The Provision of School Meal Services to Breifne College, Cavan

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 tender involves providing school meal services to Breifne College, Cavan, under the Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board. The contractor will manage a comprehensive catering service focusing on healthy, balanced, and nutritious meals at affordable prices. The service includes:

• Breakfast Clubs: Supply of breakfast items, ensuring a minimum of two items per serving, including wholemeal or wholegrain cereals and breads.
• Lunchtime Clubs: Provision of hot dinners, with a minimum of four samples required, including vegetarian and gluten-free options.
• Afterschool Clubs: Catering for afterschool activities with prepacked sandwiches or filled rolls.
• Homework Clubs: Provision of snacks and meals for students attending homework clubs.
• Non-school Meals: Occasional catering for events outside regular school meals.
• Organic Food Requirement: At least 10% of food by value must be certified organic across categories like beef, poultry, fish, pork, vegetables, cereal, and dairy.
• Operational Days: Service is required five days a week, Monday to Friday.
• Volume: Catering for approximately 1,400 staff and over 13,000 students across 30 schools and further education colleges under the board's jurisdiction.

3. Background & buyer context

This tender is part of the School Meals (Local Projects) Scheme funded by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The scheme aims to provide nutritious meals to students, enhancing their educational experience. Funding is allocated annually, and the contract's continuation depends on the availability of this funding. The Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board oversees the educational needs of a large student body, necessitating a reliable meal service provider to support its operations.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

• Turnover requirement: Confirmation that turnover exceeded €350,000 for each of the last three years.
• Insurance:
• Employer's Liability: €13 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Product Liability: €6.5 million
• Certifications: Compliance with ISO 22000:2018 for food safety management.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Staff must have a minimum of 1 year’s experience in food provision/preparation.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The evaluation follows the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) principle, with a 70/30 quality/price split.

6. Submission requirements

• Method statement / response document: Use the named template in Appendix 2, no page limits specified.
• CVs: Required for key personnel, no page count specified.
• Pricing schedule: Must follow the format in Appendix 2.
• Case studies: Not specified.
• Declarations: ESPD, Bona Fides, Tax clearance, Conflict of Interest.
• Mandatory site visit: Date to be confirmed, contact via eTenders messaging portal by 15th May 2026.
• Submission portal: eTenders, with documents in PDF or Word format.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

The contract is for 12 months, with up to three 12-month extensions. Payment terms are not specified but must comply with the Services Contract. Key performance indicators include maintaining a minimum of 10% organic food provision. Liquidated damages or penalty regimes are not detailed. Termination clauses allow for cancellation if funding ceases. Intellectual property ownership and subcontracting rules are not specified. No parent-company guarantee or bond requirements are mentioned.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

The contract's continuation is contingent on annual funding from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, posing a risk of cancellation if funding is not secured. The requirement for a mandatory site visit could limit participation to local or regional firms. The insurance requirements are substantial, potentially excluding smaller firms without existing coverage.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is suitable for SMEs with experience in school catering and the ability to meet the insurance and certification requirements. Consortium bids are allowed, encouraging collaboration among smaller firms. Bid preparation is moderate, likely requiring several days to compile necessary documents and attend the mandatory site visit. The incumbent's strength is not detailed, but the open procedure suggests a competitive opportunity for new entrants.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: CFT ITT Breifne School Meals.pdf
• eTenders CFT ID: ServicesRFT160125
• Contact email or portal: eTenders messaging facility
• Important attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications
• Appendix 2: Tender Response Document
• Appendix 5: Services Contract