Provision of hot lunches under the school meals scheme for Burncourt National School

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

The contract requires the provision of hot meals to students at Burncourt National School under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme. The service provider will supply catering services for a total of 83 students. The school operates for 182 days per year, and the contractor must provide services on each of these days, barring exceptional circumstances. The contract is for an initial term of one year, with the possibility of up to two one-year extensions.

The core service involves preparing and delivering hot meals that comply with the Department of Social Protection's School Hot Meals Scheme and specific nutritional standards. Tenderers must select and adhere to one of the following mandatory service delivery models:

• Model 1: Meals Pre-Prepared Off-site and Delivered Ready to Eat: Meals are prepared off-site and delivered hot to classrooms, ready for immediate consumption before the student lunch break.
• Model 2: Meals Pre-Prepared Off-Site and Heated in the School’s Designated Preparation and/or Servery Area: Meals are prepared off-site, delivered, and then heated on-site in the school's designated area before being distributed to classrooms.
• Model 3: Meals Pre-Prepared Off-Site and Heated in the School by use of an External Pod or Mobile Catering Unit: Similar to Model 2, but heating occurs on-site using an external pod or mobile unit.
• Model 4: Meals Fully Prepared On-Site: Meals are prepared entirely on-site within the school's designated food preparation area and then served to classrooms.

Alternative service delivery models or variations are not permitted and will result in tender rejection. The contractor is responsible for all aspects of the service, including food preparation, delivery, serving, packaging, transportation, waste disposal, and any necessary equipment or fit-out works. The contractor must also ensure a minimum of 10% of food by value is certified organic in specified categories where possible.

3. Background & buyer context

Burncourt National School is procuring catering services under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme. This initiative aims to provide nutritious meals to students. The funding for the scheme is provided by the Department of Social Protection on a school-year basis and requires annual application by the school. The contract award is contingent on the continued availability of this funding. The procurement is being conducted under an Open Procedure, specifically for contracts valued below the EU threshold of €750,000, operating under a Light Touch Regime (LTR) framework. The school is located in Burncourt, Cahir, Co. Tipperary.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

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

• Turnover requirement: Tenderers must demonstrate a minimum average annual turnover of €48,339.20 for each of the three financial years preceding the tender publication date.
• Insurance: The successful tenderer must hold the following insurances for the contract term:
• 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.
• Professional Indemnity: €6.5 million limit per claim (only applicable for Service Delivery Models 2, 3, or 4, relating to fit-out works).
• Certifications: Tenderers must be registered Food Business Operators.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Key Account Managers (KAMs) must hold a Food Safety/HACCP qualification and possess a minimum of 2 years of experience in a similar role.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender, beyond the service delivery location.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT). The evaluation will consider both price and quality.

Note: Specific scoring weights and detailed sub-criteria for quality are not explicitly detailed in the provided extract. Tenderers must refer to the full tender documents for precise evaluation methodologies.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit the following documentation:

• Tender Response Document (TRD): Must follow the specified format and respond to each element in order.
• Pricing Schedule: As per Appendix 2.
• Tenderer’s Statement: A scanned, signed copy on the tenderer's letterhead, confirming acceptance of contract terms (Appendix 3).
• Declarations:
• Declaration as to Personal Circumstances of Tenderer (Appendix 4).
• Tax Clearance Access Number and Tax Reference Number for online verification.
• Confirmation of compliance with Data Protection Laws.
• Mandatory Site Visit: Attendance is required by appointment before the clarification deadline. Contact [email protected].
• Submission Portal: All tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders.gov.ie platform. Specific file size limits (250MB per file, 2GB total) and submission procedures apply.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: The contract is for one year, with an option for up to two further one-year extensions.
• Payment: Payment is €3.20 (VAT exempt) per student per day, paid on a 30-day arrears basis. This fee is all-inclusive.
• Service Credits/Penalties: Not specified for this tender.
• Termination: Either party may terminate with 14 days' notice if a breach continues for 14 calendar days. Termination is also possible if funding for the School Meals Scheme is withdrawn.
• IP Ownership: Not specified for this tender.
• Sub-contracting: Not specified for this tender, but a Prime Contractor must be designated.
• Guarantees/Bonds: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Funding Contingency: The entire contract is dependent on annual funding confirmation from the Department of Social Protection. The school reserves the right to cancel the competition or contract if funding is withdrawn.
• Mandatory Site Visit: This is a mandatory requirement for all tenderers.
• Service Delivery Model Constraint: Only one of the four specified service delivery models will be accepted. Any deviation will lead to disqualification.
• All-Inclusive Fee: The €3.20 per meal fee is all-inclusive, covering all costs, including potential fit-out works for certain models.
• Light Touch Regime (LTR): While modelled on an open procedure, the procurement falls under LTR, meaning EU procurement regulations do not strictly apply, offering more flexibility but requiring careful attention to the specific tender conditions.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured to be accessible to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with established catering operations.

• Viable Bidder Profile: A small to medium-sized catering company with experience in school or institutional food provision. The company must possess the necessary food safety certifications, a demonstrable track record in meeting nutritional standards, and the financial capacity to meet the turnover requirement (€48,339.20 average annual turnover). Experience with organic sourcing (minimum 10% by value) is also a key consideration.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: While not explicitly forbidden, the tender requires a single Prime Contractor to hold overall responsibility. SMEs are encouraged to form relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises to participate.
• Indicative Bid-Prep Effort: Preparing a compliant bid, including site visits, understanding the specific service delivery models, and detailing pricing and operational plans, could require 5-10 days of effort for an experienced firm.
• Pwin Signal: The tender is for a single provider. The incumbent's strength is not specified. The relatively low estimated value and specific operational requirements suggest a focus on experienced, local or regional catering providers.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT Filename: CFT Burncourt NS 17783G.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Contact: Queries via the eTenders messaging facility only. Mandatory site visit appointments via [email protected].
• Key Attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications
• Appendix 2: Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 5: Services Contract