URL: https://westsussex.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=2427

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

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose: The Council has a legal obligation to make provisions for a Free School Meals (FSM) service for Local Education Authority (LEA) schools, or a process to make available to schools a FSM service. The Council meets this obligation by managing a Framework of catering providers appointed through a competitive tender exercise. Whilst it is not a legal obligation the Council also expects the provision of a student paid meal service to be offered as part of these contracts.   The existing contract, initially let in 2018, for the provision of a Secondary School Catering Service Provider Framework in West Sussex, came to an end on 31 May 2025. The Framework contract had been fully extended to its permissible total contract length of 7 years. The combined school contracts awarded from the Framework are currently worth approximately £1.94m per annum, with the contract cost for each school being funded by that school.  Approval is therefore sought to commence a procurement process to establish a new framework that enables the sourcing of future secondary school meals contracts. 

Content: The Council has a legal obligation to make provisions for a Free School Meals (FSM) service for Local Education Authority (LEA) schools, or a process to make available to schools a FSM service. The Council meets this obligation by managing a Framework of catering providers appointed through a competitive tender exercise. Whilst it is not a legal obligation the Council also expects the provision of a student paid meal service to be offered as part of these contracts.   The existing contract, initially let in 2018, for the provision of a Secondary School Catering Service Provider Framework in West Sussex, came to an end on 31 May 2025. The Framework contract had been fully extended to its permissible total contract length of 7 years. The combined school contracts awarded from the Framework are currently worth approximately £1.94m per annum, with the contract cost for each school being funded by that school.  Approval is therefore sought to commence a procurement process to establish a new framework that enables the sourcing of future secondary school meals contracts.  The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning has approved: (1) The commencement of a procurement process to establish a Secondary Schools Catering Provider Framework for the provision of Free School Meals and student paid meals. The Framework will commence in 2026 for a maximum period of 7 years. Further competition exercises run under the Framework will be for the same contract period. (2) The delegation of authority to the Service Director (Education and Skills) to award places on the Framework at the conclusion of the procurement process, in accordance with the evaluation and tender requirements described and within the financial parameters set out in this report, to providers who meet the required criteria.  This delegation to include extending the contract on conclusion of the initial period. The Framework is to run for an initial period of 5 years with possible extensions of up to 2 additional years subject to satisfactory performance and delivery None declared.

Date of Decision: April 1, 2026