Bids invited for schools' fruit and vegetable contract

Press release - 6 August 2007

Bids invited for schools' fruit and vegetable contract

Growers and suppliers of fruit and vegetables are being given the opportunity to supply Shropshire County Council’s schools and care homes for the next four years, after the contract was put out to tender this week.

The contract has been split into five geographical areas to encourage more, particularly smaller, suppliers to submit bids. Suppliers will be able to tender for one or more of these areas.

Tenders must be submitted by Monday 24 September, with the contract starting in January next year.

Interested suppliers can apply in writing for a tender pack to Nigel Denton, Procurement Manager, Shropshire County Council, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ND, or email nigel.denton@shropshire-cc.gov.uk.

John Everall, Shropshire County Council’s Cabinet member for the environment and sustainability, said: “Over the past four years Shropshire County Council has made great improvements to the quality, variety and nutritional value of meals served in the county’s schools. We have also placed great emphasis on supplying local or locally-sourced produce where possible, to help provide a more sustainable service.

“We hope that splitting this contract into several areas will encourage many smaller, local suppliers to bid.”

The value of the four-year contract is approximately £200,000 per year.

In June this year a similar contract to supply meat to the county’s schools and care homes was awarded to three local butchers, proving that local producers can be as competitive in terms of price and quality as large scale producers.

ENDS

For further information, call Ruth Hudson, Sustainability Officer, Economy & Environment, on (01743) 252577.
For media contact, call Gareth Proffitt, Communications Officer, on (01743) 252828.

Additional information

(1) The tender process is a joint strategic approach by Shropshire County Council’s schools meals, sustainability and procurement teams.

(2) Shropshire County Council is working towards the five priorities objectives outlined by the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI).

a. Raise production and process standards.
b. Increase tenders from small and local producers.
c. Increase the consumption of healthy and nutritious food.
d. Reduce the adverse environmental impacts of production and supply.
e. Increase capacity of small and local suppliers to meet demand.

(3) Shropshire County Council has been undertaking a Food Project funded by the Regional Centre of Excellence which has identified the need to increase the awareness of the opportunities that the Public Sector can offer to small and medium sized businesses and to create opportunities which do not exclude these businesses.