Food, beverages, tobacco and related products

Tender description

Lancashire County Council is investigating the opportunity to secure a contract for a single distributor to deliver the majority of contracted food and drink supplies to LCC units. For further information please see "Description of the Procurement". Lancashire County Council (LCC) purchased approximately 11 500 000 GBP directly on the supply and delivery of food and drink products in 2017 to around 590 units across the geographical spread of Lancashire. The majority of these units (around 515 schools and 23 council owned residential care homes) fall under the Lancashire School and Residential Care Catering (LSRCC) service and accounts for over 90 % of the total amount spent in 2017. LCC currently tenders the majority of its food and drink contracts on the basis of each successful supplier being fully responsible for the supply and delivery of goods required for each contract, with an emphasis on high quality products that meet stringent requirements against quality controls and service performance. Deliveries to each unit can range from monthly on some contracts to up 2 to 3 times a week against some of the higher volume contracts. Due to the complex logistical requirements of some of the higher volume contracts and potential barriers to entry for some suppliers to be able to invest, mobilise and therefore tender for county council contracts, LCC is investigating the opportunity to secure a single contract for one single distributor to deliver the majority of food and drink products to LCC units. The distributor would also be responsible for taking individual orders (and operating selective lists for various unit groups) from county council units, ensuring quality control procedures remain throughout its processes (including incoming goods checks, picking and packing procedures, loading checks etc.) and operating an effective complaints procedure, including escalation methods and mapping an effective logistics network to minimise lead times which also allows for flexibility where required. The successful distributor would also need to hold relevant and valid 3rd party accreditations (widely recognised in the food and drink and storage of goods industry) in relation to food hygiene and quality control procedures. Once the distribution contract is finalised, LCC and would then seek to tender individual food and drink contracts on a supply base only, into the appointed distributor, thereby reducing the number of required deliveries from individual suppliers, reducing the number of orders and transactions with the additional aim of allowing a greater number of potential suppliers to tender for individual contracts. In addition it would also aim to meet LCC's Social Value agenda of providing environmental benefits such as a reduction in Carbon emissions and congestion within the Lancashire area, (particularly in built up areas where there are a number of deliveries to schools every day.) Plus it would also seek to reduce the number of food transported miles and fuel reduction. It is intended that as part of reviewing a new procurement strategy, LCC will be looking to host a supplier engagement event at the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Red Rose Court, Clayton Business Park, Accrington, BB5 5JR, on the 10.7.2018 at 10:00 am as part of a market research and engagement programme, prior to strategy final decision being taken in relation to the proposed distributor strategy outlined above. In the event that LCC wish to proceed with this strategy it is envisaged that the contract will be tendered in the Autumn of 2018 with the aim of contract commencement by mid- 2019. Subsequent supply of food and drink contracts would then be tendered following conclusion of this tender process, although this would be done incrementally rather than all contracts being tendered in one single process, based on LCC's requirements.