Cold Lunch and Afterschool under the School Meals Scheme

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 requires the provision of catering services for a Cold Lunch Club to students at Athea National School, operating under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme. The estimated total value for the services over a maximum three-year term is €155,142, with an estimated 91,260 meals to be provided. The services are to be delivered on each of the 180 days of the school year.

Key activities and specifications include:

• Service Delivery: Food must be prepared off-site and delivered ready to eat, maintaining the cold chain until consumption. No alternative delivery models will be accepted.
• Meal Components (Cold Lunch Club with Drink):
• Rate: €1.70 per student, per day.
• Items: 4 items, including a drink (WATER).
• Requirements: 2 servings of vegetables, salad, or fruit, and 1 serving of wholemeal or brown bread.
• Student Numbers: The maximum number of students for the Cold Lunch Club is 169.
• Payment: Tenderers will only be paid for meals ordered by parents/guardians. The Contracting Authority will pay fees on a 30-day arrears basis.
• Reporting: Monthly status reports are required, detailing key information.
• Complaints: Complaints must be fully resolved within 3-5 days.
• Organic Ingredients: A minimum of 10% organic ingredients is required, in line with the "buying-greener" strategy.
• Compliance: Services must comply with all applicable environmental, health & safety, hygiene, food, social, and labour laws, as well as Council Directive 2001/23/EC regarding transfers of undertakings.
• Exclusions: The contract is solely for the provision of meals as outlined; sale of optional add-ons or extras is not permitted.
• Drop-off: Food must be delivered to designated drop-off points on school premises.
• Site Visit: Tenderers must conduct a mandatory site visit to assess health and safety risks and potential storage locations.

3. Background & buyer context

Athea National School, located in Athea, Co. Limerick, is procuring catering services for its Cold Lunch Club under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme. This initiative aims to provide nutritional support to students. The procurement is being conducted as an Open Procedure, operating below the EU threshold of €750,000, allowing for national-level procurement flexibilities. The contract is entirely dependent on annual funding from the Department of Social Protection, with no automatic entitlement to this funding each year. The school encourages participation from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and larger enterprises are encouraged to include SMEs in their proposals.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet the following criteria to be considered eligible for evaluation:

• Turnover requirement:
• Minimum average annual turnover of €51,714 for each of the three financial years preceding the CFT publication date.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability: €13 million limit per claim.
• Public Liability: €6.5 million limit per claim.
• Product Liability: €6.5 million limit per claim and in aggregate.
• Motor Cover: Minimum €1.3 million for third party property damage per accident.
• Crime Insurance: €100,000 per claim.
• Cyber Liability: €1 million per claim and in aggregate.
• Certifications:
• Must be registered Food Business Operators.
• Past experience:
• Minimum of 3 previous contract examples.
• Personnel:
• Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints:
• Food must be prepared off-site.
• Delivery to designated drop-off points at Athea National School.
• Tenderers must be able to comply with all applicable EU and domestic tax laws.

5. Award criteria & scoring

Criterion Weight (%) Sub-criteria