Issues:

• Reading School is embarking on a significant redevelopment to create a new, modern central catering facility for both day boys and boarders with a planned completion at September 2012.
  
• The existing sub-contracted catering service was due for renewal or re-tender.
  
• The School wished to revise the catering specification based on the new facility and establish a new contract with a supplier to utilise their catering expertise and innovation to support the redevelopment.
  
• The Business Manager and Governors felt it was the right time to test the market through a full tender process to ensure future best value and future service quality/ innovation from their chosen contractor.
  



Solutions:

• The school engaged Review Consultancy to carry out a full tender, market test and evaluation process for a future five year day boy, boarding and hospitality catering contract.



Outcomes:

• Review Consultancy carried out a full and compliant catering tender process, including generating the advert, PQQ, ITT, evaluation spreadsheets, service specification and contract terms.
• Following 13 expressions of interest, PQQ evaluation, 5 invitations to tender (including the incumbent), evaluation of 4 tender responses, 3 company presentations, 2 company site visits and a final BAFO discussions a new company was selected.
• The new 5 year contract provides a fixed nil cost day boy service and a cost plus guarantees boarding and hospitality service. It includes many new service innovations including immediate company investment in a new cashless system and has saved the school over £10K per year on the previous contract, which the school intends to invest in the re-development.



A new contract was agreed within the required time frame and more importantly with a clear evidence trail of stakeholder consultation and best value. We were privileged to end up with 3 caterers, each of which could meet our service expectations and as such were able to focus on obtaining best value for the school.


The consultant endowed the whole process with professionalism; all parties were fully briefed in a timely manner.


Positive feedback on the consultancy has been received from several parties including Governors, staff and parent representatives. At the Governing Body where the new contract was approved it was recorded in the minutes that


“John has run this project and delivered a quality and responsive service”


As Business Manager I can state with confidence that we have put in place the best possible catering provision for the school by means of a quality process which I would simply not have had the time to manage and deliver. Quite simply Steven has enabled me to meet my job objectives.”


Pamela Richardson, Reading School