The Litmus Partnership: Bridgwater & Taunton College Trust

UK-Bridgwater: School catering services.
Section I: Contracting Authority
      I.1) Name and addresses
             Bridgwater & Taunton College Trust
             Parkway, Bridgwater, TA6 4QY, United Kingdom
             Tel. +44 1276673880, Email: tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
             Main Address: https://bridgwatercollegetrust.org.uk/
             NUTS Code: UKK23
      I.2) Joint procurement
      The contract involves joint procurement: No.
      In the case of joint procurement involving different countries, state applicable national procurement law: Not provided       
      The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body: No.
      I.3) Communication
      The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-Bridgwater:-School-catering-services./6774S9428F
      Additional information can be obtained from: the abovementioned address
      Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address       
      Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at: Not provided
      I.4) Type of the contracting authority
            Body governed by public law
      I.5) Main activity
            Education

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
      II.1.1) Title: Bridgwater & Taunton College Trust       
      Reference Number: Not provided
      II.1.2) Main CPV Code:
      55524000 - School catering services.

      II.1.3) Type of contract: SERVICES
      II.1.4) Short description: The successful Supplier will be required to provide a comprehensive catering service for Bridgwater & Taunton College Trust. There are currently 7 Schools included within this tender, including 3 campuses at Bridgwater College Academy.       
      II.1.5) Estimated total value:
      Value excluding VAT: 4,885,000       
      Currency: GBP
      II.1.6) Information about lots:
      This contract is divided into lots: No       
   
II.2) Description
      
      II.2.2) Additional CPV codes:
      Not Provided       
      II.2.3) Place of performance:
      UKK23 Somerset
      
      II.2.4) Description of procurement: The successful Supplier will be required to provide a comprehensive catering service for Bridgwater & Taunton College Trust. There are currently 7 Schools included within this tender, including 3 campuses at Bridgwater College Academy:

Bridgwater College Academy ~ Consisting of Polden Campus, Quantock Campus & Sedgemoor Campus
Brymore Academy
Hamp Academy
Maiden Beech Academy
Otterhampton Primary
Stanchester Academy
West Somerset College

The Trust is seeking a suitably experienced contractor who has experience of working with complex Multi Academy Trusts for various stages of education. Ideally with a strong operational base within the Somerset area, thus allowing for both adequate contract support and operational flexibility that is to be delivered to support the contract as and when needed moving forwards into this contract term.

The services across the Trust is currently a mix of inhouse and outsourced and TUPE is expected to apply. It is anticipated that a number of employees are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and therefore the successful contractor will be expected to gain Admitted Body Status (ABS) in order to continue contributing to the scheme.

The Schools within the Trust cater to a variety of needs. Bridgwater College Academy is a large mixed all-through Academy with approximately 1,300 students. The Academy, which is located in Bridgwater, is made up of three campuses: Polden, Sedgmoor and Quantock which incorporate both Infant, Junior and Senior provisions.

Brymore Academy is a state boarding school for approximately 300+ boys aged 11 to 17, located in the Cannington area of Bridgwater. There are boarders, weekly boarders and non-boarders and therefore requiring a separate area of expertise for a catering provision similar to that of the independent education sector

Hamp Academy, located in Bridgwater, is a Junior School with 350 students in Years 3 to 6.

Otterhampton Primary School in the Combwich area of Bridgwater, is a small Primary School educating approximately 70+ children in Years R to 6.
Maiden Beech Academy in Crewkerne, is a Junior School educating students in Years 5 to 8 with approximately 400 students on roll.

Stanchester Academy in Stoke-sub-Hamdon is a Secondary School of approximately 700+ students in Years 7 to 11. As is West Somerset College in Minehead educating approximately 770 students, including a Sixth Form.

The duration of the contract being offered is for an initial three-year period commencing on 1 August 2021 and concluding on 31 July 2024, with the option to extend for a further period of two years. This extension will be granted by mutual consent and on the same terms and conditions as the original contract.

The contract being offered within this tender will be on a guaranteed performance basis.

The quality of food provision will be critical and indeed your organisation must be flexible enough to source bakery, meat, fruit and vegetables and dairy products through local suppliers.

It is expected that the successful Supplier will work very closely with the Client and engage with the school curriculum moving forwards. Customer engagement will be fundamental to the continuous improvement in the service provision.

