Call for Tender for the Provision of Hot Meals under the School Meals Scheme to Scoil Naomh Maodhóg

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 hot meals to students at Scoil Naomh Maodhóg under the Department of Social Protection’s School Meals Scheme. The service must be available every school day for 290 students.

• Service Delivery Model: Meals must be pre-prepared off-site and delivered hot to classrooms, ready to eat at the beginning of the lunch break.
• School Days: Service is required for 182 days per year.
• Meal Preparation: Meals can be pre-prepared off-site and heated on-site using the school's facilities or an external pod/mobile unit.
• Delivery Timing: Meals must be delivered in a timely manner to ensure they are ready at the start of the lunch break.
• Food Standards: Meals must include a minimum of 10% organic ingredients.
• Site Facilities: The current food preparation area is located in a partitioned area at the back of the school hall.
• Mandatory Site Visit: Tenderers must visit the school to assess facilities and compliance with health and safety regulations.
• Funding: The service is contingent on annual funding from the Department of Social Protection.

3. Background & buyer context

This tender is part of the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme, aimed at providing nutritious meals to students. Scoil Naomh Maodhóg is seeking a service provider to ensure compliance with the scheme's requirements. The procurement aligns with government efforts to improve student nutrition and support educational outcomes. The contract is dependent on annual funding, reflecting the scheme's budgetary constraints.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

• Turnover requirement: Minimum annual turnover of €168,896.
• Insurance:
• Public Liability: €6.5 million per claim.
• Employer's Liability: €13 million per claim.
• Product Liability: €6.5 million per claim.
• Motor Cover: €1.3 million for third-party damage.
• Cyber Liability: €1 million per claim.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Key Account Manager must hold a Food Safety/HACCP qualification and have a minimum of 2 years of experience.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The tender uses the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) criteria with a 60/40 quality/price split.

6. Submission requirements

• Method statement / response document: Use named template, no page limits specified.
• CVs: Required for Key Account Manager, no page count specified.
• Pricing schedule: Must follow the format in Appendix 2.
• Case studies: Not specified for this tender.
• Declarations: Include ESPD, Bona Fides, Tax clearance, Conflict of Interest.
• Mandatory site visit: Scheduled for 13th, 14th, or 15th May by appointment.
• Submission portal: eTenders, with specific format rules.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

The contract is for 12 months, with the possibility of two 1-year extensions. Payment is €3.20 per student per day, paid 30 days in arrears. The contractor must comply with key SLAs, including timely meal delivery. Liquidated damages apply for non-compliance. The contract may be terminated with 14 days' notice for unresolved breaches. Intellectual property rights remain with the contractor. Sub-contracting is allowed, but the prime contractor holds overall responsibility.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

The contract is contingent on annual funding from the Department of Social Protection, posing a risk of cancellation if funding is not secured. The requirement for a mandatory site visit may limit participation. The insurance requirements are substantial, potentially excluding smaller firms. The tender specifies a single service provider, reducing opportunities for consortium bids.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is suitable for SMEs with experience in catering services, particularly those familiar with school meal schemes. Firms must have the financial capacity to meet the turnover and insurance requirements. Consortium bids are not explicitly encouraged, but sub-contracting is allowed. Bid preparation may take several days, given the need for a site visit and detailed documentation. The incumbent's strength is not mentioned, suggesting an open competition.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: "Call For Tender CFT Hot Meals Scoil Naomh Maodhóg19890R.docx"
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Important attachments: "Appendix 1 — Requirements and Specifications", "Appendix 2 — Pricing Schedule", "Appendix 5 — Services Contract"