Market Engagement – Future Catering Services Contract (2026), City of Glasgow College

Tender description

City of Glasgow College is preparing for the re-procurement of its catering services contract, due to commence in August 2026. The College operates a multi-site catering environment including refectories, coffee shops, hospitality catering, vending, and retail services across its City and Riverside campuses. We are undertaking this early market engagement exercise to gather supplier insights into: - Pricing strategies and financial models appropriate for the further education sector - Sustainable, affordable, and inclusive catering solutions - Market trends and innovations - Value-added community benefits This process is intended to help us shape the procurement strategy, contract structure, and service model to reflect both market capability and the needs of our students, staff, and visitors. Lot 1: Description: City of Glasgow College is preparing for the re-procurement of its catering services contract, due to commence in August 2026. The College operates a multi-site catering environment including refectories, coffee shops, hospitality catering, vending, and retail services across its City and Riverside campuses. We are undertaking this early market engagement exercise to gather supplier insights into: - Pricing strategies and financial models appropriate for the further education sector - Sustainable, affordable, and inclusive catering solutions - Market trends and innovations - Value-added community benefits This process is intended to help us shape the procurement strategy, contract structure, and service model to reflect both market capability and the needs of our students, staff, and visitors. Scope of the Future Tender (indicative): - Multi-outlet food and beverage provision across two Campuses (Cathedral Street & Thistle Street, Glasgow) - Hospitality and events catering - Vending services - Sustainable supply chains and waste management - Social and community benefit initiatives Key Topics for Feedback: - Pricing Models (e.g., fixed price, nil subsidy, cost-plus, turnover commission, hybrid) - Approaches to managing cost volatility (inflation, food costs) - Financial transparency (e.g., open book accounting) - Social value contributions and sustainability initiatives - Innovations in technology, payment systems, and customer experience Supplier Response: Interested catering providers are invited to access and complete the linked Market Engagement Questionnaire, providing their insight and feedback. https://forms.office.com/e/WsF9rjP0Rj Responses should be submitted via Public Contracts Scotland by Friday, 25th July 2025. There will be no evaluation of suppliers or scoring at this stage. This process is solely to inform our procurement approach. Participation is entirely optional and does not form part of any subsequent tender evaluation. Additional information: Anticipated contract start date: August 2026