---
title: "Dartford Grammar School For Boys ~ Catering Tender"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05ef90"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05ef90"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ef90.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ef90.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DARTFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR BOYS"
published: "2026-06-01"
---

# Dartford Grammar School For Boys ~ Catering Tender

Buyer: DARTFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR BOYS  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05ef90

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## Summary

The procurement process for Dartford Grammar School For Boys' catering services, located in Dartford, United Kingdom, is now at the award stage. This process relates to a tender titled "Dartford Grammar School For Boys ~ Catering Tender," focusing on providing innovative catering solutions for school students and staff. The procurement, classified in the school catering services industry (CPV: 55524000), follows an open competitive method and was initiated with a tender notice on 5th December 2025. The awarded contract to Innovate Services Ltd is scheduled to commence on 1st September 2026, running for an initial three years, with a potential two-year extension, and amounts to a £3,230,110 gross value. Key procurement milestones included an enquiry period ending on 2nd January 2026 and a tender submission deadline on 6th March 2026.

The catering tender offers significant opportunities for businesses within the food services industry, particularly those capable of delivering a range of exciting and innovative food concepts tailored to diverse dietary needs. Suitable contenders are likely to be organisations that can bring fresh culinary ideas and operational efficiency to a school environment. With 1,544 students and 164 teaching and support staff at Dartford Grammar School For Boys, this contract presents a substantial business opportunity to showcase exemplary catering solutions while securing a steady income stream over the contract period. Additionally, the competitive tender procedure emphasises quality and innovation, making it a favourable project for businesses focused on enhancing their reputation and service offerings in educational settings.

## Notice

Dartford Grammar School was founded in 1576 and is one of the oldest schools in England. For nearly 450 years, Dartford Grammar School has enabled young people from Dartford and its surrounding area to achieve great things. Judged outstanding in every Ofsted inspection, and The Sunday Times State School of the Year in the South East (24/2025), Dartford Grammar School provides a broad, balanced international education, following the principles of the International Baccalaureate both in Key Stage 3 and the Sixth Form. The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor whose initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of service within the existing facilities for the 1544 students on roll and 164 teaching and support staff, with a focus on exciting new food concepts to satisfy a wide range of pupil tastes and dietary requirements. The School would wish the successful contractor to review the current range of services offered and make recommendations accordingly. The contract being tendered is for three years in duration from 01/09/2026 to 31/08/2029 and will operate as a Guaranteed Performance Contract, with the successful Contractor offering the School a guaranteed return / cost per annum for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff is to remain with Dartford Grammar School for the duration of this contract. The School year is based on a calendar of 195 days. Between Five to Seven days are to be used for staff professional development which means that School will be open to receive students for a minimum of 187/190 days. The contract offered covers the scope for the provision of all catering services within the School, which currently includes morning break, lunch, all hospitality and free issue requirements. Free School meals and hospitality will be charged based on consumption and at net food cost. Whilst the School prioritises value for money as a key objective of the Competitive Tender Process, the Governing body is not obliged to accept the lowest price. Please see PSQ Document for more information

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Please be advised that this contract will be let on a 3 + 2 years basis

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/051170-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 1 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 6 Mar 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 18 May 2026 |
| Contract period | 31 Aug 2026 - 31 Aug 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £3,230,110 |
| Lots value | £3,230,110 |
| Awards value | £3,230,110 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DARTFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR BOYS |
| Locality | DARTFORD |
| Post town | Dartford |
| Postcode | DA1 2HW |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ4 Kent |
| ITL 3 | TLJ43 Kent Thames Gateway |
| Local authority | Dartford |
| Electoral ward | West Hill |
| Westminster constituency | Dartford |
| Delivery location | TLJ4 Kent |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | INNOVATE SERVICES |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

### Codes

- 55524000 - School catering services

## Release History

- 1 Jun 2026 at 08:10 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/051170-2026
- 5 Dec 2025 at 12:05 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080100-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/051170-2026
  1st June 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080100-2025
  5th December 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/G2SGGWZ497
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-05ef90. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ef90.json.