URL: https://westsussex.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=2221

Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning (Cllr Jacquie Russell)

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose: The County Council has a contract with Chartwells for the provision of a primary phase free school meals (FSM), paid meals and Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) service. The participating schools have small finishing kitchens on site; these are not full production kitchens. The contract is currently worth approximately £12.165m per annum and is currently used by 186 schools including academies, the alternative provision college and maintained nurseries.   The County Council also holds a separate, smaller, primary phase school meals contract with the Easy Lunch Company to provide a localised delivered-in hot FSM, paid meals and UIFSM service currently to 10 primary schools, that are without any kitchen facilities, located mainly in the Horsham area. The value of this contract is approximately £820,000 per year.    Both contracts will be at the end of their legally permissible contract periods in July 2026 and so cannot be extended. The County Council is legally required to provide access to a compliant FSM and UIFSM service for infant aged pupils.  Therefore, approval is sought to commence a procurement process to secure the provision of primary phase school meals following conclusion of the existing contracts.

Content: The County Council has a contract with Chartwells for the provision of a primary phase free school meals (FSM), paid meals and Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) service. The participating schools have small finishing kitchens on site; these are not full production kitchens. The contract is currently worth approximately £12.165m per annum and is currently used by 186 schools including academies, the alternative provision college and maintained nurseries.   The County Council also holds a separate, smaller, primary phase school meals contract with the Easy Lunch Company to provide a localised delivered-in hot FSM, paid meals and UIFSM service currently to 10 primary schools, that are without any kitchen facilities, located mainly in the Horsham area. The value of this contract is approximately £820,000 per year.    Both contracts will be at the end of their legally permissible contract periods in July 2026 and so cannot be extended. The County Council is legally required to provide access to a compliant FSM and UIFSM service for infant aged pupils.  Therefore, approval is sought to commence a procurement process to secure the provision of primary phase school meals following conclusion of the existing contracts. The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning has approved   (1)The commencement of two procurement processes for the provision of a primary phase school meals service.  One contract will be for schools who have finishing kitchens on site and one contract for schools who mainly have no kitchen facilities on site and will receive a delivered in hot meals service, with both contracts due to commence in August 2026.   (2)The delegation of authority to the Assistant Director (Education and Skills) to award the contracts to the successful provider/s for the initial period of 7 years and to extend the contracts for up to 3 additional years subject to the satisfactory performance and delivery.    None declared.

Date of Decision: July 8, 2025