Tender Management for Schools & MATs

We work with both, and standalone schools often get the most out of our tender support services.

A trust usually has someone with at least partial responsibility for procurement. A single school rarely does, which means the tender is often the responsibility of the business manager, who already has a full job.

A lot of moving parts, which is why it takes so much time to handle properly. 

Before anything is written, we look at what you’re paying now, what the market rates are, and what about your site will affect pricing. For catering, that means meal numbers, kitchen facilities, free school meal uptake and service times.

Then we create the specification, which decides everything. If you get this bit wrong, you’ll produce bids you can’t compare and contracts you can’t enforce.

After that: tender documents, going to market, handling supplier questions, evaluation, clarification, award and mobilisation. Your job is reviewing what we produce and making the calls that should sit with you.

Earlier than you might expect. For catering, nine to twelve months before the current contract ends. Cleaning and FM often have tighter turnarounds, but six months is the realistic minimum.

The lead time isn’t really about the tender; it’s about the notice period on your existing contract. If you have a six months’ notice period and start looking three months out, you’re unlikely to find something new.

All of them. Specification, pricing schedules, evaluation criteria and scoring methodology, tender notices, instructions to bidders and the contract documentation.

You review and approve everything before it goes out.

Against criteria agreed with you in writing before the tender goes out. Usually service quality and delivery, staffing and mobilisation, sustainability where relevant, and price.

Scoring follows a written methodology, which keeps evaluators consistent and means the decision holds up if a losing bidder challenges it. It also stops the cheapest bid winning by default, which is the most common reason school contracts disappoint.

First, we check the final contract matches the specification and the winning bid.

Then, we begin mobilisation: transition dates, TUPE where staff are moving across, equipment and site access. We stay involved through that period, since the first term sets the tone for the rest of the contract. Performance measures go in at the same time, so you can hold the supplier to what they bid.