Everything you need to know about government canteen tenders

If you’re looking for government canteen tenders, you’ll be glad to know there are a lot of opportunities out there. However, applying for government canteen tenders may be new to you and the whole tendering process may seem confusing. But don’t worry! We can help you understand everything you need to know. We’ve put together a guide about government canteen tenders.

Procedure

The tendering process often starts with an invitation to tender (ITT). A bid writing response will be written and submitted to the buyer to examine and evaluate. Once the buyer has found a suitable supplier, the contract will be awarded.

Government canteen tenders will be procured via a restricted procedure. A buyer will want to create a shortlist to assess which bidders are most suitable to deliver the contract.

Stage one of the process is known as a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) or a selection questionnaire (SQ). It is basically a checklist exercise so the buyer can assess how suitable the supplier is for the tender.  You will be asked the following details:

• Company’s contract information
• Financial standing
• Health and safety policy
• Food safety and hygiene policy
• Environmental policy
• Equality and diversity policy
• Qualifications, awards and accreditations.

What do I need to provide for government canteen tenders?

Food safety policies

As you’re working with food, you’ll be expected to provide food hygiene and food safety policies. This includes your business’ hygiene for food measures and hygiene for food handlers. You also be providing your food and drink spillages, as well as broken dishes and glasses and any other equipment. The buyer wants to know how you record these.

Health and safety policies

The buyer will ask for your health and safety policy to see how you ensure safe working and minimise risks. For example, they’ll want to know how you deal with falls or injuries in the workplace. A buyer wants to be reassured that you demonstrate the best and correct procedure for health and safety at work.

Environmental policy  

Government canteen tenders will require a high level of environmental policy requirements. Services, materials and the process should be considered as they have an impact on the environment. You must ensure you comply with all the relevant environmental waste management and hazardous products regulations. Environmentally friendly products should be used where applicable. For example, substituting all plastic straws with paper straws.

MEAT

Contracts will be awards to the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). The buyer is looking for more than just price. They also consider a number of other factors such as:

• Quality
• Customer Service
• Environmental Benefits
• Accessibility
• Innovation.

Should I be bidding?

Before you decide to go ahead with a government canteen tender, you should consider the following points:

• Do you have three strong relevant case studies? – Buyers want to see what similar projects you’ve worked on in the past.
• Do you have a solid foundation of experience?
• Is the tender more than half of your annual turnover?
• Do you meet the requirements? – there’s in point bidding if you don’t meet the requirements as you’ll be unable to deliver the contract.
• Can you meet the deadlines? – check you have enough time to complete the bid as it is a lengthy process.
• Can you make a profit?

What do government canteen tenders cover?

Government tenders are made up of local councils, the NHS, schools, colleges and universities.

We hope we have given you plenty of government canteen tenders and you now feel more equipped to start bidding.

Below are previous canteen tenders sourced on our portal:

Coliste Phdraig – Catering services

Coliste Phdraig – Republic of Ireland – Budget: Undisclosed

Catering services at Boyne Community School

Boyne Community School – Northern Ireland – Budget: Undisclosed

Catering Contract

Catering contract – London – Budget: Undisclosed

Maintenance of Catering equipment

International – Budget: Undisclosed

Catering tenders at a new Academy build

Big creative academy new build – London – £600,000

We can help you

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready 4-week programme is designed for businesses who are completely new to tendering. Our Bid Writers work with you to make sure you have everything in place to tender successfully.

• A 12-month subscription to Catering Tenders.
• Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding Professionals.
• An Organisation-wide Bid library, including 3 case studies, 5 CVs and 8 policies.
• Additional flexible benefit options.

Tender Improvement

Have you been tendering for work, but aren’t seeing success from your efforts? Our Tender Improvement programme can help. During the course of the programme, a Bid Writer will assess your previous responses and supporting documents. They’ll give you feedback and guidance, working with you to improve for future submissions.

Tender Writing

If you’ve found the perfect catering tender, but don’t know where to start, Hudson Succeed can help. Send it over and one of our Bid Writers will take care of it all for you. They’ll even submit it on your behalf. They’ll provide you with a full Tender Writing breakdown and let you know what they need from you.

Tender Mentor

Tender Mentor can help if you’ve already written a bid response and you need someone to double-check for errors. Our Bid Writers will check it’s in line with the specification. They’ll also make sure it’s free of grammar and spelling mistakes before you submit it.

Where can I find catering tenders?

Searching for catering tenders can take a considerable amount of time out of your busy working day. There are thousands of sites posting new tendering opportunities every day. Searching for the right one can turn into a bit of a headache.

At Hudson, our Hospitality Tenders portal is designed to provide your catering business with the latest opportunities. We source a wide range of catering tenders across the country and further afield. Hudson wants to save you time, money and effort. Through our bespoke Hospitality Tenders portal, we will save you effort on a daily basis.

There is no need to use your valuable time searching for your ideal contracts. Our portal will do the hard work for you.