Framework or Fees

When catering or cleaning contracts are up for renewal, school business leaders face a familiar dilemma.  Do you use a framework for speed and compliance, or go out to tender to drive value and control costs?  There is no one-size-fits-all answer, and the wrong route can cost time, money and confidence at audit.

We explore why procuring complex services, via frameworks, which are often of significant costs to schools, may not be the optimal solution for school, academies or Trusts. 

We examine some of the opportunities and risks associated with complex procurements, where the price is important, but buying the service you actually want, is potentially more important.

This session breaks down the real-world pros and cons of frameworks versus direct procurement, with a focus on catering and cleaning.  It helps you make informed, defensible decisions based on your school or trust’s size, capacity, risk appetite and commercial priorities.

In this session we explore:

•The difference between frameworks and direct tendering, in plain English

•When frameworks work well and when they can quietly cost more

•The hidden risks and fees that SBLs often miss

•How to judge value, not just compliance

•What auditors, governors and trustees expect to see

•How to choose the right route for your setting, not someone else’s

Take home points:

•Clarity on which route to market suits your school or trust

•Confidence to justify your decision to auditors and boards

•A practical checklist to support your next catering or cleaning procurement

•Better control of cost, quality and contract risk

•The ‘cost of the time’ of an SBL should be an important consideration

This session is for:

School business leaders, finance leads and operations teams responsible for catering, cleaning or wider contract procurement in maintained schools, academies and MATs.

Ian Henderson