Hot meals Pre-Prepared Off-site and Delivered Ready to Eat

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

Garranbane National School seeks a contractor to provide hot meals to its students. The service must comply with the Department of Social Protection's School Hot Meals Scheme. The contract is for the provision of catering services for the total number of students enrolled at the school.

The mandatory service delivery model is:

• Meals Pre-Prepared Off-site and Delivered Ready to Eat: Meals are prepared off-site and delivered hot to each classroom, ready for consumption by students at the start of their lunch break. Food must be at the classrooms in advance of the lunch period.

The contractor will be responsible for all aspects of meal provision, including:

• Food Preparation: All meals must be prepared off-site.
• Ingredient Sourcing: A minimum of 10% of food by value must be certified organic in categories including cereals, fresh beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, vegetables, and dairy products, where possible.
• Delivery: Hot meals must be delivered to each classroom at Garranbane National School.
• Compliance: Adherence to the Department of Social Protection's School Hot Meals Scheme and relevant nutrition standards.
• Service Days: Provision of service on each of the 182 school days per year, excluding exceptional circumstances.
• All-Inclusive Fee: The contractually agreed fee per meal is all-inclusive, covering all costs associated with preparation, packaging, delivery, staff, ingredients, catering equipment, utensils, serving, cleaning, waste disposal, transportation, licensing, pest control, utilities, any required fit-out or building works, rates, taxes, and all other ancillary costs. No additional charges will be paid by the Contracting Authority.
• Organic Sourcing: A minimum of 10% by value (€) of the food must be certified organic in specified categories.

The school has 229 students. The contract duration is one year, with the possibility of two one-year extensions.

3. Background & buyer context

This procurement is initiated by Garranbane National School to secure catering services under the Department of Social Protection's School Hot Meals Scheme. Funding for the scheme is provided annually by the Department of Social Protection and is subject to budget availability. The school is procuring these services to ensure students receive nutritious meals. The contract's commencement is contingent on the confirmation of funding. The estimated contract value is based on the daily rate per student, the number of students, school days per year, and the maximum contract length. The procurement is conducted under an Open Procedure, operating below the €750,000 EU threshold, and follows national procurement guidelines.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered eligible:

• Turnover requirement: Demonstrate a minimum average annual turnover equal to or greater than the amount specified in Table 1 of the CFT for each of the three financial years preceding the CFT publication date. The specific amount is not stated in the provided text.
• Insurance: Hold the following insurances for the term of the Services Contract:
• 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 limit of €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 relevant for Service Delivery Models 2, 3, or 4, which are not the mandatory model for this tender).
• 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 have a minimum of 2 years of experience in a similar role.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The tender will be awarded to the most economically advantageous tender based on a combination of price and quality. The specific weighting and scoring mechanism are not detailed in the provided text. However, the tender states that only those meeting the selection criteria (financial and technical capacity) will be evaluated against the award criteria. The Contracting Authority is not bound to accept the lowest priced tender.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit their bids electronically via the eTenders platform. The submission must adhere to the following:

• Method statement / response document: Tenderers must follow the format of the CFT and Tender Response Document (TRD) and respond to each element in the order set out. The TRD format is to be used.
• CVs: Not explicitly mentioned, but KAMs require specific qualifications and experience.
• Pricing schedule: Must be submitted in the format specified in Appendix 2.
• Case studies: Not specified for this tender.
• Declarations:
• Tenderer’s Statement (Appendix 3), signed and scanned, printed on letterhead.
• Declaration as to Personal Circumstances of Tenderer (Appendix 4).
• Tax Clearance Access Number and Tax Reference Number for online verification.
• Confirmation of acceptance of the Services Contract (Appendix 5) and Licence (Appendix 7).
• Mandatory site visit: Required by appointment. Contact [email protected]. The visit must occur before the clarification deadline.
• Submission portal: www.etenders.gov.ie. Tenders must be uploaded to the electronic tenderbox.
• File size limits: 250MB per file, 2GB total.
• Language: English.
• Format: Soft copy documents must be readable using Word and/or PDF readers.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: One year, with an option for up to two further one-year extensions, subject to legal obligations and funding.
• Payment terms: 30 days in arrears, based on the agreed fee per student per day.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Not explicitly detailed in the provided text, but implied through the requirement for timely delivery and compliance with nutrition standards. Complaints must be resolved within 3-5 days. Monthly status reports are required.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified for this tender.
• Termination clauses: Either party may terminate with 14 days' notice if a breach continues for 14 calendar days. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to cancel the competition or contract if DSP funding is unavailable.
• IP ownership: Not specified for this tender.
• Sub-contracting rules: Not specified for this tender, but a Prime Contractor must be designated with overall responsibility.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Funding Dependency: The entire contract is dependent on annual funding from the Department of Social Protection, which is not guaranteed. The Contracting Authority can cancel the competition or contract if funding is withdrawn.
• Mandatory Delivery Model: Only "Meals Pre-Prepared Off-site and Delivered Ready to Eat" is accepted. Any deviation will lead to rejection.
• All-Inclusive Pricing: The €3.20 per meal rate is all-inclusive, covering all potential costs, including any required fit-out or building works. This places a significant pricing risk on the tenderer.
• Mandatory Site Visit & Design Team Involvement: Tenderers must arrange a site visit and involve their design teams to assess potential building works and food safety requirements, which they will bear the cost of.
• No Automatic Entitlement to DSP Funding: This highlights the inherent risk of contract termination due to external funding decisions.
• Light Touch Regime (LTR): While an Open Procedure is used, the LTR context means some EU procurement regulations are applied by analogy, offering some flexibility but requiring careful adherence to the CFT's specific requirements.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured to be accessible to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by operating below the €750,000 EU threshold and using an Open Procedure. The mandatory service delivery model (off-site preparation and delivery) may favour established catering providers with existing infrastructure. However, the scale of the contract (estimated €400k over 3 years for 229 students) is manageable for a focused SME.

• Credible Bidders: SMEs with experience in off-site catering, adherence to food safety standards (HACCP), and the capacity to manage organic sourcing requirements are well-suited. The requirement for KAMs with specific qualifications and experience is a key personnel gate.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: The CFT encourages SMEs to explore forming relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises. While not explicitly mandating consortia, it suggests this as a strategy for participation. A Prime Contractor must be designated, regardless of subcontracting.
• Indicative Bid-Prep Effort: Bid preparation will likely require 10-20 days, focusing on detailing the catering operation, sourcing strategy (including organic compliance), pricing, and personnel qualifications. The site visit and design team assessment for potential works will add to this effort.
• Pwin Signal: The tender does not indicate an incumbent. The primary Pwin signal is the mandatory service delivery model and the all-inclusive pricing, which requires careful cost management. The funding dependency is a significant risk factor for all bidders.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: Hot meals CFT 17159I 29062026.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Contact email for clarifications: Via the messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Key attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications
• Appendix 2: Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 5: Services Contract
• Appendix 7: Property Licence and Deed of Renunciation