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Pre Market Engagement for Catering Services

Capital City College Group

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

11 Sep 2026 at 17:42

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Capital City College is planning a future catering services contract for its London estate. The requirement is expected to cover the operation and delivery of catering for students and the College, including canteen and institutional catering, prepared and school meals, meal preparation, cooking, serving and delivery, as well as vending machines and related catering supplies. The intended service must respond to changing student expectations while providing a high-quality, affordable offer. The College is also considering service models that can generate a financial return for it. AGM Procurement Limited is supporting the procurement, with WLP Consulting managing the process. The work is classified as services and falls under the light-touch regime.

This process is at the planning stage and is preliminary market engagement, not a competitive tender. Capital City College expects to use supplier feedback to shape a future tender; participation in the engagement will not be a prerequisite for tendering or provide an advantage. Expressions of interest are requested by midday on 2 October 2026, and the College may hold individual discussions where responses raise matters for further consideration. A subsequent notice is expected on 9 November 2026. The planned contract is expected to run from 1 August 2027 to 31 July 2030, with a possible extension until 31 July 2032. The procurement comprises one planned lot.

The engagement is suited to catering operators, foodservice companies and specialist providers able to deliver catering across a London college estate. It may also suit small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises. Suppliers should be prepared to discuss practical service models that balance affordability, quality and changing student expectations, alongside the potential to produce a financial return for the College. Relevant capabilities include managing canteens and institutional or education catering, preparing, cooking and serving meals, delivering meals, operating vending services and supplying catering goods. Businesses with experience of designing or reshaping catering services, rather than simply repeating an existing model, will be well placed to provide useful commercial feedback before the future tender is developed.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Pre Market Engagement for Catering Services

Notice Description

The current catering contract expires on 31 July 2027. Rather than repeat what has gone before, Capital City College (CCC) wants to use the time available to design a contract that reflects how the market has moved, what students now expect, and what a London estate of this size and profile could realistically deliver. That includes the commercial side: CCC is actively interested in models that generate a financial return to the College alongside a high quality, affordable offer for students. This is a preliminary market engagement exercise conducted in accordance with sections 16 and 17 of the Procurement Act 2023 ("PA23") to obtain honest, commercially informed feedback to support a future tender process. Please see the brief for further infirmation available for download from https://www.in-tendhost.co.uk/educationportal/aspx/Home

Planning Information

This is not a competitive procurement. No selection criteria will be applied, no shortlist will be drawn from it, and participation is not a prerequisite for tendering. Equally, participating confers no advantage. CCC will take such steps as are necessary to ensure that no supplier is placed at an unfair advantage or disadvantage as a result of taking part, and that competition is not otherwise distorted, in accordance with the Act. Full details are provided in the PME brief available for download from https://www.in-tendhost.co.uk/educationportal/aspx/Home - registration to this site is free of charge. All data provided is indicative and draft. Where an EOI response raises matters that merit further discussion, CCC will engage with that organisation individually in accordance with the brief. All expressions of interest (EOI's) should be returned by midday 02.10.26 for inclusion in the PME to enable review and further discussion where required.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f8a6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/086650-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

15 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products

39 - Furniture (incl. office furniture), furnishings, domestic appliances (excl. lighting) and cleaning products

42 - Industrial machinery

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

CPV Codes

15894200 - Prepared meals

15894210 - School meals

39222000 - Catering supplies

42933000 - Vending machines

55320000 - Meal-serving services

55321000 - Meal-preparation services

55322000 - Meal-cooking services

55500000 - Canteen and catering services

55520000 - Catering services

55521200 - Meal delivery service

55523000 - Catering services for other enterprises or other institutions

55523100 - School-meal services

55524000 - School catering services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Sep 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
9 Nov 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Aug 2027 - 31 Jul 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Capital City College Group
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 2PD
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
Vincent Square
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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