Call for tender for the provision of Hot Meals under the School Meals Scheme to Our Lady's N.S. Ballingarry 20475M

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 the provision of hot meals to students at Our Lady's National School in Ballingarry under the Department of Social Protection’s School Meals Scheme. The successful contractor will deliver meals on each of the 182 school days per year, ensuring compliance with nutritional standards and dietary requirements.

Key activities include:

• Meal Preparation:

• Meals must be prepared either on-site or off-site, depending on the chosen service delivery model.

• A minimum of 10% of the food must be certified organic across various categories, including cereals, meats, fish, vegetables, and dairy.

• Meal Delivery:

• Meals must be delivered to the school daily, with a focus on maintaining food safety and quality during transport.

• Service Management:

• The contractor must implement a food ordering system that allows for meal adjustments and provides clear communication regarding ordering deadlines.

• The contractor is responsible for providing cutlery, napkins, and appropriate packaging for the meals.

• Compliance and Reporting:

• Regular reporting on service delivery, including feedback mechanisms for students and staff.

• Adherence to health and safety regulations, including food safety management systems (HACCP).

The contractor must demonstrate the ability to manage a service that meets the nutritional needs of students while ensuring a high standard of food quality and safety.

3. Background & buyer context

This tender is being issued as part of the ongoing commitment to provide nutritious meals to students under the School Meals Scheme, which is funded by the Department of Social Protection. The initiative aims to enhance student health and well-being by ensuring access to healthy food options during school hours. The buyer, Our Lady’s National School, has a history of engaging with local suppliers for meal provision, and this tender seeks to establish a new contract to ensure continuity of service. The strategic driver for this procurement is to improve the quality and accessibility of school meals in alignment with national health policies.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following eligibility and selection criteria:

• Turnover requirement: Minimum annual turnover of €34,944.00 for each of the three financial years preceding the tender publication.

• Insurance:

• Employer’s Liability: €13 million limit for any one claim.

• Public Liability: €6.5 million limit for any one claim.

• Product Liability: €6.5 million limit for any one claim.

• Motor Cover: Minimum limit of €1.3 million for third-party property damage.

• Crime Insurance: €100,000 for any one claim.

• Cyber Liability: €1 million for any one claim.

• Certifications: Registration as a Food Business Operator (FBO) with the relevant authority (HSE, local authority, or DAFM).

• Past experience: Evidence of at least three comparable contracts delivered in the last three years, demonstrating the capacity to provide hot meals at a scale of at least 60% of the required meals.

• Personnel: Key Account Managers must hold a Food Safety/HACCP qualification and have a minimum of two years of relevant experience.

• Geographic constraints: Not specified for this tender.

5. Award criteria & scoring

Bids will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

The evaluation will follow a Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) approach, balancing quality and price.

6. Submission requirements

Bidders must submit the following documents:

• Method statement / response document: Complete the provided Tender Response Document (TRD) template.
• CVs: For key personnel, limited to two pages each.
• Pricing schedule: Use the specified format in the TRD.
• Case studies: Provide details of three previous contracts, including references.
• Declarations: Include ESPD, Bona Fides, Tax clearance, and Conflict of Interest declarations.
• Mandatory site visit: Attendance is required; details will be provided in the tender documents.
• Submission portal: All submissions must be made via the eTenders platform, adhering to specified format rules.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

Key contract terms include:

• Term and extension structure: Not specified.
• Payment terms: Payments will be made on a 30-day arrears basis.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Performance metrics will be established, including meal quality and delivery timeliness.
• Liquidated damages: Not specified.
• Termination clauses: Either party may terminate with 14 days' notice if breaches are not remedied.
• IP ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting rules: Not specified.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

Potential risks and concerns include:

• The turnover requirement is relatively low compared to the contract value, which may limit competition to smaller firms.
• The requirement for a mandatory site visit could exclude bidders who cannot attend, potentially limiting the pool of qualified bidders.
• The emphasis on organic ingredients may increase costs for bidders, impacting pricing competitiveness.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is suitable for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with experience in food service and catering. Viable bidders should:

• Have a proven track record in providing hot meal services, ideally with experience in school meal programs.
• Be able to meet the insurance and turnover requirements.
• Consider forming consortia or subcontracting to meet the experience and capacity requirements.
• Expect to invest several days in preparing a comprehensive bid, including documentation and case studies.
• The presence of an incumbent or previous suppliers may impact the likelihood of winning the tender.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: TRD Hot Meals - below-€750k-Our Lady's N.S. Ballingarry 20475M.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: not specified
• Contact email: not specified
• Important attachments: Appendix 1 — Mandatory Requirements Schedule, Appendix 2 — Pricing Schedule, Appendix 3 — Service Delivery Models.