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003625 - Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for the Provision of Meals at Aycliffe Secure Centre

Durham County Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

23 Sep 2026 at 13:39

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Durham County Council intends to procure a fully managed catering service for Aycliffe Secure Centre, a secure children’s home for up to 34 young people aged 10–18. The service covers meal planning, preparation and delivery for residents and staff, including a two-course daily lunch and evening meal with a choice of at least two main dishes, and weekend brunch in place of lunch. It also includes special-diet and allergen management, menu development, themed and cultural food events, packed lunches and hospitality catering. The provider will run the kitchen and manage staffing, food safety, safeguarding, supply chains, sustainability, performance and the contract. Delivery is at Aycliffe Secure Centre in County Durham.

This is at the planning stage: Durham County Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement before a full tender, which it anticipates running as an open tender in autumn or winter 2026. The Council expects to start the contract on 1 September 2027 for an initial 36 months, with two optional 24-month extensions. The approximate annual value is up to £280,000; the published estimated total is £2,000,000 excluding VAT (£2,400,000 including VAT). For market engagement, suppliers are asked to submit a questionnaire by 9 October 2026 at noon; the Council intends to hold discussions with respondents during the week commencing 19 October 2026, using Microsoft Teams. The full tender specification will be provided at the tender stage.

This work is best suited to a catering operator able to deliver a continuous, seven-day service throughout the year in a secure residential setting. The Council is particularly interested in suppliers with experience in education, healthcare, residential care, custodial or similarly regulated environments, where safeguarding, nutrition, compliance and engagement with service users are central. Providers should be equipped to manage kitchen operations and staffing, food safety and safeguarding requirements, supply chains, sustainability and contract performance. The service also calls for practical expertise in nutritious menu planning, varied meal choices, special diets and allergens, and food that meets young people’s diverse cultural, religious and medical needs. A flexible, proactive approach and the ability to involve young people in shaping menus will be important when the requirement reaches tender.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

003625 - Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for the Provision of Meals at Aycliffe Secure Centre

Notice Description

Durham County Council is seeking market engagement in relation to a future contract for the provision of a fully managed catering service at Aycliffe Secure Centre, a secure children's home accommodating up to 34 young people aged 10-18 years. The service will operate seven days per week, 365 days per year and will include the planning, preparation and delivery of nutritious meals for young people and staff. The catering service will include the provision of a daily two course lunch and evening meal service, with at least a choice of two main dishes for an agreed contract meal price, plus a management fee. In addition, the provider will also provide a weekend brunch provision (instead of lunch), special dietary and allergen management, menu development, themed and cultural food events, packed lunches, hospitality catering and ongoing engagement with young people to help shape food offerings. The successful provider will be responsible for kitchen operations, staffing, food safety compliance, safeguarding requirements, supply chain management, sustainability initiatives, performance monitoring and contract management. The Council is seeking a proactive and flexible provider capable of delivering a high-quality catering experience that supports the health, wellbeing and diverse cultural, religious and medical needs of young people within a secure environment. The Council is particularly interested in hearing from suppliers with experience of catering within education, healthcare, residential care, custodial or similarly regulated environments where safeguarding, nutrition, compliance and stakeholder engagement are key service requirements The contract will commence 1st September 2027 and will be for a period of 36 months with 2 x 24 month optional extension periods. The approximate annual contract value is up to PS280,000 per annum. It is anticipated that this contract will be procured via an Open Tender procurement process, in Autumn/Winter 2026. A full tender specification will be provided for the tender process.

Planning Information

A brief written response questionnaire is available to access free of charge via Open Portal at www.open-uk.org. All responses should be provided by completing this questionnaire and uploading your response via the Open Portal before Friday 9th October 2026 at 12 noon. The Council then intends to hold conversations with interested suppliers w/c 19th October 2026 via Microsoft Teams. The purpose of these sessions is to gain further insight from the market regarding current market conditions, ahead of the full tender opportunity being published. These sessions will be arranged via the Open portal, with suppliers who complete the initial questionnaire.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-07789d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/090139-2026
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
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

15 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

CPV Codes

15894210 - School meals

55523000 - Catering services for other enterprises or other institutions

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£2,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
23 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Sep 2027 - 1 Sep 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
Durham County Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
DURHAM
Postcode
DH1 5WB
Postcode Area
Durham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC41 Durham
Delivery Location
TLC14 Durham
Local Authority
County Durham
Electoral Ward
Framwellgate & Newton Hall
Westminster Constituency
City of Durham

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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