Aspire Academy Trust - Provision of Grounds Maintenance Services

What the buyer is asking for

This tender opportunity has been issued by Aspire Academy Trust (the Trust) and Tenderers are invited to tender for the provision of grounds maintenance services (the Service). Full details of all contract requirements are given in document - Document 2. Specification of Requirement. The Trust requires the Contractor to deliver the Service in full compliance with horticultural best practice, the Service Specification, and all associated tender documentation and ensure that service delivery is consistent across all sites. The Contractor shall be responsible for the provision of appropriately qualified and experienced horticultural personnel to undertake the Service.

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 60%qualityQualityProposed Solution 17.5% Staff Delivery Team 5.0% Contract Management 17.5% Service Quality Monitoring 10.0% Contract Mobilisation & Managing Risk 5.0% Sustainability 5.0%
• 40%pricePriceThe Tenderer with the lowest annual price position for the Trust will be awarded the full 40% of the marks available for overall price. All other Tenderers’ scores will be calculated relative to this best overall financial offer, using the formula: (Lowest Overall Price Position / Tenderer’s Overall Price Position) x 40

What you must already have

Conditions of participation. These are pass or fail, so check them before writing anything.

• economic

  Tenderers must demonstrate their economic and financial standing in accordance with the following: Due diligence checks will be undertaken on the preferred Tenderer’s accounts to determine a Tenderer’s financial standing. This will incorporate credit checks and a financial appraisal. To constitute a pass, tenderers must: a) Complete a credit check & financial appraisal. No outstanding CCJs or bankruptcy must be shown. A financial appraisal will be based upon the organisation’s gearing ratio, with an acceptable target ratio of approximately 2:1 Any answers which lead the Trust, acting reasonably, to conclude, considering the risk that the relevant answer suggests about the Tenderer’s ability to properly perform the specification, the Tenderer may be rejected. Insurance Please confirm whether you already have, or can commit to obtain, prior to the award of the contract, the levels of insurance cover indicated below: a. Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance* = £5m b. Public Liability Insurance = £5m c. Professional Indemnity Insurance = £1m d. Product Liability Insurance = £1m

• technical

  Provide details of up to three contracts to meet conditions of participation relating to technical ability set out in the relevant notice or procurement documents, in any combination from the education sector. To constitute a pass, the contract examples provided shall be relevant to the requirement, with a sufficient level of detail that provides confidence in the Tenderer’s established past experience in similar and relevant projects/contracts. If you cannot provide at least one example of previous contracts, please provide an explanation for this and how you meet the conditions of participation relating to technical ability.

2 lots

You can usually bid for one lot without bidding for all of them.

• Lot 1 - Atlantic (N)£625k

  Tenderers are invited to tender for the provision of grounds maintenance services (the Service). Full details of all contract requirements for Lot 1 - Atlantic (N) are given in document - Document 2. Specification of Requirement. The Trust requires the Contractor to deliver the Service in full compliance with horticultural best practice, the Service Specification, and all associated tender documentation and ensure that service delivery is consistent across all sites for this Lot. The Contractor shall be responsible for the provision of appropriately qualified and experienced horticultural personnel to undertake the Service. Schools will join the contract once their current contracts end.

• Lot 2 - Peninsular (S) (1)£625k

  Tenderers are invited to tender for the provision of grounds maintenance services (the Service). Full details of all contract requirements for Lot 2 - Peninsula are given in document - Document 2. Specification of Requirement. The Trust requires the Contractor to deliver the Service in full compliance with horticultural best practice, the Service Specification, and all associated tender documentation and ensure that service delivery is consistent across all sites for this Lot. The Contractor shall be responsible for the provision of appropriately qualified and experienced horticultural personnel to undertake the Service. Schools will join the contract once their current contracts end.

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 33 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice published4 days ago

   2 Nov 2026, 18:45 GMT
2. Clarification questions byin 25 days

   2 Dec 2026, 00:00 GMT
3. Submission deadlinein 40 days

   16 Dec 2026, 12:00 GMT
4. Award decision expected byin 98 days

   12 Feb 2027, 23:59 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender

1. Tender notice2 Nov 2026, 18:45 GMT103942-2026

Payment terms

Invoices shall be submitted monthly in arrears for services delivered during the preceding month and itemised by school. Invoices will be accompanied by works reports for the monthly period. Where, during a monthly period, it has been identified, and agreed, that adjustments are required (in respect of service credits, additional works, errors or omissions), these will be taken account of within the invoice for the following month. The Contractor shall obtain the Trust’s prior written authorisation before undertaking any additional works. No additional works may be invoiced unless this authorisation has been obtained.

Documents

• Tender notice on Find a Tender