The Process

The requirement was reviewed and due to the potential value of a new contract CLF understood that they had to carry out a full and compliant procurement activity. They identified that they would have to manage their own bespoke procurement exercise or utilise the CPC’s Outsourced Catering Services framework covering this requirement. They decided to use the framework following consideration of both options as this provided a number of benefits:

• Support and guidance provided by the expert CPC team throughout the process and post award of contract
• Pre-vetting and approval of suppliers, providing assurance of quality and capability
• Pre-completion of the required EU-compliant competitive process
• Assurance of good value through purchasing power and competitive nature of the framework
• Structure of mini-competition to ensure selection of the right supplier for each contract
• Cost of using the framework is significantly less than a bespoke procurement

CLF had the opportunity to meet with suppliers formally in a group briefing meeting and site visits. During the briefing meeting CLF and all suppliers openly discussed their priorities and any specific challenges or issues were shared.

Ten suppliers on this regionally let framework expressed an interest in the competition and of these, six submitted tenders. The suppliers provided the panel of assessment a formal written submission and presented their proposals. Tender submissions were reviewed against the published award criteria and the scoring was captured in a spreadsheet to ensure consistency and to enable scores to be easily compared.