Invitation to Tender for the provision of Catering Services at The Lantern Learning Trust and Hawksworth Wood Primary School

THE LANTERN LEARNING TRUST (INNER CITY NORTH, LEEDS)

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

16 Jun 2026 at 11:16

TenderUpdate

16 Mar 2026 at 11:06

Tender

16 Mar 2026 at 10:55

Summary of the contracting process

The Lantern Learning Trust (Inner City North, Leeds) and Hawksworth Wood Primary School invited tenders for the provision of school catering services, with a focus on modern, branded offerings that align with the latest industry trends. This procurement was driven by the aim to enhance the quality and finances of their current catering services, benefiting schools like Blenheim Primary School and others in Leeds. The procurement process observed key dates, beginning with the issue of an invitation to tender on 16th March 2026 and culminating in the contract award by 5th June 2026. The contract, awarded through an open procedure, will commence on 1st September 2026, initially set for three years with flexible renewal options for up to five years. Notable objectives include allergen labelling compliance, promoting healthy eating, and prioritising seasonal, locally sourced produce. The tender was conducted in the services category, particularly school catering services, in the Leeds region of the United Kingdom.

This tender presents significant growth opportunities for businesses, especially those in the catering industry keen on expanding into educational institutions. Companies with expertise in providing nutritionally balanced, imaginative, and cost-effective meals stand to benefit. The bid favours a proactive contractor capable of strategic partnership, innovative marketing, and operational excellence. Businesses capable of offering a flexible, customer-focused service that enhances student meal satisfaction while meeting compliance standards like Natasha's Law are well-suited to compete. The contract's emphasis on marketing investment offers additional growth potential for contractors willing to develop their brand presence in the educational sector.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Invitation to Tender for the provision of Catering Services at The Lantern Learning Trust and Hawksworth Wood Primary School

Notice Description

The Lantern Learning Trust and Hawksworth Wood Primary School have decided to tender their catering services to investigate the financial and qualitative benefits they could be offered through this process. The Schools involved are: - * Blenheim Primary School * Brudenell School * Quarry Mount Primary School * Rosebank Primary School * Hawksworth Wood Primary School Aims of the Service The Trust and Hawksworth Wood wish to be at the forefront of school catering and as such require a modern, branded offer that reflects the leading trends in the industry. At this time, the Trust's wish is to commence a catering contract, with a partner who shares their vision for a customer-focused service that attracts the maximum number of students. The meals that are to be provided must be appealing to customers, imaginative, provide good value for money and be nutritionally balanced to encourage all students to make an educated choice. The Trust's objectives for the new contract are as follows:- * Natasha's Law (2021): Full allergen labelling on all pre-packed food. * HFA Halal Compliance where required. * Healthy eating promotion & food education initiatives. * Seasonal, locally sourced produce prioritised. * A catering service that is well managed and requires minimal involvement from the Trust's management team. * A strong Contractor Area Manager who will develop and lead the team to deliver exceptional customer service, a consistently high quality food offer and spend a substantial amount of time on site at the outset to undertake this. * A Contractor who is proactive in their relationship management with the Trust. * Investment in the Trust's Catering service through increased marketing in return for a tenure of contract. * A higher number of students and staff using the facilities by providing a high quality, affordable and nutritious meal. * A catering service that encourages students to take a heathy and balanced meal. * Food and drinks that look appetising and are attractively presented. * A hospitality service that will help showcase the Trust through events to parents and visitors. * A Contractor that adopts a flexible and proactive approach to all Trust activities. * A service that is professionally merchandised and marketed with discretion and to the mutual benefit of the Trust and the Contractor. * A Contractor that operates using the optimum level of staffing. Tender Schedule: Issue of Invitation to Tender - 16th March 2026 Bidding Companies to Visit Sites - 31st March 2026 Clarification Deadline - 10th April 2026 Clarification Return Deadline - 15th April 2026 Deadline for return of Tender Responses - 12:00 on 17th April 2026 Presentation by shortlisted bidders - 19th May 2026 Reference site visits - w/c 18th May 2026 or w/c 1st Jun Contract Awarded by - 5th June 2026 Mobilisation Meeting - w/c 22nd June 2026 Contract Commencement - 1st September 2026

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: 3 years initial contract and then 2 optional 1 year extension taking the contract to a maximum of 5 years.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066abd
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056599-2026
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
Open 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
£978,025 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£978,025 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
£978,025 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Jun 20264 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
17 Apr 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
11 Jun 20261 months ago
Contract Period
31 Aug 2026 - 31 Aug 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
THE LANTERN LEARNING TRUST (INNER CITY NORTH, LEEDS)
Additional Buyers

HAWKSWORTH WOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

RED BOX CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED

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

Buyer Location

Locality
LEEDS
Postcode
LS2 9EX
Post Town
Leeds
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE4 West Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE42 Leeds
Delivery Location
TLE42 Leeds

Local Authority
Leeds
Electoral Ward
Kirkstall
Westminster Constituency
Leeds Central and Headingley

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ASPENS-SERVICES

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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