Hot School Meals - 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 contract requires the provision of hot meals to 66 students at Saint John's Parochial School under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme. The service must be available on each of the 182 school days per year. The estimated contract value is €115,315 over a potential three-year period, calculated at €3.20 per student per day.

The core requirement is the delivery of hot meals, ready to eat, to four individual classrooms by the start of the student's lunch break at 12:30. Tenderers must select and adhere to one of the following service delivery models:

• Meals Pre-Prepared Off-site and Delivered Ready to Eat: Meals are prepared off-site and delivered hot to each classroom, ready for immediate consumption.
• Meals Pre-Prepared Off-Site and Heated in the School’s Designated Preparation and/or Servery Area: Meals are prepared off-site, delivered, and then heated on-site in a designated school area before being distributed to classrooms.
• Meals Pre-Prepared Off-Site and Heated in the School by use of an External Pod or Mobile Catering Unit: Similar to the above, but heating occurs via an external pod or mobile unit on school grounds.
• Meals Fully Prepared On-Site: Meals are prepared entirely on-site within the school's designated food preparation area and then served to classrooms.

No alternative service delivery models or variations will be accepted. The successful tenderer will be responsible for all aspects of the service, including food, ingredients, preparation, packaging, delivery, serving, cleaning, waste disposal, transportation, and any necessary equipment or minor building works required to meet food legislation and building compliance regulations. The contract is dependent on annual funding from the Department of Social Protection.

3. Background & buyer context

This procurement is driven by Saint John's Parochial School's requirement to provide hot meals to its students under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme. The scheme's funding is allocated annually by the Department of Social Protection, and the continuation of the contract is contingent upon the school securing this funding each year. The school operates 182 days per year. This tender is being conducted under a Light Touch Regime (LTR) due to the contract's nature and estimated value being below the EU threshold of €750,000. The school is located at Ashe Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

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

• Turnover requirement: Demonstrate a minimum average annual turnover of €38,438 for each of the three financial years 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 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 per policy year.
• Professional Indemnity: €6.5 million limit per claim (only relevant if selecting Service Delivery Models 2, 3, or 4 involving fit-out works).
• Certifications: 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 possess a minimum of 2 years of experience in a similar role.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender, beyond the requirement for a mandatory site visit to the school premises.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). The evaluation will consider both price and quality. While specific scoring weights are not detailed, the tender process is described as single-stage, with all interested parties initially assessed against selection criteria. Only those meeting the financial and technical capacity requirements will then be evaluated against the award criteria. The pricing schedule is a key component, with the fee per hot meal set at €3.20 (VAT exempt). Quality aspects will likely include adherence to nutritional standards, service delivery model compliance, and overall suitability for the school environment.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit their bids electronically via the eTenders platform. Key submission components include:

• Tender Response Document (TRD): Must follow the specified format and respond to each element in order.
• Pricing Schedule: As per Appendix 2.
• Tenderer’s Statement: Signed and scanned, as per Appendix 3.
• Declaration as to Personal Circumstances: As per Appendix 4.
• Tax Clearance: Tenderers must provide their Tax Clearance Access Number and Tax Reference Number for online verification.
• Mandatory Site Visit: Attendance is required by appointment.
• Format: All documents must be readable using Word and/or PDF readers. File size limits apply on the eTenders platform (250MB per file, 2GB total).

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: The contract will be for one year, with the option for up to two further one-year extensions, subject to funding and legal obligations.
• Payment: Payment will be made at €3.20 per hot meal (VAT exempt), on a 30-day arrears basis. The fee is all-inclusive.
• Service Credits/Penalties: Not explicitly detailed, but the contract includes provisions for termination due to breaches.
• Termination: Either party may terminate with 14 days' notice if the service disruption continues for 14 calendar days. Breaches capable of remedy can lead to termination if not rectified within 30 days of written request. The contract can also be cancelled if DSP funding is withdrawn.
• Sub-contracting: Not explicitly prohibited, but the Prime Contractor designation implies overall responsibility.
• Parent Company Guarantee/Bond: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Funding Dependency: The contract is entirely dependent on annual funding from the Department of Social Protection (DSP). The school reserves the right to cancel the competition or contract if funding is withdrawn or not forthcoming.
• Mandatory Site Visit: This is a mandatory requirement for all tenderers, with attendance by appointment only.
• Service Delivery Model Constraint: Tenderers must select one of the four specified models; no alternatives are permitted.
• No Preparation Area: The school does not have a designated food preparation area, meaning models requiring on-site preparation (Model 4) or significant on-site heating facilities may require substantial investment by the tenderer in external pods or mobile units.
• Estimated Value vs. Turnover: The estimated contract value (€115,315 over 3 years) is significantly higher than the minimum annual turnover requirement (€38,438), suggesting a focus on financial stability for a small-value contract.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured to be accessible to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with catering experience. The estimated contract value and the specific nature of school meal provision align with SME capabilities.

• Viable Bidder Profile: A small to medium-sized catering company with established food safety certifications (HACCP), experience in delivering meals to institutions, and the capacity to meet the insurance requirements. The ability to manage logistics for delivery to multiple classrooms is essential.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: While not explicitly detailed, the encouragement for larger enterprises to include SMEs suggests that consortiums or sub-contracting arrangements are permissible, provided a single Prime Contractor is designated.
• Indicative Bid-Prep Effort: Given the detailed specifications, mandatory site visit, and insurance requirements, bid preparation could require 5-10 working days for a well-prepared SME.
• Pwin Signal: The tender is open, with no named incumbent. The primary "pwin" signal is the specific requirement for adherence to the DSP School Meals Scheme and the school's operational constraints (no on-site prep area). The mandatory site visit is crucial for understanding these constraints.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT Filename: [CFT – Hot Meals – Saint John's Parochial School (18233W).docx]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided text, but the tender reference is 18233W.
• Contact: Queries via the eTenders messaging facility only. Site visit appointments via [email protected].
• Key Attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications
• Appendix 2: Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 5: Services Contract