---
title: "Milk and Milk Products"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05f7f7"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05f7f7"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05f7f7.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05f7f7.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "THE EDUCATION AUTHORITY"
published: "2026-06-16"
---

# Milk and Milk Products

Buyer: THE EDUCATION AUTHORITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05f7f7

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## Summary

The Education Authority in Belfast has recently awarded contracts for the supply and delivery of milk and milk products, following an open procurement procedure. This initiative falls under the industry category of goods, specifically dairy products, with a total estimated contract value of £21,000,000. Three suppliers, Dale Farm Limited, Drayne's Dairy Limited, and Grove Dairy Ltd, have been appointed after a competitive tender process that involved pre-market engagement and tendering stages. The contract, commencing on 1st July 2026, will run for four years with possible extensions up to two additional years. The procurement covers the Northern Ireland region and aligns with local devolved regulations, offering flexibility for educational establishments under the EA’s scope to participate at any time during the contract’s lifespan. Key dates include the provision of assessment summaries sent on 16th June 2026 and a standstill period ending on 25th June 2026, prior to the contract's operational start date.

This contract offers substantial growth opportunities for businesses involved in the dairy supply chain, particularly those located in Northern Ireland. With a significant budget allocated for high-demand dairy products including milk and cream, businesses specializing in dairy production and supply can expand their market presence by catering to numerous educational institutions across the region. The open procurement method ensures a fair opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to compete, allowing them to leverage their local insights and capabilities in product supply and distribution. Companies with a robust framework in managing food safety and supply logistics, such as Grove Dairy Ltd and Drayne's Dairy Limited, who tendered successfully, are well-positioned to capitalize on this opportunity, effectively contributing to their business growth and market expansion.

## Notice

Supply and Delivery of Milk and Milk Products. The initial period will be for 4 years from the Start Date (anticipated to be July 2026) with options to extend for any additional period(s) of up to and including 24 months. This Contract is established by the Education Authority and is open to the EA, including NI educational bodies as follows, who at some point, during the life of the Contract may wish to utilise the agreement and should have access at any point, with the permission of EA. This Contract is not intended to replace any current agreements that participating or nonparticipating institutions may already have in place. Department of Education - Schools Plus https://www.educationni.gov.uk/services/schoolsplus Primary and Post Primary schools under the control of the EA, Catholic Maintained Schools Independent Schools in NI, Irish Medium Schools in NI, both Controlled and Voluntary Grammar Schools, Nursery School for NI (both controlled, and Catholic Maintained), Schoolmeals kitchens on-site at all of these schools, and Controlled Youth Centres. Further Education Colleges in NI : https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/furthereducationfecolleges NICIE - https://nicie.org Grant Controlled Integrated Education Schools in NI Independent Schools in NI https://www.isc.co.uk/schools/northern-ireland/ EA Teachers' and Educational Centres Council for the Curriculum, Examination and Assessment NI (CCEA) Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Middletown Centre for Autism Controlled Schools Support Council (CSSC) Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) Pre-Schools and Nurseries included within the EA Pre-School Education Programme (PSEP) The value detailed under each contract is estimated. There is no commitment as to the usage, volume or value of products required under this contract. The EA reserves the right to reallocate any values between all contracts/suppliers where required throughout the period of the Contract, within the limit of the overall awarded Contract value (PS21,000,000).

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. Additional items may be added to the Contract throughout the Term with the agreement of both the Buyer and the Supplier.

Renewal: options to extend for any additional period(s) of up to and including 24 months

### Planning Information

PRE-MARKET ENGAGEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE (PME) for Milk and Milk Products for the Education Authority. Interested suppliers are asked to complete and return the questionnaire.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056761-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Large, SME |
| All stages | Planning, Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 16 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 26 May 2026 |
| Future notice date | 14 Jan 2026 |
| Award date | 15 Jun 2026 |
| Contract period | 30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2030 |
| Recurrence | 2032-03-01 |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £21,000,000 |
| Lots value | £21,000,000 |
| Awards value | £7,000,000 |
| 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 | THE EDUCATION AUTHORITY |
| Locality | BELFAST |
| Post town | Northern Ireland |
| Postcode | BT1 2NQ |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland |
| ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland |
| ITL 3 | TLN06 Belfast |
| Local authority | Belfast |
| Electoral ward | Duncairn |
| Westminster constituency | Belfast North |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 3 |
| Supplier names | DALE FARM; DRAYNE'S DAIRY; GROVE DAIRY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 15 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products

### Codes

- 15500000 - Dairy products
- 15510000 - Milk and cream
- 15511000 - Milk
- 15511100 - Pasteurised milk
- 15511300 - Skimmed milk
- 15511400 - Semi-skimmed milk
- 15511500 - Full-cream milk
- 15512000 - Cream
- 15550000 - Assorted dairy products

## Release History

- 16 Jun 2026 at 14:46 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056761-2026
- 27 Apr 2026 at 15:19 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038197-2026
- 17 Dec 2025 at 14:02 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083884-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056761-2026
  16th June 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038197-2026
  27th April 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083884-2025
  17th December 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.draynesfarm.co.uk
- http://www.grovedairy.co.uk
- https://dalefarm.com/
- https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
- https://nicie.org
- https://www.educationni.gov.uk/services/schoolsplus
- https://www.isc.co.uk/schools/northern-ireland/
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/furthereducationfecolleges

## 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-05f7f7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05f7f7.json.