Catering Contracts:
A 9-Month Tender timeline for your School
When it comes to procuring a catering contract for your school, early planning can make all the difference.
From ensuring compliance with legal regulations such as TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) to allowing time for a thorough procurement process, starting early is essential to avoid last-minute headaches and costly mistakes.
Follow this 9-month planning guide to help your school stay on track.
Smooth Transition for Continuity of Service
Schools operate on tight schedules, and catering is an essential service that directly impacts student wellbeing, nutrition, and overall satisfaction.
Early planning ensures a seamless transition between catering providers, preventing disruptions to meal services. Without sufficient lead time, schools risk delays or gaps in service, leading to inadequate meal provision and potential non-compliance with nutritional standards.
A well-structured transition plan allows for a detailed handover process, ensuring that key elements such as menu continuity, allergen management, and food safety procedures remain consistent.
Compliance with Procurement Regulations
One of the most critical reasons to start planning early is ensuring compliance with procurement legislation.
If the value of your school’s catering contract exceeds the Public Contract Regulations (PCR) thresholds (current threshold for supplies and services is £214,904) you must adhere to these rules to remain compliant.
This includes advertising the opportunity on the Find a Tender service and following specific processes to ensure fair competition and transparency. Procurement regulations can be complex, and rushing through the process could result in non-compliance, which may lead to legal challenges or contract delays.
Time to Address TUPE Regulations
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) may apply when changing catering providers.
TUPE ensures that employees’ rights are protected during the transfer to a new contractor. Schools must notify potential suppliers about TUPE considerations as part of the tender process.
Without proper planning, you may not have enough time to gather the required employee information, communicate with current contractors and factor in TUPE-related costs. This could result in compliance risks, delays or unexpected costs in the procurement process.
Availability of Procurement Consultancy Support
Starting the process early also ensures access to professional support.
If you’re looking to use external procurement experts, such as Education Buying, to manage the tender process on your behalf, early engagement is key.
Procurement consultants can help schools navigate the complexities of frameworks, Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS), and tendering, ensuring the process is efficient, compliant and tailored to the school’s specific needs.
The 9-Month Planning Guide for School Catering Contracts
Download Your Catering Procurement Checklist
Planning your school’s catering procurement can be a complex process, but our step-by-step PDF checklist simplifies the journey.
This guide breaks down the key actions you need to take each month to ensure a smooth transition, full compliance, and a high-quality catering service for your students.
From evaluating your current contract and budgeting to navigating TUPE regulations and managing the tender process, this checklist ensures you stay on track. Download the guide today to stay organised, avoid delays, and make informed decisions that lead to a successful catering contract.
Download the Checklist
We've transformed the guide into a practical checklist to support you through every stage of your catering procurement journey.
Detailed Guide
Month 1: Evaluate Current Arrangements
Review the current contract: Assess the terms, performance, and costs of your current catering contract.
Identify renewal dates: Mark key dates, such as the contract end date and notice period, to ensure no deadlines are missed.
Analyse catering needs: Consider student preferences, nutritional guidelines, and any changes required in meal provision.
Month 2: Understand Your Budget and Compliance Needs
Estimate the contract value: If the total contract value exceeds the threshold, you must follow the full procurement regulations.
Set your budget: Determine the maximum budget for the contract, factoring in potential TUPE costs.
Consult procurement experts: Engage a procurement consultancy like Education Buying to help you navigate legal and compliance requirements.
- Draft your timeline: Build a procurement timeline that includes key milestones, such as tender preparation, advertisement, evaluation, and contract award.
Month 3: Determine Procurement Approach
- Open tender process – Running a full tender process from scratch allows you to invite bids from any supplier, ensuring competition. However, this is time-consuming and requires expertise to ensure compliance with procurement regulations.
Consider using a Framework or DPS: These pre-approved supplier lists simplify the tendering process and ensure compliance with procurement rules. Education Buying offers a Catering DPS that can save time and ensure a compliant process.
Month 4: Gather Key Information (Including TUPE Data)
Request TUPE information: Work with your current catering provider to gather accurate TUPE data, including employee details such as roles, salaries, and terms of employment.
Define contract scope: Specify the catering services required, including meal plans, dietary requirements, and any additional expectations, such as locally sourced ingredients.
Month 5: Draft Tender Documents
Prepare a specification: Create a detailed service specification document outlining the school’s requirements.
Develop evaluation criteria: Establish how bids will be assessed, including price, quality, and social value considerations.
Ensure compliance: Check that all documents align with procurement regulations if the contract is above threshold.
Don’t forget, Education can provide template documents and carry out checks as part of our free, supported self-serve!
Month 6: Advertise the Opportunity
Publish the tender: If the contract value is above threshold, advertise the tender on the Find a Tender service and any other relevant platforms.
Engage suppliers: If using a framework or DPS, invite suppliers from the pre-approved list to submit bids in line with the process.
