Procurement Guidance - Catering

This page provides important information for schools considering how to deliver their school meals service.

Options Guidance
This page provides a detailed review of everything you need to consider when deciding how to deliver your catering service such as: health and safety policy guidance, food hygiene and safety, selection and authorisation of suppliers, product traceability, ingredient specification and declaration, nutrition and healthy eating, staffing and personnel, training for staff and general provision.

Options Appraisal
This page summarises the key issues to consider when deciding whether to take your catering service in-house, or to procure the council's Catering Agency service or external private provider.

Procurement Timetable
The third part of the guidance is for those schools who are considering testing the market to demonstrate best value and go out to tender to seek an alternative catering provider.  The guidance, in the form of a procurement timetable, gives a step by step breakdown of the tendering process.  This is for information only and schools considering this route should, in the first instance, contact the Commissioning, Procurement and Business Development Team 0113 24 75268.

It is essential schools work through the tendering process with the procurement professionals to ensure that the current law is fully compiled with.

SWOT Analysis
This page lists the feedback from schools outlining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of either taking your catering service in-house or procuring it from the council's catering agency or external private provider.