School catering tenders, done properly.

Why catering is worth getting right

Catering is one of the largest service contracts most schools hold, and one of the most visible. Parents notice the food, pupils notice the queue, and finance teams notice when the subsidy creeps up every year. A well-run tender is your chance to reset all three.

Guaranteed position or on-cost?

The contract model matters as much as the price. On a guaranteed position contract the caterer commits to a financial outcome and carries the risk if meal numbers fall. On an on-cost (cost-plus) contract you pay the actual costs plus a management fee, so you get full transparency and keep the upside, but you carry more of the risk. We model both against your meal numbers so you can choose with your eyes open.

What we handle

• Data gathering: meal numbers, free school meal take-up, kitchen equipment and staffing
• A specification that meets the School Food Standards and your allergen policy
• The right route to market, often a DfE-approved framework such as ESPO
• Site visits, bidder clarifications, tasting sessions and presentations
• TUPE information for existing kitchen staff, and mobilisation planning
• Contract terms and KPIs that keep quality high for the life of the contract

Buying together

Clusters of maintained schools and multi-academy trusts often get a better result by tendering together. Our South Gloucestershire cluster of five primaries attracted more bidders than any of them would have alone, and realised £39,301 in income.