NEPO407 - Food Supply
- Buyer
- The Association of North East Councils Limited (NEPO)
- Value
- £200,000,000
- Closes
- 7 December 2026
- Where
- Gateshead, the North East
- Type
- Sets up a framework (suppliers apply to join)
In plain English
The North East of England's regional council purchasing body, NEPO, is setting up a framework (a pre-approved list of suppliers that councils can order from) to supply food and food-related products to public sector buildings such as schools, care settings, civic facilities and leisure sites. The framework is split into lots by product type and area, including ambient and frozen goods, fresh produce, fresh meat, milk and dairy, and food concept solutions, with an estimated value of £200,000,000.
What the buyer wants
• Deliver food and food-related products directly to individual establishments across the North East, in line with agreed delivery schedules and ordering arrangements. • Provide reliable, temperature-controlled storage, handling and distribution, with products delivered safely, in full and within agreed delivery windows. • Offer fully managed supply, including ordering, account management, product sourcing, ongoing contract support, and enough capacity and resilience to handle fluctuating demand throughout the framework term.
Lots
- Multi-Temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - Newcastle upon Tyne
- Multi-temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - Gateshead, Sunderland & South Tyneside
- Multi-Temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - Darlington, Durham, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees
- Multi-Temperature (Ambient and Frozen Products) - North Tyneside & Northumberland
- Fresh Produce (Fruit, Vegetables and Short Life Products)
- Fresh Meat (Poultry, Beef and Meat Products)
- Nursery Milk - Direct Delivery
- Bulk Milk & Kitchen Milk
- Organic Milk
- Meal Concepts & Food to Go
- Exception and Contingent Arrangements
Requirements
What could rule a small business out: The scale of the framework (£200,000,000 across multiple lots and areas), the requirement for temperature-controlled storage and distribution, and the need for sufficient capacity and resilience to deliver directly to many establishments across the North East would likely rule out most small businesses unless they can show this level of operational capability.
Always check the tender documents.
How to bid
This is a framework: the buyer picks a set of suppliers now and awards work to them over several years. If you are not on it when it is awarded, you usually cannot win work from it until it is re-tendered, so this is the window to bid.
Where to apply
The notice doesn't name a website for bids. Ask the buyer how to apply, using the contact on the official notice.
Questions about this tender? Email the buyer at professional.services@nepo.org.
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