Catering Services and Prisoner Training at Public Sector Prisons

Tender description

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is seeking catering services inclusive of prisoner training for Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). This Prior Information Notice is issued with a view to inform the market of the opportunity, understand the potential market interest and gather feedback from the market relating to the delivery of catering services inclusive of prisoner training to four public sector prisons. All information contained within this PIN is subject to change including: the identified prison sites, scope of the required services and timescales. These prisons comprise of a mix of categories and geographical locations, with the catering services being a mixture of prisoner, staff mess and visit hall catering services. Another element of these requirements is prisoner assistance and training. As part of resettlement training and in order to reduce reoffending, prisoners are able to assist in the kitchens with food preparation and are offered the opportunity to attain accredited qualifications within the catering and hospitality sector. • HMP Bullingdon (category B & C) is in the South East and requires prisoner catering services • HMP Birmingham (category B) is in the West Midlands and requires prisoner, staff mess and visit hall catering services • HMP Erlestoke (category C) is in the South West and requires staff mess and visit hall catering services • HMP Wymott (category C) is in the North West and requires staff mess and visit hall catering services These requirements have the potential to be awarded to one or multiple suppliers. Lot 1: Prisoner catering services are a business-critical service and consist of running the catering facility and providing meals for prisoners. Staff mess catering services include sit down meals and light snacks and visit hall catering provides refreshments to prisoners and visitors in the main visit halls. The services provided at each site is influenced by factors such as prison category, location and availability of other alternative and local options. The bulk of the current arrangements do not cover or include the purchasing of food, as this is managed via a separate agreement. The current intention is that the prison catering services will be delivered across four regional locations and will be a 5 + 2 + 2 year term. However, the regions and duration may be varied (reduced or extended) in line with emerging business needs prior to the publication of the tender opportunity. Estimated Spend 5 years - £4,000,000 (£3,200,000 excluding VAT) 5+2 years - £5,600,000 (£4,480,000 excluding VAT) 5+2+2 years - £7,200,000 (£5,760,000 excluding VAT) Per Annum - £800,000 (£640,000 excluding VAT) The MoJ shall utilise bespoke terms and conditions for this tender that shall be published as part of the ITT. Estimated timeline for this procurement: • Expression of Interest Due: 24nd November 2021 • Issue of ITT: December 2021 • ITT Return Deadline: January 2022 • Intention to Award Letters Sent Out: March 2022 • Standstill Period: Mid-March 2022 • Award Letters Sent: Late March 2022 • Mobilisation Period: April-June 2022 • Contract Signing: Late March 2022 • Contract Start Date: July 2022 MoJ does not require at this stage any tender response documentation to be submitted, other than following the below link to express your interest and provide feedback by 17:00 on 24/11/2021. https://bit.ly/3D0pULr The expression of interest link requests feedback on: • Region and service elements (to inform Lot structure) • Site Visits • Barriers to participation • Social Value benefits – particularly around prisoner training • Reaching Net Zero & other sustainability activities Please note, this PIN is purely for information only and does not automatically enrol suppliers to a future tender opportunity. Failure to respond to this expression of interest will not disqualify suppliers from any future tender. This exercise is not part of any pre-qualification or selection process, it is intended as an awareness, communication and information-gathering exercise offering an opportunity for potential providers to help understand commissioning intentions. All information stated within the PIN are subject to change. The publication of this notice in no way obliges the MoJ to commence any competitive tender process and MoJ reserves the right to source the services included through other means (e.g. an existing contract or framework). MoJ is not/shall not be liable for any costs incurred by those participating in this exercise.