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PRE-MARKET ENGAGEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE (PME) for Ambient and Chilled Grocery Products for Education Authority NI

Education Authority · Education

In brief

Education Authority has announced plans to buy food and drink work. This is an early notice: there is nothing to bid on yet, but it tells you a tender may follow.

The estimated value is £67,500,000 excluding VAT.

The contract runs for 4 years, up to 6 years with extensions, starting 1 July 2027.

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

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

Can I win this?

Competition

Typical: a median of 4 bids per contract for this buyer (from 63 awards in the last 12 months).

What the notice says

The Education Authority Northern Ireland (EANI) wishes to engage with the market to seek their views on establishing a robust, value for money contract for the provision of Ambient and Chilled Grocery Products and Fresh Muffins. Any information gathered through this market consultation exercise will inform internal business planning and any possible subsequent procurement process and will NOT be appraised in any future tender evaluation exercise. Please note that participation or non-participation in this preliminary market consultation exercise shall not prevent any supplier from participating in any potential procurement process, nor is it intended that any information supplied shall place any supplier at an advantage or disadvantage in any forthcoming procurement process. For the avoidance of doubt, this is the scoping phase of the project and is not part of a formal procurement process. Suppliers who wish to participate in the market engagement exercise should complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire. Further information including the questionnaire can be downloaded from CfT documents. The Questionnaire must be completed no later than 3pm on the closing date detailed in the PME Questionnaire document. There are no formal tender documents to be completed other than the questionnaire.

How to bid

  1. Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
  2. 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.
  3. Follow the submission instructions in the notice; it does not name an e-tendering portal.

Timeline

  1. Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 095958-2026

About the buyer

Education AuthorityLast 12 months

Procurements

134

Awards

44

Suppliers it has used most for food and drink

  1. Ready Meal Containers and Sealing Film

    Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics ServiceNorthern IrelandFood and drink supplies

    Closing soon3 days left2 lots

    £2.3mestimated

From notice 095958-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 12 October 2026. We last checked for changes on 12 October 2026.