Kings Hill School ~ Catering tender

Kings Hill School and Nursery is seeking a catering contractor to provide all meal services for its 475 pupils and 78 teaching and support staff over a three‑year Guaranteed Performance Contract from January 2027 to December 2030. The role encompasses morning breakfast clubs, lunches, after‑school club meals and free‑issue services, with free school meals charged at net food cost, and requires a comprehensive review of the current menu and service offering with innovative, nutritionally balanced options that reflect local, seasonal produce.

The successful contractor will be expected to deliver an inclusive, customer‑focused catering experience that aligns with the school’s values, promotes healthy lifestyles, safeguards all participants, and accommodates the needs of pupils with SEND. Transparent pricing and detailed cost breakdowns are mandatory, but the governing body remains independent of the lowest bid when assessing overall value. Additionally, the contractor must demonstrate social value contributions through training, employment, community engagement, sustainability, and potential capital investment to enhance the dining environment and the wider school community.

All catering provisions must meet UK food safety regulations, provide diet‑inclusive menus adaptable to all pupils’ requirements, and uphold the school’s safeguarding and nutritional standards.

Kings Hill School and Nursery first opened in March 1998. Graded as Outstanding by Ofsted, it is a very popular school in the heart of the Kings Hill community, just outside West Malling in Kent. We have 420 children in the main school and every year we enrol approximately 75 nursery children, aged 2 – 4 years.
The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor whose initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of service within the existing facilities for the 475 students on roll and 78 teaching and support staff, with a focus on exciting new food concepts to satisfy a wide range of pupil tastes and dietary requirements which will provide our children with nutritious and attractive menus on a weekly basis. The school has not tested the market for a number of years and would wish the successful contractor to review the current range of services offered and make recommendations accordingly.
The contract being tendered is for three years in duration from January 2027 to December 2030 and will operate as a Guaranteed Performance Contract, with the successful Contractor offering the school a guaranteed return / cost per annum for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff is to remain with Kings Hill School and Nursery for the duration of this contract.
The school year is based on a calendar of 195 days. Five days are to be used for staff professional development which means that school will be open to receive students for the legal minimum of 190 days.
The contract offered covers the scope for the provision of all catering services within the school, which currently includes morning breakfast club, lunch, after school club and free issue requirements. Free school meals will be charged based on consumption and at net food cost.
Whilst the School prioritises value for money as a key objective of the Competitive Tender Process, the Governing body is not obliged to accept the lowest price.
The value of the current contract is: -
2024/ 20252025/2026 (Estimated)
Cash sales£46,626.10£50,356.18
Free School Meals £77,238.40£77,570.28
Wrap Around Care £11,111.10£11,941.25
Total£134,975.60£139,867.71
Kings Hill School and Nursery expect the successful contractor to enable the continued development of catering through the provision of an innovative, healthy food service, with fresh, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients being prepared on-site. The school expects the successful tenderer to clearly demonstrate, through their bid, how they will support and embody our school values, delivering an inclusive and customer-focused service that prioritises safeguarding, promotes healthy lifestyles, and meets the diverse needs of all pupils, including those with SEND. These principles are central to the provision of high-quality services that enable children to thrive.
Tenderers will be required to provide a transparent breakdown of their pricing model, including food costs, labour costs, management fees, overheads, and margin assumptions. The school reserves the right to seek clarification regarding any pricing assumptions to ensure that submissions represent a sustainable and deliverable service offering.
The school places significant importance on the delivery of meaningful social value and expects tenderers to demonstrate how their proposed service will contribute positively to the school community, and the Kings Hill local economy. Tenderers should outline initiatives relating to employment and training opportunities, community engagement, sustainability, and activities that will enhance the experience and wellbeing of pupils, staff, and visitors. In addition, the school would welcome consideration of inward capital investment as part of the Contractor’s tender submission. Tenderers are encouraged to propose investments that enhance the catering environment, service offer, and customer experience, with particular emphasis on improvements within the existing dining area. Any proposed investment should clearly demonstrate the benefits to the school, the catering service, and the wider school community, together with details of the level of investment, timescales, and anticipated outcomes.
Please be advised that this contract will be let on a 3 year basis.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at:
https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-West-Malling:-School-catering-services./9CJ35975GZ
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/9CJ35975GZ

Contract location: UKJ46
Communication: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/9CJ35975GZ
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: En
Enquiry deadline: 2026-08-14T12:00:00+01:00
Submission address and any special instructions: https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/9CJ35975GZ
Tenders may be submitted electronically: allowed
Award decision date (estimated): 2026-11-16T23:59:59+00:00

Lot number: 1
Lot value (estimated)

419.603,13 GBP including VAT

Award criteria:

Name	Type	Weighting
Criterion 1	quality	70%
Criterion 2	price	30%