Hot School Meals 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 contractor will provide hot school meals to students at Canon Sheehan Primary School under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme. The service requires the provision of catering services daily for the total number of students enrolled. The contract is for a term of one year, with potential for two one-year extensions.

The service delivery model must be one of the following:

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

No alternative service delivery models will be accepted. The contractor must ensure meals are at the classrooms, ready to be eaten, at the beginning of the lunch break. The school opens for 182 days per year, and the contractor must provide service on each of these days, barring exceptional circumstances. The contractor must also comply with the Department of Social Protection's School Hot Meals Scheme and the specified Nutrition Standards for Hot School Meals. A minimum of 10% of food by value must be certified organic in specified categories where possible.

The contractor will be responsible for all aspects of the service, including:

• Sourcing and preparation of food.
• Delivery of hot meals to classrooms.
• Provision and use of any necessary equipment, including catering equipment, utensils, and packaging.
• Cleaning and waste disposal.
• Transportation and any required licencing.
• Pest control and utilities.
• Any required fit-out or building works, paid for by the successful tenderer.
• Compliance with all environmental, health & safety, hygiene, and food safety legislation.

The contractor must also provide an online ordering system and monthly status reports.

3. Background & buyer context

Canon Sheehan Primary School is procuring catering services for its students under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme. This procurement is necessary to ensure the provision of daily hot meals to students. The scheme's funding is provided by the Department of Social Protection on an annual basis, and the contract is contingent on the continued availability of this funding. The school does not have an existing food preparation area or servery space, which may necessitate on-site works by the successful tenderer. The procurement is being conducted under an Open Procedure, as the estimated contract value is below the EU threshold of €750,000, allowing for flexibility in the application of regulations.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

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

• Turnover requirement: Demonstrate a minimum average annual turnover equal to or greater than €108,326.40 for each of the three financial years immediately preceding the tender publication date.
• Insurance: Hold the following insurances for the term of the 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 €1.3 million limit for third-party property damage per accident.
• Crime Insurance: €100,000 per claim.
• Cyber Liability: €1 million per claim and in aggregate per policy year.
• Professional Indemnity: €6.5 million limit per claim (only relevant if the tenderer undertakes fit-out works, as per Service Delivery Models 2, 3, or 4).
• Certifications: Registered Food Business Operators.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Key Account Managers (KAMs) must each 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 contract will be awarded to the most economically advantageous tender. The award criteria are not explicitly detailed with percentage weightings in the provided extract, but the process involves a single-stage tender where eligible bidders are evaluated against award criteria. The evaluation will consider both technical and financial aspects. The contracting authority reserves the right not to accept the lowest priced tender.

The evaluation process will focus on the most economically advantageous tender, implying a balance between quality and price.

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 Call for Tenders (CFT) and Tender Response Document (TRD), responding to each element in the specified order. The TRD must not be altered.
• CVs: Not specified for this tender.
• Pricing schedule: A pricing schedule (Appendix 2) must be completed. The fee per student per day is fixed at €3.20 (VAT exempt).
• Case studies: Not specified for this tender.
• Declarations:
• Tenderer’s Statement (Appendix 3), signed and scanned, confirming acceptance of contract terms and licence.
• Declaration as to Personal Circumstances of Tenderer (Appendix 4).
• Tax Clearance Access Number and Tax Reference Number for online verification.
• Declaration of independent tender preparation and disclosure of any conflicts of interest.
• Mandatory site visit: Required on 10/07/2026 by appointment only. Contact [email protected].
• Submission portal: www.etenders.gov.ie. Tenders must be uploaded to the electronic tenderbox.
• File size limits: 250MB per file, 2GB total.
• Language: English.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: 1 year, with an option for up to two 1-year extensions.
• Payment terms: Payment of €3.20 (VAT exempt) per student per day, paid 30 days in arrears. The fee is all-inclusive.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Complaints to be fully resolved within 3-5 days. Monthly status reports are required.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified in the provided text.
• 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 funding is unavailable.
• IP ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting rules: The successful tenderer must designate a Prime Contractor responsible for the entire contract, irrespective of subcontractors.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: 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 secured.
• No existing facilities: The school lacks a food preparation area or servery, meaning the successful tenderer will likely incur costs for fit-out or installation of external units, as detailed in Appendix 1 and the mandatory site visit requirements.
• Service Delivery Model constraint: Only specific, pre-defined service delivery models are accepted, with no flexibility for alternatives.
• Light Touch Regime (LTR): While an open procedure is used, the contract falls under the LTR due to its value being below €750,000. This means EU procurement regulations do not strictly apply, but the competition is modelled on national open procedures.
• Mandatory Site Visit: This is a critical step, and tenderers must arrange it by appointment before the clarification deadline.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured to be accessible to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The estimated contract value of €324,979.20 over one year (potentially €974,937.60 if all extensions are taken) is within the range that many SMEs can manage. The minimum annual turnover requirement of €108,326.40 is also achievable for established catering businesses.

• Credible bidders: Catering companies with experience in providing school meals or similar institutional catering services, possessing the required food safety qualifications and insurance levels.
• Consortium/sub-contracting: While not explicitly prohibited, the requirement for a single Prime Contractor suggests that consortiums are possible, but a lead entity must be clearly designated. Sub-contracting is permitted, but the Prime Contractor retains overall responsibility.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Preparing a compliant bid will require significant effort, likely several days, involving detailed response to specifications, pricing, and understanding the site constraints. The mandatory site visit and potential design team involvement add to this.
• Pwin signal: The tender is open, and no incumbent is named. The primary challenge for bidders will be understanding and pricing the potential on-site works required due to the lack of existing facilities, and ensuring compliance with the specific service delivery models and organic ingredient requirements.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: Call for Tenders (CFT) for Provision of School Meals 20493O.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Contact: [email protected] (for site visit appointments); www.etenders.gov.ie (for clarifications and submission).
• Key attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications
• Appendix 2: Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 5: Services Contract