part of a larger initiative for catering services across various regions including London and Bucks, Bristol, and the North and Midlands. The awarding marks the completion of the tender stage, with contracts scheduled to commence on 1st August 2026, initially set for three years with an option to extend for a further two. The procurement method used was an open Competitive Flexible procedure under the Light Touch Regime. E-ACT, a Multi Academy Trust, has been recognised for its excellence and predominantly comprises academies rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.

This procurement provides significant business growth opportunities, especially for experienced suppliers in large-scale catering services. The tender's division into three lots, focusing on different regional academies, allows for flexibility in bidding, accommodating businesses capable of handling one or multiple lots. Businesses with expertise in food quality management, sales enhancement through innovative service proposals, and cashless transaction systems could find this tender particularly suitable. With an explicit focus on maintaining high service standards and maximising sales of Free School Meals, companies committed to excellence and with a robust operational infrastructure will be well-positioned to succeed in securing contracts under this framework.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

E-Act Catering Tender

Notice Description

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. * Lot One is London and Bucks, 9 academies and annual turnover circa PS1,102,445 * Lot Two is Bristol 13 academies and annual turnover circa PS613,800. * Lot Three is North and Midlands, 15 academies annual turnover circa PS1,674,600. 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 cafes 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.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The two year extension is based upon contract performance and mutual agreement.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-059e09
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058136-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

CPV Codes

55524000 - School catering services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£10,173,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
£10,173,000 £10M-£100M
Awards Value
£24,745,821 £10M-£100M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
19 Jun 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
21 Oct 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
18 Jun 20262 months ago
Contract Period
1 Aug 2026 - 31 Jul 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
E-ACT
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
KETTERING
Postcode
NN15 7HP
Postcode Area
Northampton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF25 North Northamptonshire
Delivery Location
TLD37 Greater Manchester North East, TLE32 Sheffield, TLF24 West Northamptonshire, TLG31 Birmingham, TLI7 Outer London - West and North West, TLK11 Bristol, City of
Local Authority
North Northamptonshire
Electoral Ward
St Michael
Westminster Constituency
Kettering

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Aspens-Services Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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