***Pre-Market Engagement *** ICT-26-009 Catering Management Tool
Education AuthorityEstimated Value
Up to £5,000,000
Deadline
Not specified
Published
27 May 2026
Type
Not specified
Overview
**This is not a tender exercise*** The Education Authority Northern Ireland (EANI) would like to invite participation in a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to seek the views of the market for the provision, in the first instance, of a Catering System within Northern Ireland schools, supporting modern, secure and efficient payment methods and managing risks associated with special diets within schools. The purpose of this PME exercise is for EANI to gain an understanding of the latest developments and innovative solutions available for school settings and will be used to assist EANI in gaining a better understanding of the feasibility of the requirements, the most appropriate procurement and operational approach, the capacity of the market to deliver the requirements and an opportunity for the market to highlight any possible risks or issues.
This PME exercise also seeks to identify indicative costs to help inform the business case on the commercial aspects for the delivery and implementation of solution(s). For the avoidance of doubt, this is the scoping phase of the project and is not part of any formal procurement process and there is no commitment at this stage to carry out such a process.
Any information gathered will not be considered in any future tender exercise. Please note that participation or non-participation in this PME exercise shall not prevent any supplier from participating in any future procurement process, nor is it intended that any information provided shall place any supplier at an advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement exercise.
Submission
Suppliers who wish to participate in the PME exercise must return the completed questionnaire via the messaging function of the CfT on eTendersNI no later than 15:00 on Friday 29th May 2026.
Additional details
Further information including the questionnaire can be downloaded from the documents section of the CfT on eTendersNI. As part of the PME exercise, participants may be invited to attend a follow-up session with EANI to explore and discuss the information provided in their response, this will be at the discretion of EANI. For reference, the eTendersni reference number for this PME exercise is 6527440
AI AnalysisMembers
Requirements, key tasks and tips for reading this tender — included with Tendarix membership.
£4.99/month after a 7-day free trial. Cancel anytime before it ends and you pay nothing.
Likely incumbents
Suppliers who won similar work from this buyer in the last 5 years.
- 1
MAKE A MELODY LTD.
£1m
total awarded
- 2
NI Trucks Ltd
1 contract wonlatest 19 Aug 2026ends 1 Sept 2030£350,000
total awarded
- 3
Kays Medical Limited
£850,000
total awarded
- 4
Furlong Business Solutions Linited
£4m
total awarded
- 5
NAPIER & SONS SOLICITORS LTD
£2m
total awarded
MAKE A MELODY LTD. is the most likely incumbent based on recency and category match. To win, bidders typically need a clearly differentiated proposition or a price advantage.
Before you bid, buyers check
two years of filed accountsyour financial standingturnover vs contract valueyour Companies House recordcash flow for 30-day termscredit scores and ratios
Actions
Start free trialto open noticeCreate an account and start a 7-day free trial to open the buyer’s own notice and tender documents, plus fit scoring and the Bid Writer. Then £4.99/month — cancel anytime.
Open Bid WriterIndependent software, web & cloud studio. We design, build and grow digital products that quietly outlast their category.
How to Apply
Step-by-step submission guide
Submission Portal
Find a Tender
Open the original notice
Click the button below to view the full notice on Find a Tender Service (FTS)
Check the procedure type
The "Procedure" section tells you if it's Open (one stage) or Restricted (SQ then ITT). This changes how you apply
Access the eSourcing portal
FTS notices link to the buyer's eSourcing platform — register there to access documents
Complete the Selection Questionnaire
Higher-value contracts often require an SQ first — this pre-qualifies you before the full bid stage
Submit electronically
Upload your completed response through the eSourcing platform before the closing date and time
FTS contracts are above UK procurement thresholds. Late submissions are strictly rejected — submit at least 24 hours before the deadline to avoid portal issues.
Buyer Profile
Education AuthorityKey Dates
Published
27 May 2026
Submission deadline
Not specified
Notice type
planningUpdate
Source
find a tender
Related Tenders
The supply and delivery of biomass wood pellets to locations within armagh city, banbridge and craigavon borough area.
This contract is for the “Supply and Delivery of Biomass Wood Pellets” which must be certified quality class ENplus A1 standard. The Contract will run from the date stated in the a
T26-132ENV long wheel base executive saloon car contract lease
Derry City and Strabane District Council invite tenders for the provision under a 48-month Contract-Hire agreement of 1 no. New Hybrid Petrol Long Wheelbase Executive Limousine Sal
RFQ 2026/41 - regeneration and economic development strategy 2027 - 2030
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council “Council” is the third largest Council in Northern Ireland. It is strategically located on the Dublin/Belfast economic corridor, the distric
Milewater operations building development
BHC is seeking expressions of interest from the contractors who are interested in tendering for the construction of a proposed three-storey extension to the existing Operations Eng