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Provision of Outsourced Catering

Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

Award

01 Sep 2026 at 13:22

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

04 Mar 2026 at 09:39

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
TenderUpdate

01 Dec 2025 at 13:17

UK4 - Tender Notice
Tender

01 Dec 2025 at 13:13

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust procured outsourced catering services for its school community. The requirement covers consistently high-quality food services that meet nutritional standards and support pupils’ and recipients’ wellbeing. It is divided across schools in Newcastle West and North, North Tyneside and Newcastle East, and two primary schools in North Tyneside. The services include food provision and catering operations, classified under CPV 15000000 for food and related products and CPV 55000000 for hotel, restaurant and retail trade services. Delivery is across the Newcastle and North Tyneside area. Value Match Services Ltd provided procurement support, while the Trust is the buying organisation. The requirement is relevant to education caterers and operators with the systems and staffing to manage school meal services across multiple sites.

The procurement is complete and was awarded to Aspens-Services Limited on 4 March 2026. It used an above-threshold open procedure. Three lots were awarded: Lot 1, Newcastle West and North, was valued at £4.5 million; Lot 2, North Tyneside and Newcastle East, at £4.5 million; and Lot 3, St Stephens and St Bartholomew’s, at £1 million. The award was recorded at £10 million gross. The signed contract is active, was signed on 13 July 2026, and has a gross value of £13.8 million (£11.5 million excluding tax). Its stated period is 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2028, with three possible 12-month extensions to 31 July 2031. Evaluation weighted quality at 55% and price at 45%.

This procurement shows sustained demand from a multi-school education trust for a large-scale outsourced catering partner, with the ability to operate consistently across different school groupings and locations. A credible competitor would need robust school food production and service capability, reliable staffing and mobilisation arrangements, and effective operational controls across multiple sites. Compliance with School Food Standards is central, including portion sizes, nutritional balance, allergen labelling and delivery of an approved three-week menu cycle. Suppliers would also need to support local variations such as themed days and cultural events. Strong management information capability is important: the contract requires accurate monthly reporting on meal uptake, free school meal data, cost breakdowns and allergen logs. The opportunity was suitable for SMEs, although only one SME submitted a final-stage bid.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Outsourced Catering

Notice Description

Lot 1 - Newcastle West and North: Provision of outsourced catering services for 13 schools within Newcastle West and North Lot 2 - North Tyneside and Newcastle East Description Provision of outsourced catering services to 14 schools in North Tyneside and Newcastle East. Lot 3 - Provision of outsourced catering services for 2 primary schools in North Tyneside The Contract is to provide BBCET and its community of children with consistently high quality food services that meet nutritional standards and support the wellbeing of all recipients.

Lot Information

Lot 1 - Newcastle West and North

Renewal: Contract commencing 01st September 2026 for 2 years with the option to extend for a further 3 * 12 month periods (subject to satisfactory performance), with a final potential end date of 31st August 2031.

Lot 2 - North Tyneside and Newcastle East

Renewal: Contract commencing 01st September 2026 for 2 years with the option to extend for a further 3 * 12 month periods (subject to satisfactory performance), with a final potential end date of 31st August 2031.

Lot 3 - St Stephens and St Bartholomew's

Renewal: Contract commencing 01st September 2026 for 2 years with the option to extend for a further 3 * 12 month periods (subject to satisfactory performance), with a final potential end date of 31st August 2031.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05ebef
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082648-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
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

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

CPV Codes

15000000 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products

55000000 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£10,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
£10,000,000 £10M-£100M
Awards Value
£10,000,000 £10M-£100M
Contracts Value
£11,500,000 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
16 Jan 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
4 Mar 20267 months ago
Contract Period
1 Aug 2026 - 31 Jul 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Postcode
NE4 9YH
Postcode Area
Newcastle upon Tyne
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC43 Tyneside
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England)
Local Authority
Newcastle upon Tyne
Electoral Ward
Wingrove
Westminster Constituency
Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Aspens Services 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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