Tendered.
Awarded.
Managed.
Independent procurement and contract management for schools, multi-academy trusts and the wider public sector. We run compliant tenders from first conversation to signed contract, or just the parts you need, then stay on to make sure the contract delivers.
| Ref | Contract | Outcome | Value to client |
|---|---|---|---|
| CS-01 | Catering5 schools · South Gloucestershire | Signed in 3 months | £39,301 income |
| CS-02 | Catering12 schools · Cornwall | Awarded in 3 months | £87,000 saved |
| CS-03 | Cleaning7 schools · Wiltshire | Awarded in 3 months | £47,280 / yr |
| CS-04 | ICT services7 schools · Somerset | Awarded in 4 months | £22,000+ / yr |
| CS-05 | Print & MFDs8 schools · Bristol | Live in 10 weeks | £9,000 / yr |
| CS-06 | Cleaning3 schools · South Devon | Mobilised in 6 weeks | £11,000 / yr |
- Client
- South Glos cluster
- Scope
- Catering, 5 schools
- Route
- ESPO framework
- Income
- £39,301
From first need
to final review.
Every stage of a public procurement, handled by specialists who do this every day. Hand us the whole process, or bring us in where your team needs the extra weight.
- 1
Understand the need
Site visits, stakeholder interviews and a look at current spend, contracts and data, so the requirement reflects how your schools really work.
Discovery - 2
Route to market
A DfE-approved framework, a further competition or your own procedure: we recommend the quickest compliant route for the value and risk.
Strategy - 3
Tender documents
Specification, award criteria, pricing schedule, terms and a realistic timeline, written once for the whole trust.
Documents - 4
Publish & clarify
Notices published, supplier questions answered, site visits and bidder days run, all logged and fair to every bidder.
Live tender - 5
Evaluate
Scoring against the published criteria, moderation and in-depth commercial analysis, with presentations if you want them.
Evaluation - 6
Award & mobilise
Award report, standstill, contract terms and handover, including TUPE and staff consultations where they apply.
Award - 7
Contract management
KPIs, performance meetings and audit checks so the standard you tendered for is the standard you get.
Ongoing - 8
Reviews & disputes
Service reviews, mediation and conflict resolution when a supplier relationship needs resetting.
As needed
Full tender, done for you
We run stages 1 to 6 end to end and report to your trust board. Your team approves decisions; we do the work.
Pick the stages
Just the specification, just the evaluation, or a second pair of eyes before you publish. Tailored to the support you need.
Contract health check
A review of your existing contracts and leases to find auto-renewals, hidden charges and savings before you retender.
The contracts
schools run on.
We specialise in the service contracts that take up most of a school's non-staff budget, and where a well-run tender makes the biggest difference.
Catering
School meals, central menus and kitchen operations. Guaranteed position or on-cost, we model both so you pick the right contract.
- School meals
- Allergen control
- Free school meals
Cleaning
Harmonised specifications, right-sized hours and one accountable supplier across every site, with TUPE handled properly.
- Daily cleaning
- Deep cleans
- TUPE
ICT services
Managed service, helpdesk and infrastructure, specified against DfE digital and technology standards.
- Managed service
- Helpdesk
- Devices
Print & MFDs
Device audits, lease reviews and secure cloud printing, with no capital outlay and no surprise charges.
- Lease review
- Secure print
- Cost per copy
Contract reviews
Not ready to tender? We audit what you already have and show where money is leaking before it auto-renews.
- Spend analysis
- Hidden charges
- Renewal planning
Something else?
Facilities, supplies or another service coming up for renewal? If it needs a compliant procurement, we can run it.
- Facilities services
- Supplies
- Central government
Results trusts
can reinvest.
Six recent projects across the South West, each run to award in a matter of months. Every pound saved is a pound back in the classroom.
Five schools, one catering contract
The challenge
Wheatfield, Christ Church Hanham, St Barnabas, Barrs Court and Raysfield wanted to buy catering together, but needed help gathering data, agreeing requirements school by school and writing compliant tender documents.
What we did
- Identified ESPO as the best route to market
- Agreed requirements with each school and with the group
- Published the tender, ran clarifications and site visits
- Led the evaluation, arranged presentations and drafted terms for legal review
“I have to say that the paperwork and analysis of the bids that we received was amazing.”Denise Hickson, School Business Manager, Wheatfield Primary School
Trust-wide catering for 12 academies
The challenge
Aspire wanted the same quality, nutritional standards and operations in every academy, and better commercial terms from buying as one trust.
What we did
- Gathered each school's requirements and drafted compliant documents
- Ran one joint tender with clarifications and site visits
- Evaluated bids, advised on presentations and drafted the contract terms
“The support given by AssetProc felt like having a procurement team within the Trust.”Aspire Academy Trust
Five cleaning contractors down to one
The challenge
Each school managed its own cleaning contract, so standards varied, costs kept rising and nobody had a Trust-wide view.
What we did
- Visited all seven schools and reviewed specifications, costs and staffing
- Wrote one harmonised Trust-wide specification
- Ran a two-stage tender with weighted scoring
- Drafted Trust-specific terms on TUPE, performance and termination
“Assetproc's knowledge and structure brought confidence to our process.”Trust Business Director, Pickwick Academy Trust
One ICT partner for seven schools
The challenge
Several local providers and in-house technicians meant fragmented systems, service interruptions, ageing infrastructure, rising costs and no clear IT strategy.