Month 7: Evaluate Bids, Award the Contract, and Begin TUPE Preparations
Shortlist and evaluate: Assess supplier bids against your evaluation criteria, ensuring a fair and transparent process.
Conduct clarifications: Allow suppliers to clarify any aspects of their bids before final decisions.
Award the contract: Notify the successful supplier and begin the transition process.
Initiate TUPE discussions: Engage with both the outgoing and incoming suppliers to begin the TUPE transfer process, ensuring compliance and clear communication with affected staff.
Month 8: Plan the Mobilisation Phase
Finalise TUPE transfer: Ensure all necessary TUPE processes are completed, protecting employee rights and ensuring a smooth handover.
Coordinate with the new provider: Work closely with the new catering provider to organise staff onboarding, training, and equipment delivery.
Set performance expectations: Agree on service standards, KPIs, and reporting mechanisms to ensure a seamless start to the contract.
Month 9: Implement the Contract
Begin service delivery: Ensure the catering service starts on the agreed date with minimal disruption.
Monitor performance: Establish performance metrics and regular review meetings to ensure the supplier meets the agreed standards.
Education Buying’s Supported Self-Serve Service
If you don’t have the budget for a fully managed tender but need additional support due to time constraints or limited in-house procurement expertise, Education Buying offers a supported self-serve option free of charge.
This service provides extra guidance and ensures your school can confidently manage the procurement process while benefiting from expert oversight.
We have highlighted the free support Education Buying offers throughout the 9-month procurement process, helping schools at each stage to ensure a smooth and compliant tender process.
If you choose to go down the DPS route, Education Buying’s free, supported, self-serve service when using our Catering DPS includes all the activities below:
1.Welcome and Onboarding – After you register, we’ll set up a Teams Meeting to walk you through the process.
2. Supplier Admission – We handle supplier evaluations and manage the DPS admission process for you.
3. DPS Documentation – You’ll receive all the necessary tender documents to complete or you can download them from our portal.
4. Tender Preparation – Send us your completed tender documents, and we’ll check them for accuracy and compliance.
5. Tender Publication – Once you’re ready, we’ll publish your tender via Delta eSourcing.
6. Tender Monitoring – We oversee the process, managing supplier questions and your responses.
7. Bid Collection – After the tender closes, we compile the responses and send them to you.
8. Evaluation and Selection – Use our easy-to-follow evaluation template to review and score the bids.
9. Award and Feedback – We gather your feedback and issue Alcatel letters to suppliers. After the standstill period, the contract is awarded.
With Education Buying, you get expert support at every step, completely free of charge!
If you’re ready to start planning your catering contract, register with us today!
Benefits of Using Education Buying for Catering Contracts
At Education Buying, we specialise in helping schools and trusts navigate the procurement process, ensuring compliance, value for money and high-quality service delivery. By using our Catering DPS, you can:
Save time: We’ve done the due diligence for you, providing access to a pre-approved list of suppliers.
Ensure compliance: Our DPS ensures alignment with the procurement regulations and other legal requirements.
- Focus on social value: Our suppliers can help deliver community benefits, such as healthy, locally sourced ingredients and sustainable meal options.
- Opt for a supported self-serve option that provides schools with expert guidance, ready-to-use templates and a compliant procurement process—saving time while ensuring the best value catering contract.
Fully managed tender: Our team of procurement consultants can manage the entire tender process, from further competition documents to awarding contracts. (This is a paid service.)
Here’s a comparison table outlining the differences between Education Buying’s Supported Self-Serve Service and Fully Managed Tender Service:
| Feature | Supported Self-Serve (Free) | Full Consultancy Support (Paid) |
|---|---|---|
| Access to Education Buying’s DPS & Frameworks | | |
| Pre-Vetted, Compliant Suppliers | | |
| Guidance on Procurement Best Practice | | |
| Tender Documentation Templates Provided | | |
| Tender Documentation Support |  | |
| Document Review (Minimum Requirements) | | |
| Full Document Review | | |
| Tender Publication via e-Tendering Portal | | |
| Full Tender Process Management | | |
| DfE & ESFA Compliance Assurance | | |
| Supplier Communications & Clarifications | | |
| Tender Evaluation & Scoring Support | | |
| Tender Report – Risk Mitigation & Due Diligence | | |
| Publishing Feedback Letters | | |
| Contract Finalisation & Award Support | | |
| Optional Ongoing Contract Management | | |
| Next Steps… | More about Fully Managed |
Early planning is crucial for ensuring a smooth, compliant and cost-effective school catering contract. By starting the process at least nine months before your current contract ends, you’ll have the time to address legal requirements like TUPE, follow the Procurement Regulations for high-value contracts and engage expert support if needed.
To make the process even easier, consider working with procurement experts like Education Buying. With access to our Catering DPS, you can streamline the procurement process and focus on what matters most—providing nutritious and high-quality meals for your students.
Please check out our dedicated Catering Page to find out more about our catering DPS and suppliers.
If you’re ready to start planning your catering contract, register with us today!
