Provision of Hot Meals under the School Meals Scheme

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

The contract requires the provision of catering services to supply hot meals to the students of Drumgallagh National School. The service must comply with the Department of Social Protection's School Hot Meals Scheme. The contractor will be required to provide services on each of the 182 school days per year. The contract is for a single service provider.

The service delivery model is mandatory and must be one of the following:

• Meals Pre-Prepared Off-site and Delivered Ready to Eat: Meals are prepared off-site and delivered hot to classrooms, ready for immediate consumption at the start of the lunch break.
• Meals Pre-Prepared Off-Site and Heated in the School’s Designated Preparation and/or Servery Area: Meals are prepared off-site and heated on-site in the school's designated area before delivery to classrooms.
• Meals Pre-Prepared Off-Site and Heated in the School by use of an External Pod or Mobile Catering Unit: Meals are prepared off-site and heated on-site using an external pod or mobile unit before delivery to classrooms.
• Meals Fully Prepared On-Site: Meals are fully prepared on-site in the school's designated food preparation area and served to classrooms.

No alternative service delivery models or variations will be accepted. The contractor must ensure food is at the classrooms at the beginning of the lunch break, which is scheduled for 12:30. The contract value is estimated at €52,416.00 over the initial term. The school operates for 182 days per year. The contractor must also comply with specific nutrition standards, including a minimum of 10% organic ingredients by value in specified categories where possible.

3. Background & buyer context

This procurement is for the provision of hot meals under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme. Drumgallagh National School is the contracting authority. The scheme is funded by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) on a school-year basis, requiring annual application and subject to available budgets. Consequently, the contract is entirely dependent on the continued availability of this funding. The contracting authority reserves the right to cancel the competition or contract if funding is withdrawn. The tender is being run under a Light Touch Regime (LTR) due to the contract value being below €750,000, meaning EU procurement regulations do not strictly apply but are used by analogy.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

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

• Turnover requirement: A minimum average annual turnover equal to or greater than €17,472.00 for each of the three financial years immediately preceding the tender 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 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 involving fit-out works).
• Certifications: 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' experience in a similar role.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender, beyond the need to deliver to the school location.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The tender will be awarded to a single service provider. The evaluation process involves two stages: first, bidders must meet the mandatory selection criteria to be deemed eligible. Eligible tenders will then be evaluated against the award criteria. The specific award criteria and their weighting are not detailed in the provided extract, but the process follows a standard MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender) approach where quality and price are considered.

6. Submission requirements

Bidders must submit the following:

• Tender Response Document (TRD): Must follow the format of the CFT and TRD, responding to each element in order.
• Pricing Schedule: As per Appendix 2.
• Declarations:
• Tenderer’s Statement (Appendix 3), signed and scanned.
• Declaration as to Personal Circumstances of Tenderer (Appendix 4).
• Tax Clearance Access Number and Tax Reference Number for online verification.
• Mandatory site visit: Required between 17/09/2026 and 23/09/2026 by appointment.
• Submission portal: Via the electronic tenderbox on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Format: All documents must be readable using Word and/or PDF readers. Files have a 250MB limit per file and a 2GB total limit.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: 1 year, with an option for one additional 1-year extension.
• Payment terms: 30 days in arrears, based on a fee of €3.20 (VAT exempt) per student per day for each hot meal provided.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Complaints to be fully resolved within 3-5 days. Monthly status reports are required.
• Liquidated damages: Not specified.
• Termination clauses: Either party may terminate with 14 days' notice if a breach continues for 14 calendar days.
• IP ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting rules: Subcontractors must be disclosed, and the prime contractor holds overall responsibility.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Funding dependency: The contract is entirely dependent on annual funding from the Department of Social Protection. The contracting authority can cancel the competition or contract if funding is not available.
• Mandatory site visit: This is a mandatory requirement for all tenderers, indicating the importance of understanding the school's facilities and potential site works.
• Service Delivery Model constraint: Only four specific models are accepted, with no flexibility for alternatives.
• Light Touch Regime (LTR): While EU regulations don't strictly apply, the tender is modelled on an open procedure, and references to regulations are used by analogy.
• Site works responsibility: The successful tenderer may be responsible for undertaking and paying for building works to meet compliance regulations and food legislation, as identified during the site visit and detailed in specific guidance documents.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is suitable for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with established catering operations, particularly those experienced in school meal provision and familiar with the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme requirements. The minimum annual turnover requirement of €17,472.00 is modest, suggesting it is accessible to smaller businesses. Consortiums or subcontracting are permitted, allowing SMEs to partner with others to meet requirements or expand their capacity. The bid preparation effort is likely moderate, involving site visits, proposal development, and compliance with insurance and food safety standards. The tender is open to new entrants, but incumbent providers with existing relationships and operational knowledge of school catering in Ireland may have an advantage.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: CFT - Hot Meals - Drumgallagh NS 18002D.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Contact email: [email protected] (for site visit appointments). Queries via eTenders messaging facility.
• Key attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications
• Appendix 5: Services Contract
• SDG02 TN-06: Department of Education Technical Note Guidance