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Open for bidsUnited KingdomGoodsFramework agreement£200,000,000Add to pipeline

NEPO407 - Food Supply

The Association of North East Councils Limited (NEPO)(buyer)

Published
Published 18 June 2026
Deadline
Deadline: 7 December 2026 (25 days left)

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Overview

The Association of North East Councils Limited (NEPO) is seeking to establish a multi-supplier framework for the supply and distribution of food and food-related products to participating contracting authorities. Structured across multiple lots, the scope covers multi-temperature food supply, fresh produce, fresh meat, milk and dairy, and food concept solutions delivered directly to schools, care settings, civic facilities, and other public sector sites across the North East of England. The framework has an estimated value of £200,000,000, with tenders due by 7 December 2026.

Contracting authority

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Lots (11)

  • Multi-Temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - Newcastle upon Tyne

    Supply and delivery of a broad range of ambient, chilled where applicable and frozen food and general provision products required by Contracting Authorities in the Newcastle upon Tyne area. Products may include, but are not limited to, dry store goods, canned and packaged goods, frozen food products, grocery items, baking ingredients, condiments, desserts, snacks, beverages and associated catering provisions. Suppliers appointed to this Lot must be capable of providing reliable, temperature-controlled storage, handling and distribution arrangements, ensuring products are delivered safely, in full, and within the agreed delivery windows to Contracting Authority establishments.

    £32,000,000
  • Multi-temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - Gateshead, Sunderland & South Tyneside

    Supply and delivery of a broad range of ambient, chilled where applicable and frozen food and general provision products required by Contracting Authorities in Gateshead, Sunderland and South Tyneside areas. Products may include, but are not limited to, dry store goods, canned and packaged goods, frozen food products, grocery items, baking ingredients, condiments, desserts, snacks, beverages and associated catering provisions. Suppliers appointed to this Lot must be capable of providing reliable, temperature-controlled storage, handling and distribution arrangements, ensuring products are delivered safely, in full, and within the agreed delivery windows to Contracting Authority establishments.

    £40,000,000
  • Multi-Temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - Darlington, Durham, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees

    Supply and delivery of a broad range of ambient, chilled where applicable and frozen food and general provision products required by Contracting Authorities in Darlington, Durham, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees areas. Products may include, but are not limited to, dry store goods, canned and packaged goods, frozen food products, grocery items, baking ingredients, condiments, desserts, snacks, beverages and associated catering provisions. Suppliers appointed to this Lot must be capable of providing reliable, temperature-controlled storage, handling and distribution arrangements, ensuring products are delivered safely, in full, and within the agreed delivery windows to Contracting Authority establishments.

    £35,000,000
  • Multi-Temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - North Tyneside & Northumberland

    Supply and delivery of a broad range of ambient, chilled where applicable and frozen food and general provision products required by Contracting Authorities in North Tyneside & Northumberland areas. Products may include, but are not limited to, dry store goods, canned and packaged goods, frozen food products, grocery items, baking ingredients, condiments, desserts, snacks, beverages and associated catering provisions. Suppliers appointed to this Lot must be capable of providing reliable, temperature-controlled storage, handling and distribution arrangements, ensuring products are delivered safely, in full, and within the agreed delivery windows to Contracting Authority establishments.

    £13,000,000
  • Fresh Produce (Fruit, Vegetables and Short Life Products)

    Supply and delivery of fresh fruit, vegetables, prepared produce and other short-life products required by Contracting Authorities across the whole of the North East. Products may include, but are not limited to, whole and prepared fruit and vegetables, salads, herbs, fresh juices and other perishable produce. Suppliers appointed to this Lot must ensure that all produce is fresh, suitably graded, appropriately packaged and delivered with sufficient residual shelf life.

    £32,000,000
  • Fresh Meat (Poultry, Beef and Meat Products)

    Supply and delivery of fresh meat, poultry and associated meat products required by Contracting Authorities across the North East. Products may include, but are not limited to, beef, lamb, pork, poultry, sausages, burgers, minced meat, cooked meats and prepared meat products. Suppliers appointed to this Lot must ensure all products comply with relevant food safety, hygiene, traceability, animal welfare and labelling requirements. Where required, Suppliers must be able to provide products that meet specified provenance, accreditation, halal, higher welfare or other Contracting Authority requirements.