The successful contractor should have similar operations within the local area thus ensuring that the Operational Management Team responsible for the contract are available for regular unplanned visits and support for the contract, and that coverage for any planned or unplanned leave from within the establishment staffing structure can be easily provided.
      II.2.5) Award criteria:
            Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents            
      II.2.6) Estimated value:
      Value excluding VAT: Not provided       
      Currency: Not provided       
      II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system:
      Start: 01/08/2021 / End: 31/07/2024       
      This contract is subject to renewal: No       
      Description of renewals: Not provided
      II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited:
             Envisaged minimum number: 5
            / Maximum number: 10       
      Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates: A minimum of 5 suppliers and a maximum of 10 suppliers will be taken forward to the tender stage of the process. Where less than 5 suppliers meet the minimum standards, only those that meet the minimum standards will be taken through to the tender stage. Where more than 5 suppliers meet the minimum standard, those suppliers with the highest scores will proceed to the tender stage.
      II.2.10) Information about variants:
      Variants will be accepted: Yes
      II.2.11) Information about options:
      Options:       No             
      Description of options: Not provided
      II.2.12) Information about electronic catalogues:
      Tenders must be presented in the form of electronic catalogues or include an electronic catalogue: No
      II.2.13) Information about European Union funds:
      The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No       
      Identification of the project: Not provided             
      II.2.14) Additional information: To respond to this opportunity please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/6774S9428F       


Section III: Legal, Economic, Financial And Technical Information
   III.1) Conditions for participation
      III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
      List and brief description of conditions:          
      Not Provided       
      III.1.2) Economic and financial standing          
      Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents       
      List and brief description of selection criteria:       
      Not Provided    
      Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :       
      Not Provided    
      III.1.3) Technical and professional ability    
      Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
      List and brief description of selection criteria:       
      Not Provided      
      Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :          
      Not Provided   
      III.1.5) Information about reserved contracts (if applicable)   
      The contract is reserved to sheltered workshops and economic operators aiming at the social and professional integration of disabled or disadvantaged persons: No       
      The execution of the contract is restricted to the framework of sheltered employment programmes: No    
      
   III.2) Conditions related to the contract
      III.2.1) Information about a particular profession    
      Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision:          
      Not Provided    
      III.2.2) Contract performance conditions          
      Not Provided          
      III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
      Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract: No

Section IV: Procedure
   IV.1) Description RESTRICTED
      IV.1.1) Type of procedure: Restricted   
   
   IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system    
         The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement - NO        
         The procurement involves the setting up of a dynamic purchasing system - NO    
         In the case of framework agreements justification for any duration exceeding 4 years: Not Provided    
   
   
   IV.1.6) Information about electronic auction:
      An electronic auction will be used: No
      Additional information about electronic auction: Not provided
   IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
      The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes       
   IV.2) Administrative information
      IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure:
         Notice number in the OJ S: Not provided       
      IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
       Date: 29/01/2021 Time: 12:00
      IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates: 26/02/2021       
      IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English,       
      IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender: Not Provided      
      

Section VI: Complementary Information
   VI.1) Information about recurrence
   This is a recurrent procurement: No    
   Estimated timing for further notices to be published: Not provided
   VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
   Electronic ordering will be used No       
   Electronic invoicing will be accepted No       
   Electronic payment will be used No       
   VI.3) Additional Information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.
It will be the supplier's responsibility to obtain any necessary documents in order to submit a response by the closing date and time.
The contracting authority reserves the right not to award any or part of the contract which is the subject of this contract notice and reserves the right to terminate the procurement process at any time.
The contracting authority will not be liable for any costs incurred by those expressing an interest in tendering for this contract opportunity.
The contracting authority will consider variant bids, evaluating them (so far as the variant or the evaluation of the variant is in the opinion of the contracting authority practicable) on the same basis as a conforming bid, but shall not be obliged to accept any such bid in preference to a conforming bid even if the variant bid scores more highly. No variant will be considered unless the bidder simultaneously submits a conforming bid.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:
https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Bridgwater:-School-catering-services./6774S9428F

To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/6774S9428F
   VI.4) Procedures for review
   VI.4.1) Review body:
             Bridgwater & Taunton College Trust
       Parkway, Bridgwater, TA6 4QY, United Kingdom
   VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures:
Not provided
   VI.4.3) Review procedure
   Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:    
    Not Provided    
   VI.4.4) Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained:
Not provided
   VI.5) Date Of Dispatch Of This Notice: 16/12/2020

Annex A