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Kings Hill School ~ Catering tender

Kings Hill School

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

20 Jul 2026 at 14:13

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Kings Hill School is seeking a contractor to provide all catering services for Kings Hill School and Nursery in West Malling, Kent. The service covers breakfast club, school lunches, after-school club, wraparound care and free-issue requirements, including free school meals charged according to consumption and net food cost. Catering will be delivered within the school’s existing facilities for around 475 pupils and 78 teaching and support staff. The school wants nutritious, attractive and varied weekly menus using fresh, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients prepared on site. The contractor is expected to review the current service and recommend improvements, introduce innovative food concepts, and meet a wide range of pupil tastes, dietary requirements and special educational needs. This is a school catering services contract.

The procurement has reached tender: Kings Hill School has invited offers through an open competitive flexible procedure. Enquiries had to be submitted by 14 August 2026 at 12:00, and offers by 16 October 2026 at 12:00, with electronic submission permitted in English. The stated contract duration is three years from January 2027 to December 2030; the lot record gives a contract period of 1 January to 31 December 2027. The published maximum gross value is £419,603.13 including VAT, in one lot. Quality carries 70% of the evaluation and price 30%. The award decision was due by 16 November 2026. The contract is a Guaranteed Performance Contract, requiring a guaranteed annual return or cost, while the school retains control of cash tariffs.

This opportunity suits school catering operators, including small and medium-sized enterprises, with the capability to run a complete on-site education catering service across breakfast, lunch, after-school and free-school-meal provision. Strong bidders will be able to design healthy, inclusive and appealing menus, manage varied dietary requirements, and demonstrate effective safeguarding and support for pupils with SEND. The school is looking for initiative, innovation and experience of reviewing and developing an established service. Suppliers must present a transparent and sustainable pricing model covering food, labour, management fees, overheads and margins. Proposals should also address social value through local employment and training, community engagement, sustainability and pupil wellbeing. The school welcomes inward capital investment to improve the dining area, catering environment, service offer and customer experience.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Kings Hill School ~ Catering tender

Notice Description

Kings Hill School and Nursery first opened in March 1998. Graded as Outstanding by Ofsted, it is a very popular school in the heart of the Kings Hill community, just outside West Malling in Kent. We have 420 children in the main school and every year we enrol approximately 75 nursery children, aged 2 - 4 years. The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor whose initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of service within the existing facilities for the 475 students on roll and 78 teaching and support staff, with a focus on exciting new food concepts to satisfy a wide range of pupil tastes and dietary requirements which will provide our children with nutritious and attractive menus on a weekly basis. The school has not tested the market for a number of years and would wish the successful contractor to review the current range of services offered and make recommendations accordingly. The contract being tendered is for three years in duration from January 2027 to December 2030 and will operate as a Guaranteed Performance Contract, with the successful Contractor offering the school a guaranteed return / cost per annum for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff is to remain with Kings Hill School and Nursery for the duration of this contract. The school year is based on a calendar of 195 days. Five days are to be used for staff professional development which means that school will be open to receive students for the legal minimum of 190 days. The contract offered covers the scope for the provision of all catering services within the school, which currently includes morning breakfast club, lunch, after school club and free issue requirements. Free school meals will be charged based on consumption and at net food cost. Whilst the School 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 value of the current contract is: - 2024/ 20252025/2026 (Estimated) Cash salesPS46,626.10PS50,356.18 Free School Meals PS77,238.40PS77,570.28 Wrap Around Care PS11,111.10PS11,941.25 TotalPS134,975.60PS139,867.71 Kings Hill School and Nursery expect the successful contractor 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. The school expects the successful tenderer to clearly demonstrate, through their bid, how they will support and embody our school values, delivering an inclusive and customer-focused service that prioritises safeguarding, promotes healthy lifestyles, and meets the diverse needs of all pupils, including those with SEND. These principles are central to the provision of high-quality services that enable children to thrive. Tenderers will be required to provide a transparent breakdown of their pricing model, including food costs, labour costs, management fees, overheads, and margin assumptions. The school reserves the right to seek clarification regarding any pricing assumptions to ensure that submissions represent a sustainable and deliverable service offering. The school places significant importance on the delivery of meaningful social value and expects tenderers to demonstrate how their proposed service will contribute positively to the school community, and the Kings Hill local economy. Tenderers should outline initiatives relating to employment and training opportunities, community engagement, sustainability, and activities that will enhance the experience and wellbeing of pupils, staff, and visitors. In addition, the school would welcome consideration of inward capital investment as part of the Contractor's tender submission. Tenderers are encouraged to propose investments that enhance the catering environment, service offer, and customer experience, with particular emphasis on improvements within the existing dining area. Any proposed investment should clearly demonstrate the benefits to the school, the catering service, and the wider school community, together with details of the level of investment, timescales, and anticipated outcomes. Please be advised that this contract will be let on a 3 year basis. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-West-Malling:-School-catering-services./9CJ35975GZ To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/9CJ35975GZ

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ceeb
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068277-2026
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
£419,603 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£419,603 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
16 Oct 20265 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 31 Dec 2027 6-12 months
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
Kings Hill 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
WEST MALLING
Postcode
ME19 4LS
Postcode Area
Rochester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ46 West Kent
Delivery Location
TLJ46 West Kent
Local Authority
Tonbridge and Malling
Electoral Ward
Kings Hill
Westminster Constituency
Maidstone and Malling

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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