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Sir Thomas Fremantle School - Catering Tender

Sir Thomas Fremantle School

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

13 Aug 2026 at 14:00

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

19 Jun 2026 at 12:34

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

28 Jan 2026 at 12:05

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Sir Thomas Fremantle School in Winslow, Buckinghamshire, procured school catering services for its community of 683 pupils and 102 teaching and support staff. The service covers breakfast, morning break and lunchtime catering throughout the academic year, together with hospitality services when requested. The school expects fresh, locally sourced ingredients prepared on site, flexible menus suited to its pupils, and a well-managed service. The contractor is also expected to support, encourage and develop catering staff while working in partnership with the school to improve the existing provision. This is a services contract for a single school catering requirement, with the school seeking dependable day-to-day delivery alongside creative ideas that add value for students and the wider school community.

The procurement has been awarded to Stir Food Ltd, with the award made on 19 June 2026 and the contract signed on 13 August 2026. The contract runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2029, with an option to extend for up to two further years, to 31 August 2031. Its awarded value is £1,463,900 excluding VAT (£1,756,680 including VAT). The original estimated value was £1,029,210 excluding VAT (£1,235,052 including VAT). The school used an open Competitive Flexible Procedure with two stages: a Procurement Specific Questionnaire followed by an Invitation to Tender. Four bids reached the final stage. The tender deadline was 6 March 2026. Evaluation weighted quality at 65% and price at 35%, with a minimum 60% score required at selection stage.

This requirement suits established school or institutional caterers able to provide fresh, on-site food, responsive hospitality and flexible menu planning for a sizeable school community. Credible competitors would need strong operational controls, reliable supply arrangements for locally sourced ingredients, and the capacity to maintain consistent service across breakfast, breaks and lunch. The buyer also values partnership working, innovation and practical improvements rather than price alone, so suppliers should be able to demonstrate service development and added value. The successful supplier was an SME, and the opportunity was identified as suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises. Future competitors would need employer’s liability and public liability insurance of £5 million and annual turnover of at least £1 million.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Sir Thomas Fremantle School - Catering Tender

Notice Description

STFS is a welcoming and caring school with a strong sense of community and ambition. We pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional experience for our students, combining high standards of academic rigour with outstanding pastoral care. Our vibrant school environment is built on respect, aspiration, and a commitment to excellence. Students at STFS benefit from highly qualified and dedicated staff who create a positive and engaging atmosphere for learning. We foster strong relationships and ensure every student feels valued and motivated to succeed. Our facilities and resources support a dynamic school life, with a wide range of activities and events that bring our community together. We are on track to reach full capacity in the 2026-27 school year, reflecting our growing reputation and demand. We are committed to providing an environment where learners thrive and teachers inspire. Further information regarding the School can be obtained here: https://www.sirthomasfremantle.org/ Tender information: The successful tenderer will be required to provide excellent catering services to Sir Thomas Fremantle School, which has 683 pupils and 102 teaching and support staff. The contract term being tendered is for three years, 1st Sept 2026 - 31st August 2029. There is an option for a further extension period for up to two additional years to 31st August 2031. The contract offers an excellent opportunity to review and propose enhancements to the current catering services at the School. This includes but is not limited to; breakfast, morning break, lunchtime over the academic year, plus hospitality services upon request. The school is 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 school's specific students. The school is proud of its 'family ethos' and expects both a tightly managed service and a management style delivered by the successful contractor that supports, encourages and develops the catering staff. The school is not obliged to accept the lowest price submitted for this tender, rather the school is keen to secure 'best value' from this contract and to deliver 'best value' to its students. Innovative and creative ideas as to how the services can be developed and value added, will be welcomed. The school seeks a contractor that is keen to work in partnership and who will deliver to its highest abilities, at all times. 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 PS205,842 (the total sales including fsm, in the last contract year) Therefore the value of this contract is PS1,029,210 (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. The tender process will be run under a two stage Competitive Flexible procedure. 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 PS1 million *There are not incumbent catering staff currently within the Local Government Pension Scheme *The catering services are currently contracted to Aspens

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: There is an option for a further extension period for up to two additional years to 31st August 2031.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0610c2
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077270-2026
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
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
£1,029,210 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£1,029,210 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
£1,463,900 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£1,463,900 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Aug 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
19 Jun 20263 months ago
Contract Period
1 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2029 3-4 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
Sir Thomas Fremantle School
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Postcode
MK18 3GH
Postcode Area
Milton Keynes
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ13 Buckinghamshire
Delivery Location
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Local Authority
Buckinghamshire
Electoral Ward
Winslow
Westminster Constituency
Buckingham and Bletchley

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Stir Food Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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