Provision of Hot Meals under 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

This tender seeks a contractor to provide hot meals under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme to St Kevin's Junior National School. The contract duration is an initial 12 months, with two one-year extension options, subject to satisfactory service, compliance, and funding availability. The school operates for 182 days per year, and the contractor must provide service on each of these days.

The scope of work includes:

• Meal Preparation and Delivery: The contractor will be responsible for the preparation and delivery of hot meals. Three service delivery models are outlined:

1. Meals Pre-Prepared Off-site and Delivered Ready to Heat.
2. Meals Pre-Prepared Off-site and Heated in the school.
3. Meals Fully Prepared On-Site. Tenderers must specify which model they are proposing.

• Nutritional Standards: Meals must be prepared from raw ingredients. A minimum of 10% of the food by value (€) must be certified organic in categories including cereals, fresh beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, vegetables, and dairy products, where possible, in accordance with the "buying-greener-green-public-procurement-strategy-and-action-plan-2024-2027".
• Hygiene and Safety: The contractor must operate to the highest possible standards of hygiene and engineering, complying with Annex II of Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 and I.S. 340:2007 "Hygiene in the Catering Sector", and any manufacturer's guidelines. This includes daily cleaning and disinfection of preparation and servery areas.
• Waste Management: The contractor is responsible for managing all waste in accordance with the Waste Management (Food Waste) Regulations 2009 (as amended), the School Sector Climate Action Mandate 2024, and all relevant laws. This includes providing bins and arranging daily, sustainable removal of waste and recyclable materials.
• Pest Control: The contractor must implement and maintain pest control measures, including regular inspections and corrective actions.
• Site Works: The contractor may be required to carry out specific "Works" on the licensed property, detailed in Schedule 2 of the Licence Agreement. These works are to be carried out during school holidays, weekends, or after school hours only. The contractor is responsible for all costs, planning applications, and compliance with relevant legislation, including the Safety Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2001 to 2013.
• Equipment and Facilities: The contractor will install and maintain their own equipment. Immovable fixtures and fittings installed as part of the works will vest in the Licensor upon termination. The school provides a kitchenette area with a sink and some storage facilities.
• Reporting: Monthly status reports are required, detailing key information.
• Complaints Resolution: Complaints must be fully resolved within 3-5 days.

3. Background & buyer context

This procurement is conducted by St Kevin's Junior National School under the Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme. The scheme aims to provide nutritional support to pupils. The procurement is being undertaken to secure a service provider for the provision of hot meals. The tender falls below the EU procurement threshold of €750,000, hence the use of an Open Procedure. The contract is structured as a Licence Agreement for the use of school property for food regeneration/preparation facilities and a Services Contract for the operation of the School Meals Programme. The Licence Agreement specifies that the contractor will be granted permission to enter and use a designated "Licensed Property" within the school for the Permitted Use.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following mandatory requirements to be considered:

• Turnover requirement:
• Minimum average annual turnover of €96,096.00 for each of the three (3) financial years immediately preceding the date of publication of this CFT.
• For consortia, this requirement may be met by the combined annual turnover of members.
• Audited financial statements with an unqualified audit report for the last three financial years are required. Alternative documentation may be accepted if a valid reason for not providing financial statements is provided.
• Insurance: The successful tenderer must hold the following insurances for the term of the contract:
• Employer's Liability: €13 million limit per claim or series of claims.
• Public Liability: €6.5 million limit per claim or series of claims.
• Product Liability: €6.5 million limit per claim and in aggregate.
• Motor Cover: Minimum €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 (if undertaking fit-out works or alterations).
• Professional Indemnity: €2.5 million limit per claim (where advice only is given).
• Policies must include an indemnity to principal's clause for Employer's Liability, Public Liability, and Product Liability.
• Certifications:
• Registered as Food Business Operators (FBOs) with the HSE, local authority, or DAFM.
• Key Account Managers (KAMs) must hold a Food Safety/HACCP qualification and have a minimum of 2 years' experience in a similar role.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The tender will be evaluated based on a combination of price and quality. The specific weighting for price and quality is not detailed in the provided extract, but the evaluation process will follow the principles of MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender).