    £18,000,000
  • Nursery Milk - Direct Delivery

    Supply and direct delivery of nursery milk required by Contracting Authorities. Suppliers appointed to this Lot must ensure products are stored, transported and delivered in accordance with cold chain requirements and relevant food safety legislation. Products supplied to educational establishments must support applicable school food requirements and, where relevant, government milk scheme requirements.

    £6,000,000
  • Bulk Milk & Kitchen Milk

    Supply and delivery of milk and dairy products required by Contracting Authorities via either a nominated 3rd Party, Direct Delivery or an Integrated Solution in the North East of England. Products may include, but are not limited to, whole milk, semi-skimmed milk, skimmed milk, nursery milk, school milk, organic milk and other dairy products. Suppliers appointed to this Lot must ensure products are stored, transported and delivered in accordance with cold chain requirements and relevant food safety legislation. Products supplied to educational establishments must support applicable school food requirements and, where relevant, government milk scheme requirements.

    £5,000,000
  • Organic Milk

    Supply and delivery of milk and dairy products required by Contracting Authorities in the Tees Valley. Products may include organic milk and other organic dairy products. Suppliers appointed to this Lot must ensure products are stored, transported and delivered in accordance with cold chain requirements and relevant food safety legislation. Products supplied to educational establishments must support applicable school food requirements and, where relevant, government milk scheme requirements.

    £1,000,000
  • Meal Concepts & Food to Go

    Supply and delivery of concept-based meal solutions and ready-to-eat products that may be used by Contracting Authorities to support catering, hospitality, retail, education or leisure requirements. Solutions, products and services may include, but are not limited to, branded food offers, grab-and-go products, sandwiches, salads, wraps, meal boxes and hot food concepts. Solutions may include food products, packaging, consumables, promotional materials, point of sale support and any other components necessary to deliver the food offer. Due to the diverse nature products and solutions in scope of this Lot, Contracting Authorities will normally define their detailed requirements through a Further Competition Process.

    £18,000,000
  • Exception and Contingent Arrangements

    All awarded Suppliers across the Framework Lots 1 - 4 will be automatically awarded to Lot 6. Suppliers may be utilised to protect supply where a Supplier in another Lot is unable to meet a Contracting Authority's requirement within the awarded category for any reason on a temporary or permanent basis. The purpose of this Lot is to provide resilience, flexibility and contingency arrangements across the Framework.

    £0

Key details

Country
United Kingdom
Status
Open for bids
Category
Goods
Estimated value
£200,000,000
Procedure
Open procedure
Rules
Procurement Act 2023
Contract type
Framework agreement
SME suitable
Yes
Published
18 June 2026
Questions by
30 November 2026
Deadline
7 December 2026
Classification (CPV)
Animal products, meat and meat productsPrepared and preserved fishFruit, vegetables and related productsAnimal or vegetable oils and fatsDairy productsGrain mill products, starches and starch productsMiscellaneous food productsNon-alcoholic beverages

Competition and scoring criteria

Expected competition

3

Median bids on comparable tenders

Open and restricted tenders in Food, beverages, tobacco and related products drew a median of 3 bids over the last 24 months; 22% received only one.

How bids will be scored

Price 50% · Quality 50%

  • Quality45%
  • Price50%
  • ESG5%

Price and cost criteria in black, quality in blue.

Market context

Typical award in Food, beverages, tobacco and related products

£450,356

Median of 538 awards in the last 24 months

The Association of North East Councils Limited (NEPO) in the last 12 months

9

contracts awarded, worth £14,080,500,000 in total

See their procurement profile →

Recent awards in Food, beverages, tobacco and related products

The latest contracts other buyers awarded under the same classification.

Notice history

Every published notice in this contracting process, newest first.

  1. Contract Notice

    5 November 2026

  2. Prior Information Notice

    18 June 2026

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