Canteen and Catering Services
Procurement Assist Limited c/o Integrated Facilities Management Bolton Ltd (iFM Bolton)Estimated Value
£100,000,000 – £0
Deadline
31 May 2029
1085 days remaining
Published
10 January 2025
Type
services
Overview
PA invites organisations to participate in a 60-month DPS for the provision of Canteen and Catering Services. The DPS will be accessible by all current and future Clients of PA.
The DPS may be used by all NHS Trusts, Social Housing Providers, Local Authorities, Blue Light Services, Education, Charities and all other contracting authorities that are located in the United Kingdom including those listed in Schedule 1 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015/102. Procurement Assist is publishing this Notice of Amendment made pursuant to the original Notice 2023/S 000-014644 to extend the DPS to 31 May 2029. The remaining information in relation to this DPS is unchanged.
Regulations cited
- Public Contracts Regulations 2015
AI Analysis
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The UK government (via Procurement Assist) is building a five-year list of approved catering companies that can provide canteen and food services. Any organisation across the NHS, councils, emergency services, schools, and charities can then pick suppliers from this list when they need catering — rather than running individual tenders each time.
Requirements
- Must be able to provide canteen and catering services across the United Kingdom
- Must be willing to work with NHS Trusts, Social Housing Providers, Local Authorities, Blue Light Services (police, fire, ambulance), Education sector, Charities, and other public contracting authorities
- Must comply with Public Contracts Regulations 2015/102 and any additional conditions listed in Schedule 1
- No specific certifications or qualifications mentioned in this notice — check full tender documents for food safety, insurance, staffing, and compliance requirements
Key Tasks & Deliverables
- Provide canteen and catering services (meals, food preparation, service) to multiple public sector organisations
- Be available on the DPS (Dynamic Purchasing System) for the full 60-month contract period (extended to 31 May 2029)
- Deliver services to clients across different sectors (NHS, councils, schools, emergency services, charities) as they call off your services
- Comply with all terms and conditions of the DPS framework agreement
How to Read This Tender
- 1A DPS (Dynamic Purchasing System) is a pre-approved supplier list, not a single big job — you're bidding to be on the list, then individual organisations order from you as needed. Your income isn't guaranteed; you'll only get paid when clients actually request your services.
- 2The notice references 'Schedule 1 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015/102' — you must download and read this, as it lists all the public bodies that can use this DPS. This tells you your potential customer base.
- 3This is an 'amendment notice' extending the original 2023 tender to May 2029. Check whether you can still apply (there may be a closed window for new suppliers, or it might only apply to existing suppliers). Contact Procurement Assist directly to confirm if new applications are still being accepted.
- 4Look carefully in the full tender documents for: pricing structure (fixed rates, hourly, per-meal?), minimum service standards, volume commitments, and what happens if you can't fulfil an order. These vary widely in catering DPS frameworks.
- 5Identify all the costs you'll need to cover — staffing, food, transport, equipment — as you'll likely be bidding against larger catering companies. Your pricing needs to be competitive but sustainable.
Tips for Small Businesses
- If you're too small to service all sectors alone, consider partnering with other catering firms or hospitality businesses before you bid — a consortium can share the workload and cover more geographic areas than you could solo.
- Ask Procurement Assist for anonymised pricing from the previous DPS (2023–2029) so you know what rates clients expect. Bidding too high means no call-offs; too low means you'll lose money.
- Check if there's a social value scoring component in the tender. Many public sector catering tenders award extra points for employing local staff, using local suppliers, or supporting vulnerable people — this can help a small, community-focused business compete.
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How to Apply
Step-by-step submission guide
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Download tender documents
Download the ITT (Invitation to Tender), specification, pricing schedule, and any templates
Submit your response
Upload completed documents through the portal before the deadline — late bids are automatically rejected
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Useful Resources
Buyer Profile
Procurement Assist Limited c/o Integrated Facilities Management Bolton Ltd (iFM Bolton)Key Dates
Published
10 January 2025
Submission deadline
31 May 2029
Notice type
Contract
Source
contracts finder
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