Award

The Fenland Cluster - Catering Tender

TOWNLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL & PRE-SCHOOL

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

04 Jun 2026 at 10:32

Tender

19 Jan 2026 at 16:05

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process for "The Fenland Cluster - Catering Tender" involves an award stage initiated by several primary schools from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, including Townley Primary School & Pre-School, under the guidance of RIVA Partnership Ltd as the procuring entity. The industry category is school catering services, described under CPV code 55524000. The procurement method is an open, Competitive Flexible Procedure, aiming to appoint a contractor to provide catering services to five schools for an initial period from 20th July 2026 to 19th July 2029, with potential extensions up to 19th July 2031. The current stage has awarded the contract, pending final signatures, to Stir Food Ltd. The contract is valued at £802,500 over the maximum five-year tenure, emphasizing quality at 65% and price at 35% in the evaluation criteria.

This procurement opportunity offers substantial potential for business growth, particularly for SMEs with capabilities in the catering sector, capable of delivering high-quality, bespoke services using locally sourced ingredients. Companies with experience in managing school catering operations and those able to bring innovative service enhancements will find this tender particularly suitable. The schools are seeking a contractor that can consistently deliver excellence and management that fosters staff development, presenting an ideal growth platform for companies willing to engage in collaborative and value-added service delivery. The minimum annual turnover requirement is £500,000, indicating suitability for medium-sized enterprises looking to expand their service portfolios within the educational sector.

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Notice Title

The Fenland Cluster - Catering Tender

Notice Description

The successful tenderer will be required to provide excellent catering services to all 5 schools. The contract term being tendered is for three years, 20th July 2026 - 19th July 2029. There is an option for a further extension period for up to two additional years to 19th July 2031. The contract offers an excellent opportunity to review and propose enhancements to the current catering services at the schools. This includes but is not limited to; breakfast, morning break, lunchtime and after school services, over the academic year, plus hospitality services upon request. The schools are keen to secure a high quality catering service including fresh locally sourced ingredients prepared on site, with a menu design that is flexible to suit the requirements of the schools' specific students. The schools expect both a tightly managed service and a management style delivered by the successful contractor that supports, encourages and develops the catering staff. The schools are not obliged to accept the lowest price submitted for this tender, rather they are keen to secure 'best value' from this contract and to deliver 'best value' to their students. Innovative and creative ideas as to how the services can be developed and value added, will be welcomed. The schools seek a contractor that is keen to work in partnership and who will deliver to its highest abilities, at all times. Whilst the objective is to secure one catering contractor to service all 5 schools, each school reserves the right to take its own appointment decision. Competitive Flexible Procedure This procurement will be run under the Competitive Flexible Procedure. This will follow a two stage approach, with stage 1 being the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ). Here a minimum of 5 candidates (or less, in the event less than 5 meet the minimum criteria) and a maximum of 10 candidates, will progress to stage 2. Any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement and a minimum score of 60% must be achieved. Selected tenderers will then be invited to stage 2, the Invitation To Tender (ITT). Here, the evaluation of tender response will be set as 35% price and 65% quality. Value of contract: The annual value of the current contract is PS160,500 Therefore the value of this contract is PS802,500 (above total x 5 as this contract is for a maximum of 5 years) The contract shall be a guaranteed performance contract with any hospitality requirements billed separately. Additional requirements and information: *The school has a minimum requirement for a contractor's employers' liability and public liability insurances of PS5 million *The minimum annual turnover that your company must have achieved to be considered for this opportunity is PS500,000 *There are not any incumbent catering staff currently within the Local Government Pension Scheme *The catering services are currently contracted to Aspens Services and Lunchtime UK.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: There is an option for a further extension period for up to two additional years to 19th July 2031.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060915
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052704-2026
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
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services


CPV Codes

55524000 - School catering services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£802,500 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£802,500 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
£1,046,495 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Jun 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
27 Feb 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
3 Jun 20265 days ago
Contract Period
19 Jul 2026 - 19 Jul 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
TOWNLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL & PRE-SCHOOL
Additional Buyers

BEAUPRE COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

BENWICK PRIMARY SCHOOL

FRIDAY BRIDGE COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

MANEA COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

RIVA PARTNERSHIP LTD

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Postcode
PE14 9NA
Post Town
Peterborough
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ2 Surrey, East and West Sussex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ25 West Surrey
Delivery Location
TLH12 Cambridgeshire CC

Local Authority
Waverley
Electoral Ward
Farnham Moor Park
Westminster Constituency
Farnham and Bordon

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

STIR FOOD

Further Information

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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