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Published 13 Jul 2026, 19:56 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Provision of School Catering Services for Nascot Wood Schools

Official notice

Authority: Nascot Wood Junior School (Education)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Sectors: Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services (55) Delivery: South East (UKJ)
Published estimate£1,004,000≈ £335k / year · £1,004,000 inc. VAT
Submissions closed 11 Sept 2026
Contract term 3 yrsends 31 Dec 2029 · up to 31 Dec 2031 with extensions · starts 5 Jan 2027

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Nascot Wood Schools invite tenders from suitably qualified catering providers for the provision of school catering services.

The schools are seeking a catering partner that can provide high-quality, nutritious meals, excellent customer service, value for money, and a positive dining experience for pupils and staff.

The proposed contract term is three years commencing on 5th January 2027, with the option to extend for a further period of two years by mutual agreement.

Total number of children is approximately 420 and the service will include full lunch service plus breakfast and afterschool club provsions.

TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) is anticipated to apply to this contract, and relevant anonymised staffing data will be made available to shortlisted bidders upon signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

  • Not divided into lots: The contract has not been divided into lots because the catering service requires unified operational management, shared kitchen infrastructure, and a single, cohesive staffing structure under TUPE. Dividing the requirements into separate lots would result in operational inefficiencies, duplication of management overheads, and conflicting use of school kitchen facilities. Delivering the service as a single contract ensures optimal value for money, consistency in nutritional standards, and a seamless dining experience across all school provisions.
  • The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 13 Jul 2031, 23:59 BST.
  • No preliminary market engagement: A preliminary market engagement notice was not published due to time constraints and the fact that the school catering supply market is mature, highly competitive, and well-understood by the contracting authority. Prior dialogue was limited to high-level market familiarity and has not influenced the evaluation criteria or specifications. All information is published equally to all potential bidders via this Open Procedure.

CPV: School catering services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Renewal 3 yrsSMEVCSEPublished value£1,004,000
Contract period: 5 Jan 2027 – 31 Dec 2029 (3 yrs) · up to 31 Dec 2031 with extensionsValue: £1,004,000 exc. VAT · £1,004,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: South EastEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
Extensions: The contract includes an option to extend the initial three (3) year term by up to a further twenty-four (24) months, creating a maximum total contract lifespan of five (5) years (60 months). Any extensions will be offered at the sole discretion of Nascot Wood Schools and will be subject to satisfactory supplier performance, adherence to key performance indicators (KPIs), continued value for money, and mutual written agreement. Extensions may be awarded as two (2) separate 12-month periods or as a single 24-month block, depending on the operational requirements of the schools. · The contract includes an option to extend the initial three (3) year term by up to a further twenty-four (24) months, creating a maximum total contract lifespan of five (5) years (60 months). Any extensions will be offered at the sole discretion of Nascot Wood Schools and will be subject to satisfactory supplier performance, adherence to key performance indicators (KPIs), continued value for money, and mutual written agreement. Extensions may be awarded as two (2) separate 12-month periods or as a single 24-month block, depending on the operational requirements of the schools.
55524000 School catering services
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2
  • Economic & financial standing

    Evidence of appropriate employers' liability insurance (minimum £10 million).

    Evidence of public liability insurance (minimum £10 million).

    Evidence of product liability insurance (minimum £10 million).

    The bidder must confirm they are financially stable and able to deliver the contract for its duration.

    The school reserves the right to request copies of the bidder's most recent audited accounts or equivalent financial information.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Experience of providing catering services to primary schools or similar educational establishments.

    Evidence of compliance with food hygiene and food safety legislation.

    Details of relevant qualifications and training of key staff.

    At least two recent references for comparable contracts.

    Ability to mobilise the service by the contract commencement date.

    Experience of managing TUPE transfers.

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored
Quality: 70%Price: 30%
Published sub-criteria (4)
  • Quality of Service Proposal: 35%
  • Food Quality and Menu: 20%
  • Staffing/ TUPE & Mobilisation: 15%
  • Financial Proposal: 30%
Published award criteria (4)
  • Quality of Service Proposal: The quality of the tenderer's proposed catering service, including service delivery arrangements, customer service approach, communication and reporting, pupil engagement, sustainability initiatives, and overall understanding of the schools' requirements.
  • Food Quality and Menu: Assessment of the quality, nutritional value and variety of the proposed menus, including compliance with the School Food Standards, use of seasonal and locally sourced produce where appropriate, sustainability initiatives, special dietary provision, allergen management, and the approach to encouraging pupil meal uptake.
  • Financial Proposal: Assessment of the tenderer's pricing proposal, including overall value for money, transparency of pricing, separate pricing for each school, proposed meal prices, and the allocation of shared costs and overheads. The pricing proposal should demonstrate financial sustainability for both schools over the contract term.
  • Staffing/ TUPE & Mobilisation: Assessment of the tenderer's proposed mobilisation plan, approach to the transfer and management of TUPE employees, staffing structure, recruitment and retention, training, contingency arrangements, and ability to implement the service successfully from the contract commencement date.
Conditions of participation2
  • Economic & financial standing

    Evidence of appropriate employers' liability insurance (minimum £10 million).

    Evidence of public liability insurance (minimum £10 million).

    Evidence of product liability insurance (minimum £10 million).

    The bidder must confirm they are financially stable and able to deliver the contract for its duration.

    The school reserves the right to request copies of the bidder's most recent audited accounts or equivalent financial information.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Experience of providing catering services to primary schools or similar educational establishments.

    Evidence of compliance with food hygiene and food safety legislation.

    Details of relevant qualifications and training of key staff.

    At least two recent references for comparable contracts.

    Ability to mobilise the service by the contract commencement date.

    Experience of managing TUPE transfers.

What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Closed
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Yes · next expected 13 Jul 2031
First published
13 Jul 2026, 19:56 BST
Last source update
16 Jul 2026, 19:56 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 19 Oct 2026
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-065824
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
School catering services
Delivery area
South East (UKJ)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ca05 Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
11 Sept 2026, 17:00 BST
Clarification deadline
20 Jul 2026, 17:00 BST
Electronic submission
Not allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Submissions should be emailed to:

admin@nascotwoodjm.herts.sch.uk

admin@nascotwoodinfants.herts.sch.uk

Timeline

13 Jul 2026 → 5 Jan 2027 · 6 dates
  1. Tender notice published107 days ago
    13 Jul 2026, 19:56 BST
  2. Latest notice published104 days ago
    16 Jul 2026, 19:56 BST
  3. Clarification questions by100 days ago
    20 Jul 2026, 17:00 BST
  4. Submission deadline47 days ago
    11 Sept 2026, 17:00 BST
  5. Award decision expected by9 days ago
    19 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
  6. Today
    29 Oct 2026
  7. Contract startsin 67 days
    5 Jan 2027

Notice history

3 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 13 Jul 2026
  1. Tender notice published
    13 Jul 2026, 19:56 BST
    UK4
  2. Tender notice published
    16 Jul 2026, 19:53 BST
    UK4
  3. Tender notice published
    16 Jul 2026, 19:56 BST
    UK4
Published amendments (2)

Correction to contract end date and email address.

Correct email address

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Nascot Wood Junior School

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PPXQ-4851-DJLL Nascot Wood Road, Watford, East of England, WD17 4YSContact name, email, phone

Official documents & specifications (4)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender