Tender

St John the Baptist Catholic MAT ~ Catering Tender

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC MAT

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

08 May 2026 at 10:31

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

St John the Baptist Catholic MAT is currently initiating a procurement process for a Catering Tender, inviting competitive bids for the provision of catering services across its schools located in Norwich and surrounding regions, classified under the UKH15 region. This procurement falls under the "services" category, focusing on school catering services, with a competitive flexible procedure in place. The contract is set to commence on 1st January 2027 and will run until 31st December 2029, with a potential extension of up to two additional years. The estimated contract value is £5 million, and prospective suppliers have until 28th August 2026 to submit their tenders. The tender period allows for enquiries to be made until 5th June 2026, with an award decision anticipated by 12th October 2026.

This tender presents a significant business growth opportunity for suppliers specialising in school catering services, especially those who can offer innovative, healthy food solutions that align with emerging food trends seen in high street and retail environments. Businesses that focus on using fresh, locally sourced ingredients and can support educational initiatives around healthy eating may find this opportunity well-suited to their strengths. The procurement method prioritises quality over merely offering the lowest price, making it an ideal chance for companies capable of delivering high-quality catering services and innovative approaches within a public school setting. The engagement with nine schools also allows suppliers to build a substantial portfolio, leveraging the option to extend the contract and incorporate additional schools from the Trust in the future.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

St John the Baptist Catholic MAT ~ Catering Tender

Notice Description

The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services for St John the Baptist Catholic MAT. The tender project is seeking to appoint a single Supplier whose initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of catering service within the existing facilities for the 8 primary schools and 1 secondary school. There are other schools within the Trust, currently self -operating catering, which may well become part of the contract scope during this contract period and if this becomes the case, joining schools would be priced in the spirit of the primary and secondary models submitted. The Trust would wish the successful Supplier to review the current range of services offered, as well as to looking at the delivery of the current catering service and make recommendations accordingly. The contract being tendered is for three years in duration from 1st January 2027 to the 31st December 2029 with the option to extend for a further two years, the extension would only be for 1 year at a time and will operate as a guaranteed performance contract, with the successful Supplier offering the Trust a guaranteed return / cost per annum for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff is to remain with the Trust for the duration of this contract. The Trust intends its' schools to be open for 190 days, however there are current consultations at an early stage which may end up reducing operational days ( via extension of the school day) - anything material available at the time of publishing will be included in the ITT documentation. The contract offered covers the scope for the provision of all catering services within the schools, which currently includes morning break, lunch, all hospitality and free issue requirements. The client would like to see innovative delivery of emerging food trends that are seen on the high street and in retail outlets that pupils and their families frequent and therefore need to be reflected in the school dining rooms. The ITT will capture detailed specifications for each school against which bidders can present confident proposals. Free School Meals and hospitality will be charged based on consumption at a rate agreed yearly in line with government funding with associated sales and costs included within the pricing models. The successful Supplier will be expected to maximise the sourcing of fresh produce on a local basis, as well as provide support on educating the pupils in healthy eating and where food comes from. Whilst the Trust prioritises value for money as a key objective of the competitive tender process, the governing body is not obliged to accept the lowest price. The T/O value of the current contract is PS1m per annum. The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services for nine schools;; * Notre Dame High School, Surrey Street, Norwich, NR1 3PB * St Mary's RC Primary School, Kirkley Cliff Road, Lowestoft, NR33 0DG * St Benet's Catholic Primary, Ringsfield Road, Beccles, NR34 9PQ * St Edmund's Catholic Primary School, St Marys Street, Bungay, NR32 1AY * St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, 19 West End, Costessey, Norwich, NR8 5AG * St Mary & St Peter Catholic Primary School, East Anglian Way, Gorleston, NR31 6QY * Sacred Heart RC Primary School, Tollgate, Bretton, Peterborough, PE3 9XD * St Martha's Catholic Primary School, Field Lane, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 4AY * St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary, Jessop Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 3QB The Trust expects the successful Supplier to enable the continued development of catering through the provision of an innovative, healthy food service, with fresh, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients being prepared on-site. Please see PSQ Document for more information. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Norwich:-School-catering-services./85P8RY7TK8 To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/85P8RY7TK8

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: 3+1+1 Please see PSQ Document for more information.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-069470
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/042404-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

CPV Codes

55524000 - School catering services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£5,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£5,000,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 May 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
28 Aug 20264 months to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 31 Dec 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC MAT
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
NORWICH
Postcode
NR1 3PB
Post Town
Norwich
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH5 Norfolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH51 Norwich and East Norfolk
Delivery Location
TLH15 Norwich and East Norfolk
Local Authority
Norwich
Electoral Ward
Mancroft
Westminster Constituency
Norwich South

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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