Hot School Meals Provision

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 meals to students at Rampark National School under the Department of Social Protection’s School Meals Scheme. The service must be available every school day for 189 students.

• Meal Preparation and Delivery: Meals must be pre-prepared off-site and delivered hot to classrooms before lunch (12:30 – 1:00 pm).
• Service Models:
• Meals pre-prepared off-site and delivered ready to eat.
• Meals pre-prepared off-site, heated on-site in the school’s designated area.
• Meals pre-prepared off-site, heated in an external pod or mobile unit.
• Meals fully prepared on-site.
• Compliance: Adherence to the Department of Social Protection’s Hot Meals Scheme standards.
• Site Facilities: Utilization of a small kitchen with an oven supplied by the current hot school meals provider.
• Volume: Service required for 182 school days annually.
• Organic Content: At least 10% of food by value must be certified organic.
• Health and Safety: Conduct risk assessments and comply with Department of Education Technical Note Guidance.
• Funding Dependency: Service provision 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 initiative to provide hot meals in schools, enhancing student nutrition and well-being. The school has a history of participating in the scheme, which requires annual funding applications. The current service is provided by an unnamed supplier, and the school seeks to continue this service under a new contract. The strategic driver is to ensure consistent meal quality and compliance with nutritional standards.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

• Turnover requirement: Minimum annual turnover of €110,073.60 for the past 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: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Key Account Manager must hold a Food Safety/HACCP qualification and have 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 named template, no page limits specified.
• CVs: Required for Key Account Manager, no page count specified.
• Pricing schedule: Use Appendix 2 template.
• Case studies: Not specified.
• Declarations: ESPD, Bona Fides, Tax clearance, Conflict of Interest.
• Mandatory site visit: 7th to 13th May 2026, contact Julie Carolan.
• Submission portal: eTenders, follow format rules.

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 or bond is required.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

The contract is contingent on annual funding from the Department of Social Protection, posing a risk of cancellation if funding is not secured. The requirement for a mandatory site visit and the dependency on existing kitchen facilities may limit bidder flexibility. The insurance requirements are substantial, potentially limiting participation to larger firms with significant coverage.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is suitable for small to medium-sized catering firms with experience in school meal provision and the ability to meet substantial insurance requirements. Consortiums and sub-contracting are permitted, allowing smaller firms to collaborate. Bid preparation is moderate, likely requiring several days for documentation and site visit coordination. The incumbent's strength is unknown, but the open procedure suggests a level playing field.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: CFT - Hot Meals - S N Muire Rampark 18101F.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