The Maplesden Noakes School - Catering Services

The Maplesden Noakes School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in Maidstone, Kent, England. At Maplesden, we know we take on a weighty responsibility when you entrust your child to us. Education at Maplesden includes a commitment to helping every child reach their full potential in all their courses, but we believe it goes well beyond this too. Our goal and Just Cause at Maplesden is To Provide the Best Curriculum and Experience for all, and the Best Start to an Exciting Future

Further information regarding the School can be obtained here: https://www.maplesden.kent.sch.uk/

Tender information:

The successful tenderer will be required to provide excellent catering services to The Maplesden Noakes School, which has 1413 pupils of which 28% are pupil premium, and 190 teaching and support staff.

The contract term being tendered is for three years, 1st August 2026 – 31st July 2029. There is an option for a further extension period for up to two additional years to 31st July 2031.

The contract offers an excellent opportunity to review and propose enhancements to the current catering services at the School. This includes but is not limited to; breakfast, morning break, lunchtime and after school services, over the academic year, plus hospitality services upon request.

The school is keen to secure a high quality catering service including fresh locally sourced ingredients prepared on site, with a menu design that is flexible to suit the requirements of the school’s specific students. The school requires a balanced, healthy offer that is popular with its students. Maplesden Noakes is proud of its ‘family ethos’ and expects both a tightly managed service and a management style delivered by the successful contractor that supports, encourages and develops the catering staff. Strong marketing and engagement initiative are sought and the capability to manage or interact with the school’s cloud-based digital signage would be welcomed.

The school is not obliged to accept the lowest price submitted for this tender, rather the school is keen to secure ‘best value’ from this contract and to deliver ‘best value’ to its students. Innovative and creative ideas as to how the services can be developed and value added, will be welcomed. The school seeks a contractor that is keen to work in partnership and who will deliver to its highest abilities, at all times.

Competitive Flexible Procedure

This procurement will be run under the Competitive Flexible Procedure. This will follow a two stage approach, with stage 1 being the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ). Here a minimum of 5 candidates (or less, in the event less than 5 meet the minimum criteria) and a maximum of 10 candidates, will progress to stage 2. Any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement and a minimum score of 60% must be achieved.

Selected tenderers will then be invited to stage 2, the Invitation To Tender (ITT). Here, the evaluation of tender response will be set as 35% price and 65% quality.

Value of contract:

The annual value of the current contract is £391,000 (the total sales including fsm, in the last contract year)

Therefore the value of this contract is £1,955,000

The contract shall be a guaranteed performance contract with any hospitality requirements billed separately.

The tender process will be run under a two stage Competitive Flexible procedure.

Additional requirements and information:

•The school has a minimum requirement for a contractor’s employers' liability and public liability insurances of £5 million

•The minimum annual turnover that your company must have achieved to be considered for this opportunity is £1 million

•There are not any incumbent catering staff currently within the Local Government Pension Scheme

•The catering services are currently contracted to Impact Food group

•Capital investment would be welcomed.

•Please note that the successful tenderer will be required to pay the RIVA tender fee for this project directly to RIVA, upon their contract award.

The client reserves the right not to appoint in conclusion of this project.