3 things to consider when tendering for formal catering contracts

Are you looking for formal catering contracts for your business? Have you found the perfect catering tender, but don’t know what to do next? In this blog, we’ll tell you everything you need to know. Keep reading to find out more!

What is formal catering?

First things first, do you know what’s involved in a formal catering contract?

While the specifics will change to suit the needs of the individual buyer, generally, formal catering could involve catering for:

• Weddings
• Graduations
• Christenings
• Bar mitzvahs
• Corporate functions.

For these occasions, buyers could require anything from buffet food to a sit-down banquet with three or more courses. In some cases, the buyer might also be looking for waiting staff as part of the formal catering contract. However, if this is a requirement, it should be clearly stated in the tender documents.

3 things to consider when tendering for formal catering contracts  

• Can you deliver ALL of the contract?

Sometimes, a formal catering contract will require more than just the provision of food. Depending on the event, suppliers might be expected to provide drinks for guests, as well as bar and waiting staff. Therefore, you should consider your capabilities before tendering for work. If you struggle to meet all of the requirements, it’s probably not the contract for you.

• Is your cuisine appropriate for the theme of the event?

This is important, as it will determine whether buyers choose you to deliver their formal catering contract. For example, if you specialise in canapes and cocktails, you should avoid events that require sit-down, three course meals. You should also consider the venue and time of year. For example, a roast dinner might not be appropriate for a beach wedding in the summer.

• How many people can you cater for? 

We’ve already established that you need to consider your capabilities before tendering for formal catering contracts. However, you should also consider the number of people that you are able to cater for.

For example, can you cater for larger parties and potentially serve hundreds of guests? If so, then you don’t want to limit your business by tendering for smaller contracts that you’re overqualified for.

On the other hand, if you’re a smaller team, you need to ensure that you can deliver what you promise.

6 tips for winning a formal catering contract

When you’ve found a formal catering contract you’d like to go for, remember our top tips:

1. Read every page of the tender documents and digest all the information
2. Gather your evidence and produce two to three case studies
3. Show how you will add value to the contract
4. Produce a well-written, easy to read tender response
5. Proofread and edit your response before you submit it
6. Give yourself plenty of time to submit – don’t wait until the last minute.

Let’s recap…

When you’re bidding for a formal catering contract, you could be expected to deliver at the following events:

• Weddings
• Christenings
• Bar mitzvahs
• Graduations
• Corporate functions.

Before you tender for formal catering contracts, remember to consider the following:

• Can you deliver ALL of the contract?
• Is your cuisine appropriate for the theme of the event?
• How many people can you cater for?

What’s next for your business? Hospitality Tenders…

We source hospitality tenders daily, manually searching across the web. We recognise the importance of finding the right tender. Our Opportunity Trackers manually upload new tenders every day. You’re able to filter the results by keyword, location, budget and more. You no longer have to rely on inaccurate CPV codes to find the right opportunity for your business.

Below are previous catering tenders for formal events that we’ve sourced on our portal:

Catering Services to Trowbridge Civic Centre (Part of Trowbridge Town Council)

Trowbridge Town Council – South West – Budget: £10,000

Hospitality & Events Services

University of Derby – East Midlands – Budget: £2,500,000

Contract for Event Catering Services at the Hepworth Wakefield

The Hepworth Wakefield – Yorkshire – Budget: Undisclosed

Provision of Wine Supplies – University of Aberdeen

University of Aberdeen – Scotland – Budget: Undisclosed

Town Hall Catering Concession

Sheffield City Council – Yorkshire – Budget: Undisclosed

A subscription to Hospitality Tenders can offer your business:

• Access to all unique, private and public sector opportunities.
• A dedicated Account Manager that can answer any questions you may have about finding catering tenders.
• A daily email bulletin sent straight to your inbox when new tenders are uploaded.
• Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division.

We also source opportunities for services including:

• Catering services
• Catering equipment
• Events management tenders
• Events staffing tenders
• Entertainment contracts
• Laundry services
• School meals.

If you would like to see the formal catering contracts on the portal, please contact us for a free demo.

Want to save even more time?

Upgrading to Discover Elite  will ensure you never miss a tendering opportunity, even when you’re busy!

What if you need bid writing support?

We’ve got you covered.

You can outsource the role to our dedicated Hudson Succeed  Team. They have 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Their team have secured contract wins totalling over £3billion for our clients. They offer four services aimed to support you at each level of the bid writing process.

Tender Ready

Their Tender Ready programme is designed for those who have never tendered before. This 4-week programme works with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully.

Tender Improvement

Tender Improvement can help if you’re already tendering but aren’t seeing success from your current efforts. Their Bid Writers will assess your previous submissions and supporting documents. They’ll give you feedback and guidance on how to improve, helping you to secure your next catering tender.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written a tender and need someone to proofread it   – Tender Mentor is for you. A Bid Writer will double-check it’s in line with the specification and free of any grammar or spelling mistakes.

Tender Writing

If you’ve found the perfect tender but don’t know where to start – they can help. Send the specification over to us and their Bid Team will do the rest.   They’ll let you know what they need from you and provide you with a full breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf, leaving you more time to focus on your business.

Get in touch to find out more information.