Groceries and Frozen Food ( Market Engagement)

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) seeks early market engagement with regards to the supply of Groceries and Frozen Products. Groceries and Frozen products are ordered by Solihull Catering Service.

Solihull Catering Service is part of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, and provides catering services to approximately 96 Schools within Solihull, Coventry and Worcestershire. SMBC work in collaboration with Coventry City Council on a number of contracts and Coventry City Council take Groceries and Frozen products at their non-school locations such as day centres.

There is currently a contract in place until 30th June 2020 for these goods and there is an option to extend this contract until 30th June 2021. As part of this consultation we want to engage with providers to understand more about the market, the products, the suppliers that provide these goods and the factors that drive these businesses.

SMBC are looking to talk to potential suppliers that could supply either Groceries or Frozen Foods or both. Early engagement will involve meeting key members of Solihull Catering Service and individual members of the procurement teams from both local authorities in a 1 to 1 supplier meeting at the Solihull Council House in December 2019.

The number of sessions planned is limited and will be run over two days. Meetings should be no longer than 1.5 hours and a maximum of 3 representatives from each organisation or partnership would be invited to attend.

Meetings will be scheduled on a 1st come, 1st allocated and you should indicate your 1st, 2nd and 3rd preference for the date and time on the Expression of Interest sheet. Meeting Venue: Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Council House, Manor Square, Solihull B91 3QB.

The consultation will require interested parties to answer pre-supplied questions which could be supported by a presentation for SMBC at the meeting. Questions will be supplied in advance to all of those suppliers who respond and request a meeting.

All information provided will be treated with confidentiality.SMBC would like to understand what determines cost .Costs presented and discussed at this stage will not tie any party to specific prices or products or deliveries prior to any formal tender. These sessions sit outside any formal procurement process and the requirement is only at the early stages of planning.

SMBC would like to know possible timescales for delivery and implementation of any subsequent service following the successful conclusion of any future formal tender. Have an indication of successful contracts with other authorities and schools, in particular, those contracts that deliver similar products/services.

At the end of this Market Research process SMBC would like to be aware of what options are available in the market place. Having a better understanding of the current climate and providers that now drive this market will help enable to specify detailed requirements at a later date.

Additional information: In order for you to access the market engagement information pack and express interest in participating in this process you will need to login/ register to our electronic tendering system CSW-JETS (Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire's joint E- tendering System). Similarly, in order for you to tender for any subsequent tender you will need to be registered on CSW-JETS.

To do this go to www-csw-jets.co.uk and then click the 'register here/ sign in button' CSW-JETS is the sub regional e - tendering portal run by In-tend and is used by the following authorities Coventry City Council Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Warwickshire County Council Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council Solihull Community Housing North Warwickshire Borough Council Warwick District Council Stratford -on -Avon District Council CSW-JETS enables us to advertise our opportunities across all authorities through the same system. Registering on the portal will make it easier for local suppliers to find, respond to and be alerted to tender opportunities.

Registration is free, and takes just a few minutes. When complete, you will be able to express interest in any of the Councils'/Authorities' opportunities when they are made available.

In addition, we will be able to access your details whenever we have a requirement, and you may then be invited to tender or quote for work. Furthermore, providing you have endorsed the correct classifications for your company, you will receive an automatic email alerting you to any future tenders or projects that the Council undertakes. Supplier guidance notes for registration on the portal are attached