Catering for protocol and institutional events

Summary

The contract covers catering for protocol and institutional events organised by the Department of the European Union and External Action of Catalonia, and for Department-organised events lasting at least three hours. Events will take place in the Barcelona metropolitan area or within 50 km of Barcelona. Routine staff meetings, venues where another company has exclusive catering rights, locations beyond that radius, and events whose catering is procured together with other services are excluded. The procurement has a single lot. The contractor must plan menus and arrange the preparation, transport, setup and removal of food and drinks, as well as the furniture, tableware, staff service and presentation required for each service type. The available services are a drinks-only coffee break (€10 per person), a light refreshment break (€17.50 per person), a staffed breakfast or afternoon break (€20 per person), a welcome reception (€25 per person), a snack reception (€35 per person), a full reception (€55 per person), a standing lunch (€45 per person) and a seated lunch (€75 per person). These are maximum unit prices excluding VAT. The maximum price for an additional waiter is €25 per hour. The drinks-only break and light refreshment break do not include waiters or furniture; the other types include service and furnishings as specified. Tender documents set out the minimum quantities and menu contents. Menus must take account of fresh, seasonal and locally sourced foods, organic products and other products with the specified origin or quality certifications, and follow Mediterranean-diet principles. Every service type must also be available in versions suitable at a minimum for people with coeliac disease, lactose intolerance or allergy, vegans, vegetarians and halal diets. Other allergies, intolerances, and cultural or religious needs must also be considered. Single-use plastic packaging and plastic tableware are prohibited. Food safety, compliant temperature-controlled transport and food-handler hygiene training are mandatory. Staffed services require at least one waiter per 20 diners, and seated lunches require one waiter per 10 diners. The estimated budget is €155,562.50 excluding VAT and €171,118.75 including 10% VAT; no minimum order volume or expenditure is guaranteed. The estimated contract value, including two possible one-year extensions and potential annual modifications of 20%, is €560,025. The contract runs from 1 January to 31 December 2027, or until the budget is exhausted, with two possible one-year extensions. Tenderers must submit unit prices, general declarations and a technical memorandum of no more than four pages addressing food traceability and storage conditions, hygiene and sanitation, logistics, and user-satisfaction monitoring. The award is scored out of 100 points: price up to 36 points, a food donation programme up to 13, additional menu options up to 26, and the technical memorandum up to 25. Participation requires evidence of the specified financial and technical capacity, the required food-business registration, a designated contract contact and the required number of service staff. The successful tenderer must maintain liability insurance of at least €600,000 per claim and per year.