The award criteria will assess:

• Selection Criteria: Tenderers must pass all selection criteria related to economic and financial standing, and technical and professional ability. Failure in any selection criterion will lead to exclusion.
• Award Criteria: These will evaluate the quality of the proposed service and the price. Specific sub-criteria and scoring mechanisms are not detailed in the provided extract but will be used to determine the most economically advantageous tender.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit their responses using the provided Tender Response Document (TRD). Key submission requirements include:

• TRD Completion: All sections of the TRD must be completed accurately.
• Mandatory Site Visit: Confirmation of attendance at the mandatory site visit is required.
• Declarations:
• Declaration of no conflicts of interest and no anti-competitive behaviour, on headed paper and signed.
• Declaration confirming the intention to hold required insurances.
• Confirmation of personal circumstances.
• Insurance: A formal confirmation from the tenderer's insurance company or broker will be requested from the successful tenderer prior to award.
• Financial Statements: Audited financial statements for the last three years with an unqualified audit report.
• FBO Registration: Copy of acknowledgement of notification letter or approval certificate from the competent authority.
• Service Delivery Method: Tenderers must clearly state the Service Delivery Method number they are proposing.
• Previous Contract Examples: Not explicitly detailed as a submission requirement in the TRD extract, but may be part of the evaluation.
• Submission Portal: Submissions are to be made via the eTenders platform.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Contract Length: Initial 12 months, with two one-year extension options. Extensions are subject to satisfactory service, compliance, and funding from the Department of Social Protection.
• Payment Terms: The Contracting Authority will pay €3.20 (VAT exempt) per student per day for each hot meal provided. Payments are made on a 30-day arrears basis.
• Termination:
• Either party may terminate with 3 calendar months' notice.
• The Licensor can terminate immediately without liability for material breach by the Licensee (after notice and failure to remedy within 30 days), insolvency, bankruptcy, or conflict of interest.
• Termination of the Services Contract will result in immediate termination of the Licence.
• Indemnification: The Licensee indemnifies the Licensor against losses, costs, and liabilities arising from breaches, negligent acts or omissions, the use of the property, or works carried out.
• Intellectual Property: Not specified for this tender.
• Sub-contracting: Not specified for this tender.
• Parent Company Guarantee / Bond: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Licence Agreement Structure: The procurement is framed around a Licence Agreement for property use and a separate Services Contract. This dual structure requires careful review of obligations under both documents.
• Funding Dependency: Contract extensions are explicitly conditional on "available funding from the Department of Social Protection," introducing a risk of non-extension if funding is withdrawn.
• Works Responsibility: The contractor is responsible for carrying out "Works" on the Licensed Property, including planning applications and compliance with construction regulations. This adds complexity beyond standard catering services.
• Organic Ingredient Requirement: The minimum 10% organic ingredient requirement, tied to a specific government strategy, may limit the sourcing options for tenderers.
• No Explicit Award Criteria Weighting: While MEAT principles apply, the specific weighting between price and quality is not detailed, making it harder to gauge the precise balance of evaluation.
• Limited Detail on Service Models: While three service delivery models are mentioned, detailed descriptions or specific requirements for each are not fully elaborated in the provided extracts.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured to be accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with experience in catering and food service.

• Credible Bidders: A viable bidder would be a catering company with established food safety management systems (HACCP), experience in school meal provision, and the capacity to meet the specified organic ingredient targets. The minimum annual turnover requirement of €96,096 suggests that businesses of this size or larger are targeted. Companies registered as Food Business Operators with the HSE or equivalent are essential.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: The tender documents indicate that consortium bids are permissible, allowing smaller entities to combine resources and expertise to meet the requirements. Sub-contracting is not explicitly mentioned but is generally permitted in public sector tenders unless restricted.
• Indicative Bid-Prep Effort: Preparing a compliant bid would likely require 5-10 days of effort. This includes understanding the Licence and Services Contracts, detailing the chosen service delivery model, outlining food safety and organic sourcing plans, confirming insurance, and completing the TRD and associated declarations.
• Pwin Signal: The tender is for a single school and a relatively modest contract value. There is no clear indication of an incumbent provider being mentioned. The primary Pwin signal would be a bidder's proven track record in school catering, adherence to nutritional standards (including organic sourcing), and efficient operational models. The requirement for specific works on the property could favour a bidder with some construction or fit-out experience, or one willing to engage specialist sub-contractors for this aspect.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT Filename(s):
• [Draft Property Licence Hot Meals - St Kevins Jnr. 19538D.docx]
• [Draft Deed of Renunciation Hot Meals - St Kevins Jnr. 19538D.docx]
• [TRD - Hot Meals - St Kevins Jnr. 19538D.docx]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact / Clarification Portal: Via the eTenders platform.
• Most Important Attachments:
• Draft Property Licence Hot Meals - St Kevins Jnr. 19538D.docx
• TRD - Hot Meals - St Kevins Jnr. 19538D.docx
• Schedule 2 – The Works (within the Licence Agreement)