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Coastal Learning Partnership - Catering Services

COASTAL LEARNING PARTNERSHIP

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

21 Oct 2026 at 16:15

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

26 Mar 2026 at 16:15

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

22 Sep 2025 at 12:30

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Coastal Learning Partnership has procured a full daily school catering service for pupils and staff across its schools. The work covers a lunch service every school day, delivered through a mix of on-site food production and meals brought in for service. The Trust had more than 5,500 pupils enrolled for the 2025/26 academic year, including pupils entitled to universal infant free school meals and free school meals. The requirement includes developing and improving the catering service with the Trust, introducing menu ideas and initiatives to encourage pupil uptake, and maintaining a close working partnership. Delivery is across the Trust’s school sites in Dorset, including the Bournemouth area. The service is school catering (CPV 55524000).

The procurement is complete and all four lots were awarded to Compass Contract Service (UK) Ltd. The awards were made on 26 March 2026, and contracts were signed on 27 August 2026. Lot 1 was awarded for £590,885.81 and Lot 2 for £639,612.52; Lot 3 was awarded for £3,429,501.90 and Lot 4 for £3,403,396.29. Each contract runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2029, with two optional 12-month extensions, allowing a maximum five-year term. The Trust used a competitive flexible procedure with four lots, intended to encourage SME participation and accommodate the schools’ different locations. Evaluation weighted quality at 90% and price at 10%.

This award shows demand for a substantial, multi-site school catering operation, while the four-lot structure allowed suppliers to compete for defined parts of the Trust’s requirement rather than only the whole service. A credible competitor would need to deliver reliable daily lunches across school sites, using both on-site production and delivered-in provision as required. The Trust also values partnership working, continuous service improvement, creative menu development and practical initiatives that increase pupil uptake. Suppliers should be able to manage a school-facing food service for pupils and staff at scale and demonstrate strong quality alongside competitive pricing, since quality carried substantially more evaluation weight than price. The incumbent service involves staff transfer arrangements, including catering employees covered by the Local Government Pension Scheme, so experience managing TUPE and relevant pension obligations would support a credible future offer.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Coastal Learning Partnership - Catering Services

Notice Description

Coastal Learning Partnership is currently out to tender for the provision of a full daily catering service. The services at the Trust schools are a mix of in-house production and a delivered-in service provision. The Contractor will be responsible for the provision of a full school food catering service for the pupils and staff at the Trust schools. This will consist of a full lunch service for each school day at all sites. Across the Trust there are currently over 5,500 pupils on roll for the academic year 2025/26. Of this figure, 1866 pupils are entitled to UIFSM and a further 1448 to Free School Meals. TUPE is expected to apply, details of which can be found in the tender documentation. Some members of the catering team (2 members of staff) are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme and all details are in the tender documentation. The Trust is keen to further increase uptake and continue the good work already in place for catering. It wishes to do so by working closely with the successful contractor in developing and continuously improving the service and partnership during the period of the contract and by introducing innovative and creative ideas as submitted in the tender process and ongoing. The Trust is aware that there are always opportunities to improve and modernise. They are interested in ensuring that the caterers provide the best possible service, introducing new menu ideas and initiatives so that pupils are all eating and utilising the service regularly.

Lot Information

Lot 1 - Catering

Renewal: The duration detailed above includes the initial term of 3 years as well as the 2 optional contract extension periods of 12 months each.

Lot 2 - Catering

Renewal: The duration detailed above includes the initial term of 3 years as well as the 2 optional contract extension periods of 12 months each.

Lot 3 - Catering

Renewal: The duration detailed above includes the initial term of 3 years as well as the 2 optional contract extension periods of 12 months each.

Lot 4 - Catering

Renewal: The duration detailed above includes the initial term of 3 years as well as the 2 optional contract extension periods of 12 months each.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-059ef7
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099647-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
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
£6,747,500 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£6,747,500 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
£8,063,394 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£8,063,394 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Oct 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
26 Mar 20267 months ago
Contract Period
1 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
2027-09-22

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
COASTAL LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BOURNEMOUTH
Postcode
BH11 8HB
Postcode Area
Bournemouth
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK63 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Electoral Ward
Kinson
Westminster Constituency
Bournemouth West

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Compass Contract Service (UK) Ltd

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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