---
title: "Thurston Community College - Tender for Catering Services"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-7491ebcb-02d1-4ba9-a8d0-a33b80c9ba4a"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-7491ebcb-02d1-4ba9-a8d0-a33b80c9ba4a"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-7491ebcb-02d1-4ba9-a8d0-a33b80c9ba4a.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-7491ebcb-02d1-4ba9-a8d0-a33b80c9ba4a.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "THE LITMUS PARTNERSHIP LTD"
published: "2019-08-28"
---

# Thurston Community College - Tender for Catering Services

Buyer: THE LITMUS PARTNERSHIP LTD  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-7491ebcb-02d1-4ba9-a8d0-a33b80c9ba4a

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## Summary

The procurement process is conducted by The Litmus Partnership Ltd for catering services at Thurston Community College, located near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The tender period for this contract commenced on 1st August 2019 and will run until 31st July 2022, with a total potential value of £2,129,500. Interested suppliers were required to submit their Selection Questionnaires by 22nd February 2019. This tender falls under the school catering services category (CPV code 55524000) and follows a selective procurement method, described as a restricted procedure due to exceeding financial thresholds.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for catering companies, particularly those specialising in innovative food services tailored to educational environments. Businesses with experience in providing healthy, locally sourced meals are well-suited to compete, especially those who can demonstrate creative concepts to engage a diverse student body while adhering to dietary requirements. The college’s focus on investment in kitchen facilities may also appeal to suppliers willing to enhance existing infrastructure, making this an attractive prospect for both established and emerging players in the catering industry.

## Notice

Thurston Community College is a thriving mixed 11-18 comprehensive school located just outside Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The original College was built in 1973 and serves a large rural catchment area. The College is now based on 2 sites, the Thurston Campus and the Thurston Sixth, Beyton Campus, which are separated by a distance of 2 miles. A school bus is used to move staff between sites as necessary. The tender project is seeking to appoint a supplier whose initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of service within the existing facilities for the 1 600 students on roll and 230 teaching and support staff, with a focus on exciting new food concepts to satisfy a wide range of pupil tastes and dietary requirements. The client would wish the successful supplier to review the current range of services offered and make recommendations accordingly. The contract being tendered is for 3 years in duration from 1.8.2019 to 31.7.2022 with an option to extend for a further 2 years. The academic year is based on a calendar of the legal minimum of 190 days. In addition, there are up to 5 staff professional development days per year where catering is required. The contract offered covers the scope for the provision of all catering services within the College, which currently includes breakfast, morning break, lunch, an all-day service at Beyton Campus, all hospitality and free issue requirements. Free school meals and hospitality will be charged based on consumption. Whilst the client 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 client 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 where possible being prepared on-site. The client expects the successful supplier to evidence, through their bid, how they shall support and complement its values and support its mission statement "Inspire; empower; achieve". As a school who are continually seeking ways to improve and develop the ethos and environment for students and staff, to give them the facilities they deserve and need to meet the challenges of the 21st century, any consideration regarding inward capital investment as part of the supplier's tender submission would be welcomed. The client would wish for the supplier to look at making this investment within the existing kitchens. The client is also seeking to open a new outlet on the Thurston Campus to service a recently created outdoor eating area. Further information is provided in the SQ Documentation. Additional information: Interest in the selection process should be expressed via email only to pqq@litmuspartnership.co.uk clearly stating within this email which contract / notice you are referring to. Please also provide, as a minimum, a contact name, full company postal address and telephone number. The Selection Questionnaire and associated documents can be obtained at: https://www.litmuspartnership.co.uk/project/thurston_community_college The closing date for receipt of the Selection Questionnaire is 22.2.2019 (12:00). Suppliers are required to ensure that documents are obtained and returned to The Litmus Partnership Limited, by email to pqq@litmuspartnership.co.uk by the above closing date and time. Documents in respect of economic / financial standing (where indicated in the Selection Questionnaire) shall be returned to The Litmus Partnership Limited, by email to pqq@litmuspartnership.co.uk by the above closing date and time. It will be the Supplier's responsibility to obtain any necessary documents in order to submit a response by the closing date and time. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award any or part of the contract which is the subject of this Contract Notice and reserves the right to terminate the procurement process at any time. The contracting authority will not be liable for any costs incurred by those expressing an interest in tendering for this contract opportunity. The contracting authority will consider variant bids, evaluating them (so far as the variant or the evaluation of the variant is in the opinion of the contracting authority practicable) on the same basis as a conforming bid, but shall not be obliged to accept any such bid in preference to a conforming bid even if the variant bid scores more highly. No variant will be considered unless the bidder simultaneously submits a conforming bid.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/deb0acfa-d5b5-4f80-b91c-925d533b8098 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Restricted procedure (above threshold) |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 28 Aug 2019 |
| Submission deadline | 22 Feb 2019 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 16 Jun 2019 |
| Contract period | 31 Jul 2019 - 31 Jul 2022 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £2,129,500 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £1,500,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | THE LITMUS PARTNERSHIP LTD |
| Locality | BURY ST EDMUNDS |
| Post town | Ipswich |
| Postcode | IP31 3PB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH6 Suffolk |
| ITL 3 | TLH61 Babergh and Mid Suffolk |
| Local authority | Mid Suffolk |
| Electoral ward | Thurston |
| Westminster constituency | Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CATER LINK |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

### Codes

- 55524000 - School catering services

## Release History

- 28 Aug 2019 at 15:59 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/deb0acfa-d5b5-4f80-b91c-925d533b8098
- 30 Jan 2019 at 12:05 - TenderAmendment - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/4214995b-9b8d-40ee-9bb9-6035e08fd45a
- 22 Jan 2019 at 15:08 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/4214995b-9b8d-40ee-9bb9-6035e08fd45a

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/deb0acfa-d5b5-4f80-b91c-925d533b8098
  28th August 2019 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/4214995b-9b8d-40ee-9bb9-6035e08fd45a
  30th January 2019 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder
- http://www.litmuspartnership.co.uk/project/light_hall_school
  SQ Documentation ~ Light Hall School
- https://www.litmuspartnership.co.uk/project/thurston_community_college
  SQ Documentation ~ Thurston Community College

## Notice URLs

- http://www.thurstoncollege.org/

## Provenance

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