NEPO407 - Food Supply
The Association of North East Councils Limited (NEPO) · North East and North West · up to £200,000,000
Save this tender
Keep up to 5 tenders in a free account, and pick them up from any device.
What the buyer wants
NEPO is establishing a multi-supplier Framework for the supply and distribution of a wide range of food and food-related products to public sector establishments across the North East of England, covering multiple lots including multi-temperature food, fresh produce, fresh meat, milk and dairy, and food concept solutions. Suppliers must provide reliable, compliant supply and distribution services with capacity to meet demand and support evolving needs.
NEPO is seeking to establish a multi-supplier Framework for the supply and distribution of food and food-related products to participating Contracting Authorities. The Framework will support the delivery of food services across a range of establishments including schools, academies, care settings, civic facilities, leisure sites and other public sector environments.
The Framework is structured across multiple Lots covering Multi-Temperature Food Supply, Fresh Produce, Fresh Meat, Milk and Dairy, and Food Concept Solutions. Suppliers will be required to provide reliable, compliant and fully managed supply arrangements, including ordering, delivery, account management, product sourcing and ongoing contract support.
Products shall be supplied directly to individual establishments throughout the North East of England in accordance with agreed delivery schedules, service requirements and ordering arrangements. Suppliers shall maintain sufficient capacity, resilience and operational capability to meet fluctuating demand and support continuity of supply throughout the Framework term.
The Framework is intended to support the evolving needs of Contracting Authorities. Suppliers will be expected to work collaboratively with NEPO and participating authorities to support changing demand profiles, product innovation, nutritional standards, sustainability objectives and future legislative or regulatory requirements.
How Tenderoo reads it
This is a framework agreement: a place on it puts you on the buyer's approved list, which they call work off from over the term. It is not a single job, and a small firm can hold a place alongside national suppliers.
The notice reads as suitable for a small or medium-sized firm: the scope, value and requirements are within reach of a business of that size.
Services required
- Food supply
- Food distribution
- Temperature-controlled storage and handling
- Account management
- Product sourcing
- Contract support
What you will need to show
- Reliable temperature-controlled storage and delivery — Suppliers must have the capability to provide reliable temperature-controlled storage, handling, and distribution to ensure safe, full, and timely delivery of products.
- Freshness and quality of fresh produce — Suppliers must ensure all fresh produce is fresh, graded appropriately, packaged suitably, and delivered with sufficient residual shelf life.
- Compliance with food safety, hygiene, traceability, animal welfare and labelling — Suppliers must ensure all fresh meat products comply with relevant food safety, hygiene, traceability, animal welfare and labelling requirements, and provide products meeting specified provenance, accreditation, halal, or higher welfare standards where required.
- Cold chain compliance for milk and dairy products — Suppliers must ensure milk and dairy products are stored, transported and delivered in accordance with cold chain requirements and relevant food safety legislation, supporting school food and government milk scheme requirements where applicable.
- Capacity and operational resilience — Suppliers must maintain sufficient capacity, resilience and operational capability to meet fluctuating demand and ensure continuity of supply throughout the Framework term.
- Collaborative working and support for evolving needs — Suppliers are expected to work collaboratively with NEPO and Contracting Authorities to support changing demand, product innovation, nutritional standards, sustainability objectives and future legislative or regulatory requirements.
Lots
- Multi-Temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - Newcastle upon Tyne (up to £32,000,000) — 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.
- Multi-temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - Gateshead, Sunderland & South Tyneside (up to £40,000,000) — 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.
- Multi-Temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - Darlington, Durham, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees (up to £35,000,000) — 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.
- Multi-Temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - North Tyneside & Northumberland (up to £13,000,000) — 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.
- Fresh Produce (Fruit, Vegetables and Short Life Products) (up to £32,000,000) — 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.
- Fresh Meat (Poultry, Beef and Meat Products) (up to £18,000,000) — 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.
- Nursery Milk - Direct Delivery (up to £6,000,000) — 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.
- Bulk Milk & Kitchen Milk (up to £5,000,000) — 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.
- Organic Milk (up to £1,000,000) — 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.
- Meal Concepts & Food to Go (up to £18,000,000) — 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.
- 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.
Key facts
- Buyer: The Association of North East Councils Limited (NEPO)
- Estimated value: up to £200,000,000
- Deadline: 7 December 2026
- Location: North East and North West
- Published on: Find a Tender
- First seen by Tenderoo: 5 November 2026
- CPV: 15100000, 15200000, 15300000, 15400000, 15500000, 15600000, 15800000, 15980000
More live tenders like this
- Invitation To Tender for The Supply & Distribution of Hot Pasta & Sauce Bar Concept
The Bolton Impact Trust · up to £5.5m · closes in 3 days - Danes Educational Trust
Danes Educational Trust · up to £7.9m · closes in 13 days - CA18527 - Danes Educational Trust
Danes Educational Trust · up to £7.9m · closes in 13 days - Ice Cream Concession, Towneley Park
Burnley Borough Council · North West · up to £320k · closes in 17 days - Ice Cream Products and Equipment
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council · South West · up to £3.7m · closes in 19 days
More like this
Could you win this?
Tenderoo scores tenders like this against your company profile — services, region, capacity, track record — free, before you commit an afternoon to reading it.