---
title: "Catering Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04e1df"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04e1df"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04e1df.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04e1df.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "MID AND SOUTH ESSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUST"
published: "2025-02-14"
---

# Catering Services

Buyer: MID AND SOUTH ESSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUST  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04e1df

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## Summary

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has completed a procurement process for catering services titled "Catering Services" with the industry category of canteen and catering services (CPV code 55500000). The procurement process, which is now in the award stage, involves a contract with Compass Contract Services (UK) Ltd t/a Medirest to provide patient and staff meals and catering equipment maintenance services at Southend University Hospital. The two-year contract, with an option to extend for an additional year, was signed on 30th August 2024 and will cover the period from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026. This limited procurement method under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, relied on Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) due to the restructuring of the Trust and the urgent need for continuity in catering services.

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses in the catering and facilities management sectors, particularly those capable of delivering large-scale food services and catering equipment maintenance. Companies experienced in hospital catering or similar environments will be well-suited to compete in such contracts, taking advantage of the structured procurement timeline and potential for further extensions. Winning this contract could provide substantial business growth opportunities due to the high contract value of £14,550,433 excluding VAT and the critical nature of the services provided, ensuring stability and continuity in the Trust’s catering operations.

## Notice

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust ("MSE") intends to enter into agreement with Compass Contract Services (UK) Ltd t/a Medirest for a two-year contract, with option to extend by up to a further year for the supply of patient and staff meals, including catering equipment maintenance services, at the Southend University Hospital site.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Extension of the current contract for 2 years with an option to further extend by up to 12 months, to allow for the continued provision of catering services to Southend University Hospital (Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust). The total value of contract is exluding vat, and includes the extension option (2 years plus 1 year option. Therfore is 3 year total estimated spend). Ref W172176/C339228

Options: None

### Procurement Information

The Trust relies on the ground set out within Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) (Use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Following the formation of the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, the Trust has carried out significant restructuring which has taken time. 
The Trust has undertaken an options appraisal and determined that the patient and staff restaurant catering services delivered across the acute hospital sites in Southend, Basildon, and Broomfield, in addition to Braintree Community Hospital need to be market tested for third party provision to deliver value to the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. The timeline for the development of the service specifications, market testing process, and supplier lead in, onboarding and TUPE process is forecast to take approximately 2 years. An option to extend for up to an additional 12 months term will be included though not expected to be exercised.
The Trust requires stability in its catering services, to ensure that this critical service can continue to be delivered with the same personnel and processes in place, until such time as the Trust wide procurement process is undertaken. The catering services in Southend require immediate capital investment in failing infrastructure by the supplier of approximately PS200,000 and a change of catering supplier at this stage, with TUPE implications for in excess of 140 staff, would introduce significant risk, at a time when continuity of services and significant investment is required. COVID pandemic pressures contributed to delay for re-procurement process. Board approval received 30th August 2024.

Timeline for the further Trust-wide procurement process, running concurrently with the contract extension, delivering new long term contract:

Tender Stage Activity Duration (Calender Days) Start Date End Date
Pre-Tender Trust Board, Cabinet Office, Engage Specialist support 180 01/04/2025 28/09/2025
Tender Drafting Develop Specification, ITT Documents, Trust & Framework document approval 90 30/06/2025 28/09/2025
Advert / ITT Publish ITT, Clarifications, Supplier bids to Trust 40 29/09/2025 08/11/2025
Tender Evaluation Technical & commercial evaluation and moderation 35 09/11/2025 14/12/2025
Award Intention Board approval, Supplier notification, Standstill, Draft award 90 15/12/2025 15/03/2026
Award Prepare & Issue final award letter & contract 15 16/03/2026 31/03/2026
Implementation Implementation phase and contract commencement 153 01/04/2026 01/09/2026

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005139-2025 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 14 Feb 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 29 Aug 2024 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £14,550,433 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | MID AND SOUTH ESSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUST |
| Locality | BASILDON |
| Post town | Southend-on-Sea |
| Postcode | SS16 5NL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex |
| ITL 3 | TLH37 Essex Thames Gateway |
| Local authority | Basildon |
| Electoral ward | Langdon Hills |
| Westminster constituency | South Basildon and East Thurrock |
| Delivery location | TLH3 Essex |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | COMPASS CONTRACT SERVICES (U.K. |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

### Codes

- 55500000 - Canteen and catering services

## Release History

- 14 Feb 2025 at 13:18 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005139-2025

## Notice URLs

- http://www.compass-group.co.uk
- https://www.mse.nhs.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-04e1df. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04e1df.json.