704_26 Outsourced Catering Services and Procurement Support

The procurement contact named on the official notice.

ESPO is a public sector-owned professional buying organisation offering a comprehensive range of procurement services, including access to over 100 free-to-access framework solutions for the wider public sector.

This procurement aims to establish a multi supplier framework to assist customers with outsourcing their catering services and provide customers with procurement consultancy support to assist customers in outsourcing their catering services.

The framework is open for use by any “public body” as defined in Section 1 of the Local Authorities (Goods and Services) Act 1970 that also falls within one of the following classifications of user throughout all administrative regions of the UK: • Local Authorities, and certain: o Central government agencies and ministries o NHS and emergency (blue light) services o Schools, academies, colleges and universities o Registered charities o Registered social landlords Organisations likely to be appointed are those with experience of providing outsourced catering services to customers in education, social care and all other public sector sectors, alongside procurement consultants who can assist customers in outsourcing their catering service requirement.

The Framework is divided into 4 lots: Lot 1.

Education Lot 2.

Social Care Lot 3.

All Other Public Sector Lot 4.

Procurement Consultancy and Contract Management Support for Outsourced Catering Services The objectives and outcomes this framework are intended to achieve are: • Attract market leading suppliers, alongside SMEs, driving competition across the framework. • Offer customers a compliant route to market • To ensure customers have access to a range of support with the inclusion of procurement consultants who can assist with their outsourced catering services requirements.

Please refer to the tender documents for further details (including further details on each of the lots) - the closing date for submission of Tenders is 12:00 (12 noon / 12pm) on 16 June 2026.

To tender (please proceed to step (e) if an expression of interest has already been completed): (a) Go to https://www.eastmidstenders.org/ (b) Register (if not already registered on ProContract); (c) Search for tender opportunity '704_26' (via "View Opportunities" from the EastMidsTenders Portal); (d) Express an interest; (e) Download the tender documents (from the ProContract Activity summary screen).

Any questions or clarifications relating to this tender opportunity should be submitted to ESPO as a message on the eProcurement Portal, once an Expression of interest has been completed.