58_23 Ready Meals

Contract summary

Industry

• Food, beverages, tobacco and related products - 15000000

Location of contract

United Kingdom

Value of contract

£100,000,000

Procurement reference

58_23

Published date

7 November 2023

Closing date

30 June 2023

Closing time

12pm

Contract start date

1 October 2023

Contract end date

30 September 2025

Contract type

Supply contract

Procedure type

Open procedure (above threshold)

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

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Description

ESPO is seeking to renew its framework agreement for the supply and direct delivery of frozen Ready Meals:

Lot 1 - Single Portion Ready Meals
Lot 2 - Multi-portion meal components

The framework agreement has the option to extend for up to a further 24 months. The total estimated value stated includes the option period.

As part of the on-going contract management process, throughout the period of the Framework Agreement, ESPO shall monitor the financial stability of the awarded Supplier by reference to credit rating agency reports. ESPO shall obtain a credit score for the Supplier on or before the Framework start date as a base score and where a significant change in the credit score is identified over the life of the Framework Agreement, ESPO reserves the right to investigate the reasons for this significant change. Depending on the severity of the changes, it will be at the sole discretion of ESPO to suspend or even permanently remove the Supplier from the Framework Agreement.

Suppliers must have, and retain throughout the framework lifetime, a relevant third party food safety accreditation (such as BRC, STS) in relation to the manufacture and/or storage of Food products. Failure to retain such accreditation must be immediately reported to ESPO and will be at the sole discretion of ESPO to suspend or even permanently remove the Supplier from the Framework Agreement. Certificate copies will be sent to ESPO annually, on the expiry/renewal date of such accreditation.

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More information

Previous notice about this procurement

58_23 Ready Meals

• Opportunity
• Published 19 May 2023

Links

• https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/032900-2023
• Award notice
• Find a Tender Contract award notice

Additional text

As a Central Purchasing Body as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the Framework Agreement is open for use by Public Bodies (defined at https://www.espo.org/amfile/file/download/file/9608/) that also fall into one of the following classifications of user throughout all administrative regions of the UK: Local Authorities; Educational Establishments (including Academies); Central Government Departments and Agencies; Police, Fire & Rescue and Coastguard Emergency Services; NHS and HSC Bodies, including Ambulance Services; Registered Charities; Registered Social Landlords; The Corporate Office of the House of Lords, The Corporate Officer of the House of Commons; or any public body established by or under the Scotland Act 1998 or any Act of the Scottish Parliament. Details of the classification of end user establishments and geographical areas are available at: https://www.espo.org/legal.

ESPO has established a commercial trading company, ESPO Trading Limited, whose target clients are third sector organisations such as national and local charities, public sector mutual organisations and other organisations involved in the delivery of services to or for the public sector. The successful Supplier may be asked to enter into an additional separate framework agreement (the Second Framework) with ESPO Trading Limited on materially similar terms to that found in the tender pack to be entered into by ESPO itself.

Any Second Framework agreement will be a purely commercial agreement and will, for the avoidance of doubt, not be governed by the Public Contract Regulations 2015 or other public procurement legislation. ESPO Trading Limited may enter into the second framework agreement with the successful supplier and make it available to third sector clients who themselves are not required to follow the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or other public procurement legislation. Accordingly, this is provided for bidders information only.

An eAuction process may be used to award subsequent call off contracts following the reopening of competition among the parties to the Framework Agreement.

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Award information

Awarded date

10 October 2023

Contract start date

1 October 2023

Contract end date

30 September 2025

Total value of contract

£100,000,000

This contract was awarded to 4 suppliers.

Anglia Crown Limited

Apetito Limited

BFS Group Limited (T/A Bidfood)

Food Division LTD

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About the buyer

Contact name

Food, Communities and Technology Procurement Team

Address

Barnsdale Way, Grove Park, Enderby
LEICESTER
LE19 1ES
England

Email

tenders@espo.org

Website

http://www.espo.org/