---
title: "Castle School Education Trust & The Priory Learning Trust ~ Catering Tender"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-060eeb"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-060eeb"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060eeb.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060eeb.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "CASTLE SCHOOL EDUCATION TRUST"
published: "2026-01-26"
---

# Castle School Education Trust & The Priory Learning Trust ~ Catering Tender

Buyer: CASTLE SCHOOL EDUCATION TRUST  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-060eeb

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## Summary

The Castle School Education Trust, in collaboration with The Priory Learning Trust, is currently at the tender stage for a contract involving the provision of catering services. This procurement opportunity, titled "Castle School Education Trust & The Priory Learning Trust ~ Catering Tender," falls within the school catering services industry category, marked by a CPV code of 55524000. The procurement is being conducted via an open, competitive flexible procedure, and it covers two separate lots for both trusts. These contracts, valued at approximately £1.2 million per annum for CSET and £1.3 million for TPLT, are planned to align strategically as the trusts intend to eventually merge. The CSET contract will start on 1 April 2027 and run until 31 March 2030, while the TPLT contract will commence on 1 August 2027, ending on 31 July 2030. Bidders must submit their proposals by 14 August 2026, with the enquiry period closing on 20 March 2026 and the award period ending on 16 November 2026.

This tender represents a significant business growth opportunity, particularly for enterprises specialised in large-scale catering services capable of handling multi-site operations. The contracting parties envision extending their reach as additional schools join the trusts during the contract period, thereby increasing the scope and potential revenue for the winning supplier. Due to the detailed nature of the specifications and future growth expectations, businesses with robust logistical capabilities and experience within the education sector will find this opportunity particularly appealing. Additionally, the contracts are designed to accommodate small and medium enterprises (SMEs), enhancing prospects for specialised yet scalable suppliers ready to meet the evolving needs of the trusts. The staggered mobilisation dates allow for a phased approach to commencing service delivery, offering a structured path to accommodate initial operational changes and alignments.

## Notice

The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services for Castle School Education Trust (CSET) & The Priory Learning Trust ( TPLT). The two separate contracts and 'lots' cover the scope for the provision of all catering services within the schools, which also includes free issue requirements. Contract value for the schools is circa PS1.2m per annum at CSET and PS1.3m per annum at TPLT. Whilst both Trusts are currently independently operated, they have strategic intent to join at some stage during the period of the tender project or subsequent catering contract, consequently both organisations intend to award this catering contract to the same contractor, as two separate lots. The Castle School Education Trust and The Priory Learning Trust are expected to grow, with a number of additional schools becoming part of the Trust/s during this contract period and the provision of catering services at these schools when they have joined the Trust/s will fall under the scope of these contracts. Similarly, any Trust Schools with alternative catering provisions currently in place could fall into scope of this contract as their current catering arrangements end. The successful Supplier will be expected to provide this service at these additional schools using the same costing model applied to the successful tender submission. The duration of contract for these schools will not be increased, and they will join the contract for the remaining contract period that exists at the point of entry into the Trust/s. Due to the scale of the contract, and to enable an effective mobilisation period, it has been decided to stagger the mobilisation dates with each Trust commencing at a slightly different time. Contractors are required to bid for both Lots, and the contract award shall be made at the same time. The contracts are being awarded based on an initial three year, with the opportunity to extend by a further period of up to two years at the discretion of the relevant governing body. *The CSET contract shall commence on 01.04.27 until 31.03.30. *The TPLT contract shall commence on 01.08.27 until 31.07.30. Please see PSQ Document for more information. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at: https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Bristol:-School-catering-services./UK65TK5AQC To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/UK65TK5AQC

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: 1+1 Please see PSQ Document for more information.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/006799-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 26 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 14 Aug 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 31 Mar 2027 - 31 Mar 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £12,500,000 |
| Lots value | £12,500,000 |
| 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 | CASTLE SCHOOL EDUCATION TRUST |
| Additional buyers | THE PRIORY LEARNING TRUST |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Post town | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS16 9LH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset |
| ITL 3 | TLK61 North Somerset |
| Local authority | North Somerset |
| Electoral ward | Weston-super-Mare South Worle |
| Westminster constituency | Weston-super-Mare |
| Delivery location | TLK12 Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

### Codes

- 55524000 - School catering services

## Release History

- 26 Jan 2026 at 16:05 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/006799-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/006799-2026
  26th January 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/UK65TK5AQC
- https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Bristol:-School-catering-services./UK65TK5AQC
- 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-060eeb. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060eeb.json.