Provision of Hot School Meals

AI-generated analysis of the documents. Check the official notice and any amendments for current submission details.

1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

The contract involves providing hot school meals to Coole National School under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme. The service must be delivered each school day for 157 students.

• Meal Preparation and Delivery: Meals must be pre-prepared off-site and delivered hot to classrooms by the start of the lunch break at 12:50 pm.
• Service Days: The school operates 182 days per year, and meals must be provided on each of these days.
• Compliance: Meals must comply with the Department of Social Protection’s nutritional standards.
• Service Delivery Models:
• Meals pre-prepared off-site and delivered ready to eat.
• Meals pre-prepared off-site and heated in the school’s designated area.
• Meals pre-prepared off-site and heated using an external pod or mobile unit.
• Meals fully prepared on-site.
• Mandatory Site Visit: Tenderers must attend a site visit to assess facilities and compliance needs.
• Funding Dependency: The contract is contingent on annual funding from the Department of Social Protection.

3. Background & buyer context

This tender is part of the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme, aimed at providing nutritious meals to students. Coole National School is seeking a service provider to ensure daily hot meal provision for its students. The initiative supports educational outcomes by addressing nutritional needs. The contract is dependent on annual funding, reflecting government priorities in child welfare and education.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

• Turnover requirement: Minimum annual turnover of €91,436.80 for each of the last three financial years.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability: €13 million per claim.
• Public Liability: €6.5 million per claim.
• Product Liability: €6.5 million per claim.
• Motor Cover: €1.3 million for third-party property damage.
• Crime Insurance: €100,000 per claim.
• Cyber Liability: €1 million per claim.
• Certifications: HACCP qualification for Key Account Managers.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Key Account Managers must have a minimum of 2 years of experience.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The evaluation follows the MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender) principle, with a 70/30 quality/price split.

6. Submission requirements

• Method statement / response document: Use the named template, no page limits specified.
• CVs: Required for Key Account Managers, no page count specified.
• Pricing schedule: Must use the provided template.
• Case studies: Not specified for this tender.
• Declarations: ESPD, Bona Fides, Tax clearance, Conflict of Interest.
• Mandatory site visit: 8 May 2026, by appointment via [email protected].
• Submission portal: eTenders, with specific format rules for electronic submission.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

The contract is for one year, with the possibility of two one-year extensions. Payment is €3.20 per student per day, VAT exempt, paid 30 days in arrears. Key SLAs include daily meal delivery and compliance with nutritional standards. Termination clauses allow for cancellation if funding is unavailable. IP ownership and sub-contracting rules are not specified. No parent-company guarantee is required.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

The contract's dependency on annual funding from the Department of Social Protection poses a risk. The mandatory site visit and specific service delivery models may limit potential bidders. The requirement for meals to be delivered hot and ready to eat at a specific time could challenge logistics, especially for non-local providers. The insurance requirements are substantial, potentially excluding smaller firms.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is suitable for SMEs with experience in catering, particularly those familiar with school meal provision. Firms must meet substantial insurance requirements and demonstrate a minimum turnover. Consortiums or sub-contracting are allowed, offering flexibility. Bid preparation may take several days, given the need for a site visit and detailed compliance checks. The incumbent's strength is not specified, but the funding dependency could affect Pwin.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: CFT-Hot-Meals-CooleNS-18051Q.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Important attachments: Appendix 1 — Requirements and Specifications, Appendix 2 — Pricing Schedule, Appendix 5 — Services Contract