What we did
- Audited ICT in every school and interviewed heads, IT leads and finance
- Wrote a Trust-wide specification aligned to DfE digital standards
- Ran an open, advertised tender with shortlist presentations to a Trust panel
“This was one of the smoothest and most transparent procurement processes we've experienced.”CFO, Castle Partnership Trust
Print costs out of the shadows
The challenge
Rising print costs, under-used devices and auto-renewing leases full of hidden charges, with no view of cost per copy and no trust-wide print policy.
What we did
- Audited every device, lease, service level and usage pattern
- Right-sized the fleet using demand mapping
- Specified secure, energy-efficient cloud printing
- Tendered through a framework on a zero-capital lease and service model
“AssetProc helped us get full visibility of what we are spending, what we need and what was possible.”School Business Manager, Diocese of Bristol Academy Trust
A leaner, cleaner three-school trust
The challenge
Paignton, Curledge Street and Kings Ash each used separate local contractors, with uneven standards, rising costs and weak oversight.
What we did
- Redesigned the specification after visiting every site
- Found 260+ paid hours a week with uneven pay and duplicated supervision, and built a leaner model
- Ran a framework competition with site visits and cost/quality scoring
- Managed TUPE, staff consultations and mobilisation
“Having an expert partner managing the whole process saved us hundreds of hours in admin time.”Trust Facilities Manager, Bay Education Trust
Compliant
by design.
Public money comes with rules. We make sure every decision stands up to your trustees, your auditors and any bidder who asks how it was made.
- Procurement Act 2023 readyNotices on the Central Digital Platform, clear award criteria and assessment summaries for every bidder.
- The right route, not the default oneDfE-approved frameworks where they're quickest, your own procedure where it gets a better result.
- A full audit trailEvaluation records, moderation notes and board-ready award reports you can file and forget.
- TUPE and mobilisation coveredStaff data, consultations and handover managed so service starts cleanly on day one.
Your procurement
team, on call.
We're a small, independent consultancy, and that's the point. You work with the same senior consultant from the first call to the final review.
Thank you for your guidance through such a complex process. We really appreciate the support and savings!
Independent and objective
Independently owned, so our advice is about what's right for your schools and nothing else.
We listen before we write
We understand your schools, people and processes first, then build a tender around them.
Value beyond price
Quality, sustainability, fewer deliveries and less admin count as much as the headline saving.
“This was one of the smoothest and most transparent procurement processes we've experienced.”
“We now have a clean, consistent, and accountable service across all schools, and clear savings.”
“We now have a more sustainable, reliable, and value-driven catering service.”
Buying smarter
for the public good.
Assetproc Ltd is an independently owned procurement consultancy. We help schools, multi-academy trusts, central government and other public bodies across England and the UK buy smarter, so more of their budget reaches the people they serve.
Our aim is simple: to be the expert partner our clients call first, delivering measurable, lasting value through compliant, well-run procurement that never trades away quality.
DfE Regional Buying HubsPart of the Department for Education funded and endorsed buying hubs programme, supporting schools with procurement until 2020.
Approved framework supplierAwarded a place on the ESPO catering and cleaning framework, a DfE-approved route for schools.
Procurement Act 2023Tendering under the new regime since it came into force in February 2025.
Six projects, 42 schoolsCatering, cleaning, ICT and print contracts across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and the Bristol area.
Know before
you tender.
Practical guidance for school business managers, trust CFOs and finance teams on getting more from every contract.
Are you overspending without knowing? 5 hidden procurement costs schools and MATs should watch
Using CCS, ESPO and YPO frameworks to speed up school and trust procurement
Guaranteed position or on-cost? Getting the best value from your catering contract
A consultant's guide to contract optimisation and creative cost cutting
Straight
answers.
Do we have to run a full tender?
It depends on the value and what you're buying. Above the Procurement Act thresholds you need a compliant procedure, and a DfE-approved framework is often the quickest way to get one. Below them, your own financial regulations and the Academy Trust Handbook still expect you to show value for money. We'll tell you which applies and the simplest compliant route.
How long does it take?
Most of the service tenders we run are awarded within about three months of kick-off. Complex ICT projects take around four. Mobilisation usually takes six to ten weeks after award, so start well before your current contract ends.
What does it cost?
We agree a fee before any work starts, based on the scope and how much of the process you want us to handle. The first conversation is free, and you'll know exactly what you're paying for before you commit.
Can you help with just part of the process?
Yes. Some clients ask us to write the specification, run the evaluation or check documents before they publish. Others want the whole tender handled. We fit around your team.
What about TUPE and our current staff?
For cleaning and catering, TUPE usually applies. We gather the staff information, build it into the tender, support consultations and manage the handover so staff and pupils see as little disruption as possible.
Who do you work with, and where?
Mostly schools and multi-academy trusts, plus central government and other public bodies. We work across England and the wider UK, with recent projects in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
What's up
for renewal?
Tell us what's coming up and when it ends. We'll call you back for a free, no-obligation conversation about the best way to go to market.