Milk

Tender description

Hertfordshire County Council (the ‘Council’) is carrying out Pre-Procurement Market Engagement (‘PPME’) in relation to The Supply and Delivery of School Milk. The Council has published this Prior Information Notice (PIN) to alert interested organisations with appropriate expertise or relevant experience of this potential opportunity and the Councils intentions. The Council is looking for interested organisations to complete the questionnaire. The Council will consider the feedback received to help inform the Council’s options and further decision making. For the avoidance of doubt, this stage of the project is not part of a formal procurement process and the Council is not committing, at this stage, to carrying out such a process. Participation or non-participation in the PPME shall not prevent any supplier participating in a potential future procurement, nor is it intended that any information supplied as part of the PPME shall place any supplier at an advantage in a potential procurement process. Participation in the PPME will be at each organisation’s own cost. No expense in responding to this PPME will be reimbursed by the Council. Hertfordshire County Council (the "Council") supports the government’s directive for all schools to provide access to school milk for pupils. The pupils at schools in Hertfordshire currently consume 3 million 189ml size recyclable poly bottles of milk per annum across the nursery and primary schools. As part of the school food plan all maintained primary, infant and junior schools are legally required to make milk available for drinking by the pupils during school hours. The present Contract is managed by Hertfordshire Catering Limited (HCL). School milk, on the present Contract, is currently supplied to 85 % of schools across Hertfordshire in 189ml recyclable poly bottles with biodegradable straws. The current Contract expires on 31 August 2021 and the Council will be looking for a new Contract to start on 1 September 2021. The annual spend is currently approximately GBP 800k pa. This spend includes a small value for staff room and kitchen milk which is also supplied on the current Contract. The present Contract is managed by Hertfordshire Catering Limited (HCL). The challenges ahead include the possible effects of ‘Brexit’ on the EU subsidy received for infant and junior milk. The Council will consider feedback and responses received to help inform the Council's options and further decision making. This stage is not part of a formal procurement process and the Council is not committing, at this stage, to carrying out such a process. The Council will not enter into a contract based solely on the responses to this PIN. This pre-procurement market engagement consists of one document with the Supplier Questionnaire at the end. Supplier questionnaires must be received by 12 noon on Monday 30 November 2020.