---
title: "ACES Academies trust ~ Catering Tender"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04dba8"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04dba8"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04dba8.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04dba8.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "ACES ACADEMIES TRUST"
published: "2025-02-04"
---

# ACES Academies trust ~ Catering Tender

Buyer: ACES ACADEMIES TRUST  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04dba8

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## Summary

The ACES Academies Trust has initiated a tender process for a catering services contract, valued at £2,500,000, under a restricted procedure. The procurement is intended for the Trust's schools in Cambridgeshire, including Hinchingbrooke School and four primary schools within a 5-mile radius of Huntingdon. The procurement stage is active, with the deadline for submission on 14th March 2025. The contract, starting on 1st August 2025, will initially run for three years, concluding on 31st July 2028, with an option to extend for an additional two years. The procurement category is services, specifically school catering services, and it aims to consolidate catering operations under a single supplier for operational and commercial efficiency.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses with expertise in school catering, especially those that can demonstrate innovation and a strong understanding of the educational environment. SMEs and companies experienced in managing both primary and secondary school catering are particularly well-suited to compete. The contract entails providing comprehensive catering services, including hospitality and free issue requirements, with a focus on utilising seasonal products and ensuring customer engagement for continuous service improvement. Businesses with local operations will benefit from logistical advantages, ensuring effective contract management and support. Additionally, contractors with capital investment capabilities can propose longer contract terms, creating further growth and partnership opportunities.

## Notice

ACES Academies Trust currently comprises one large secondary School (Hinchingbrooke School) and four primary school (Cromwell Academy, Godmanchester Bridge Academy, Godmanchester Community Academy and Spaldwick Primary school), all situated on the western approaches to Huntingdon and within a 5-mile radius.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

ACES Academies Trust currently comprises one large secondary School (Hinchingbrooke School) and four primary school (Cromwell Academy, Godmanchester Bridge Academy, Godmanchester Community Academy and Spaldwick Primary school), all situated on the western approaches to Huntingdon and within a 5-mile radius. All schools within the Trust offer an environment for students to flourish and achieve their full potential through creativity. The schools have facilities constructed within the last 5 years through to a Grade 1 listed property at Hinchingbrooke School dating back to the mediaeval times. We estimate the annual Contract turnover to be in excess of PS500k which involves the feeding of over 3,000 pupils per day. This is the first time that the Trust has been able to bundle its catering service to one supplier (currently there are 3 incumbent suppliers) and the Trust is keen to fully understand through this process both the commercial and operational advantages of having five schools under the same diligent and imaginative catering partner. The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor with skill and expertise to thrive within the mix of primary and secondary feeding, of pupils and staff, and whose initiative and innovation will be evident throughout the ITT process and beyond. The duration of the contract being offered is initially for three years commencing on 1 August 2025 and concluding on 31 July 2028. There will be an option to extend the contract for a further two years by mutual agreement. At this stage we anticipate that the contract will operate as a Guaranteed Performance Contract, with the successful Contractor offering the Trust a guaranteed return / cost per annum for the provision of core catering services at each school. Sovereignty of the cash tariff/ parent selling price is to remain with the Trust for the duration of this contract. The current contract term for Hinchingbrooke was assisted by a large capital investment from the incumbent caterer to provide equipment and fabric for a new dining hall facility and although there are no capital projects like this in any of the five schools, there could be a need for improved prime cooking equipment in the kitchens across the estate which could be funded via contractor. Hence, inward capital investment is important and contractors at ITT stage, will be requested to submit outline plans and funding options for this project. As stated, the initial contract period would be 3 years, but the school will welcome proposals for investment options for longer contract tenures, for example 5 or 7 years. This will be discussed in more detail with shortlisted companies at the site meeting. The contract will cover the scope for the provision of all catering services within the Schools of the Trust, which also includes all hospitality and free issue requirements, which are to be recharged on consumption at "net" food cost only. Bidding contractors with prior knowledge of Hinchingbrooke may remember some additional Hospitality requirements to support the Wedding and Events business at Hinchingbrooke house - but this element will not be in scope of this process. It is expected that menus will feature and utilise products in season when available. Customer engagement will be fundamental to the continuous improvement in the service provision and within your tender response your methodology to this will need to be detailed along with examples of where this has been undertaken within similar contracts recently. The successful contractor should have similar operations within the local area thus ensuring that the Operational Management Team responsible for the contract is available for regular unplanned visits and support for the contract, and that coverage for any planned or unplanned leave from within the establishment staffing structure can be easily provided. See SQ Document for more information Additional information: To respond to this opportunity please click here: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/2BD9M55V9X

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003739-2025 |
| Notice type | Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Restricted procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 4 Feb 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 14 Mar 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 31 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

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

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | ACES ACADEMIES TRUST |
| Additional buyers | CROMWELL ACADEMY; GODMANCHESTER BRIDGE ACADEMY; GODMANCHESTER COMMUNITY ACADEMY; HINCHINGBROOKE SCHOOL; SPALDWICK PRIMARY SCHOOL |
| Locality | HUNTINGDON |
| Post town | Peterborough |
| Postcode | PE29 3BN |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH4 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough |
| ITL 3 | TLH42 Cambridgeshire CC |
| Local authority | Huntingdonshire |
| Electoral ward | Alconbury |
| Westminster constituency | Huntingdon |
| Delivery location | TLH12 Cambridgeshire CC |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

### Codes

- 55524000 - School catering services

## Release History

- 4 Feb 2025 at 19:05 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003739-2025

## Notice URLs

- https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/2BD9M55V9X
- https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Huntingdon:-School-catering-services./2BD9M55V9X
- https://www.acesacademies.co.uk/
- https://www.cromwellacademy.com/
- https://www.godmanchester.cambs.sch.uk/
- https://www.godmanchesterbridge.co.uk/
- https://www.hinchingbrookeschool.net/
- https://www.spaldwickschool.org.uk/

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04dba8. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04dba8.json.