Open53 days left · closes 3pm, Tuesday 5 January 2027

Invitation to Tender for the Management of the Catering Services (Framework Agreement) at Blackdown Education Partnership

Blackdown Education Partnership · Education

In brief

Blackdown Education Partnership is looking for suppliers for catering work (South West).

It is a framework worth up to £7,211,170 including VAT: the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers, not one contract.

The contract runs for 3 years, up to 5 years with extensions, starting 12 April 2027.

The buyer says it is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

Bids close at 3pm, Tuesday 5 January 2027.

Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.

Can I win this?

Key dates

Bids by: 3pm, Tuesday 5 January 2027

How bids are scored

Commercial 50% · Quality 50%

A balance of quality and price.

Competition

Typical: a median of 5 bids per contract for catering contracts in this region (from 54 awards in the last 12 months).

Framework

Winning puts you on a list of suppliers the buyer can call on; it does not guarantee work. The £7,211,170 is the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers over the framework's life, not one contract.

What the notice says

Blackdown Education Partnership are a Multi Academy Trust of 13 Schools based in Devon & Somerset. This tender is for provision of school catering services and will include six secondary schools, three of which deliver to Primary sites. The schools currently have a mixture of contracted services (4 Secondaries) and externally supported in-house services (2). The new contract will commence from Mon 12th April 2027, following the Easter break.

Should I bid?

Tick what applies to you. Nothing is saved.

Can you prepare a good bid in 53 days?Leave time for clarification questions and sign-off.
Is a contract of about £7,211,170 a size you can deliver?Buyers often check that your turnover is comfortably larger than the yearly contract value.
Can you deliver in South West?Check the delivery locations in the tender documents.
Are you registered on the Central Digital Platform?You need to be registered to take part under the Procurement Act 2023.
The buyer says this suits small businesses.A good sign if you are an SME, but check the requirements.

How to bid

Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
Register your organisation on the Central Digital Platform (through Find a Tender) if you have not already. Suppliers need to be registered to take part in procurements under the Procurement Act 2023.
Follow the submission instructions in the notice; it does not name an e-tendering portal.
Make sure your bid arrives before 3pm, Tuesday 5 January 2027. Late bids are usually rejected.

Timeline

23 September 2026Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 090342-2026
23 October 2026Tender notice · UK4, notice 100420-2026

About the buyer

Blackdown Education PartnershipLast 12 months

Procurements

Awards

All tenders and awards from Blackdown Education Partnership

Similar open tenders

All open catering tenders

Closes 8Jan
Cleeve School & Sixth Form Centre of Excellence ~ Catering Tender
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All Saints’ Academy ~ Catering Tender
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From notice 090342-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 23 September 2026, last updated 23 October 2026. We last checked for changes on 23 October 2026.