✓Tender information last checkedLast checked 6 Oct 2026, 17:37.
Opportunity overview
This is not a tender exercise by the Education Authority. The Education Authority Northern Ireland (EANI) wishes to engage with the market to seek their views on establishing a robust, value for money contract for the provision of sustainable catering disposables and packaging products . Any information gathered through this market consultation exercise will inform internal business planning and any possible subsequent procurement process and will NOT be appraised in any future tender evaluation exercise. Please note that participation or non-participation in this preliminary market consultation exercise shall not prevent any supplier from participating in any potential procurement process, nor is it intended that any information supplied shall place any supplier at an advantage or disadvantage in any forthcoming procurement process. For the avoidance of doubt, this is the scoping phase of the project and is not part of a formal procurement process. Suppliers who wish to participate in the market engagement exercise should complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire. Further information including the questionnaire can be downloaded from CfT documents. The Questionnaire must be completed and PME Document signed and returned via the Messaging function of eTendersNI by no later than 3pm on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (deadline) in accordance with the instructions detailed in the PME Questionnaire document. There are no formal tender documents to be completed other than the questionnaire.
Classification
CPV39222000 — Catering supplies
CPV39222100 — Disposable catering supplies
Lots
Lot 1Value not stated
Documents and notices
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗
Published notice details
Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.
PRE-MARKET ENGAGEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE (PME) for Sustainable Catering Disposables and Packaging products for the Education Authority. Interested suppliers are asked to complete and return the questionnaire.
Due
21 Oct 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled
Documents
Entry 1
Id
094409-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.
1 VERSION
1
094409-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
PROCURAAXIS ANALYSIS
ProcuraAxis Analysis
Our approved analysis of the opportunity appears below the official tender information.
ANALYSIS PREVIEW
Opportunity intelligence at a glance
Early-stage pre-market engagement by the Education Authority Northern Ireland (EANI) on a possible contract for sustainable catering disposables and packaging. This is not a tender and participation is voluntary; suppliers can submit a completed questionnaire and signed PME document through eTendersNI messaging by 3pm on 21 October 2026.
Who this may suit
Relevant to suppliers of sustainable disposable catering products and packaging. Future tender requirements, scope and eligibility criteria are unknown.
Key points identified
Products in scopeSustainable catering disposables and packaging productsEvidence: The notice refers to a possible contract for “the provision of sustainable catering disposables and packaging products”.
Engagement responseComplete the pre-market engagement questionnaire and sign the PME documentEvidence: “Suppliers who wish to participate... should complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire” and “The Questionnaire must be completed and PME Document signed”.
Submission channeleTendersNI Messaging functionEvidence: The documents must be “returned via the Messaging function of eTendersNI”.
96% approved-analysis confidence5 supplier criteria identified4 risks or unknowns
ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.
Early-stage pre-market engagement by the Education Authority Northern Ireland (EANI) on a possible contract for sustainable catering disposables and packaging. This is not a tender and participation is voluntary; suppliers can submit a completed questionnaire and signed PME document through eTendersNI messaging by 3pm on 21 October 2026.
Who this may suit
Relevant to suppliers of sustainable disposable catering products and packaging. Future tender requirements, scope and eligibility criteria are unknown.
Key deliverables
Completed pre-market engagement questionnaire
Signed PME document
Return via the eTendersNI Messaging function
SUPPLIER REQUIREMENTS
5 criteria identified
Products in scope
98% confidence
Sustainable catering disposables and packaging products
View supporting evidence
The notice refers to a possible contract for “the provision of sustainable catering disposables and packaging products”.
Engagement response
99% confidence
Complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire and sign the PME document
View supporting evidence
“Suppliers who wish to participate... should complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire” and “The Questionnaire must be completed and PME Document signed”.
Submission channel
99% confidence
eTendersNI Messaging function
View supporting evidence
The documents must be “returned via the Messaging function of eTendersNI”.
Participation eligibility
99% confidence
Participation or non-participation will not prevent a supplier participating in any potential future procurement
View supporting evidence
“Participation or non-participation... shall not prevent any supplier from participating in any potential procurement process.”
Supplier selection criteria
95% confidence
Unknown
View supporting evidence
No selection or eligibility criteria are stated for this market engagement.
COMMERCIAL AND DELIVERY
Contract intelligence
Commercial
Potential contract value
82% confidence
Up to £6,000,000
View supporting evidence
Opportunity value maximum is stated as GBP 6,000,000.
Commercial terms
96% confidence
Unknown
View supporting evidence
The notice is a scoping exercise and states that any subsequent procurement is only possible.
Delivery
Delivery location
98% confidence
Unknown
View supporting evidence
Belfast is identified as the buyer location only; no product delivery location is stated.
Delivery timetable
99% confidence
Unknown
View supporting evidence
No delivery dates or contract period are stated.
PROCEDURE
How to respond
Procurement stage
99% confidence
Pre-market engagement / scoping phase
View supporting evidence
The notice states: “This is the scoping phase of the project and is not part of a formal procurement process.”
Opportunity status
99% confidence
Upcoming early-stage engagement; bidding is not open
View supporting evidence
Display status is upcoming, and the notice says “This is not a tender exercise”.
Engagement deadline
99% confidence
3pm on Wednesday 21 October 2026
View supporting evidence
The questionnaire and signed PME document must be returned “by no later than 3pm on Wednesday 21 October 2026”.
Future tender process
98% confidence
Unknown; possible subsequent procurement only
View supporting evidence
Information will inform “any possible subsequent procurement process”.
RISKS AND UNKNOWNS
Points requiring attention
No tender is currently open
99% confidence
This is market engagement only and does not constitute a formal procurement.
View supporting evidence
“This is not a tender exercise” and “is not part of a formal procurement process.”
Future opportunity is not guaranteed
98% confidence
The engagement may inform a possible, rather than confirmed, subsequent procurement.
View supporting evidence
The notice refers to “any possible subsequent procurement process”.
Future scope and terms
97% confidence
Unknown until any future procurement is published.
View supporting evidence
The notice describes a scoping phase and provides no final specification, contract term or commercial terms.
Response deadline applies to engagement only
99% confidence
The stated deadline is for the PME questionnaire, not a tender submission.
View supporting evidence
The deadline is expressly for return of the questionnaire and signed PME document.
ProcuraAxis analysis supplements, but does not replace, the original notice and tender documents. Always verify eligibility, deadlines and commercial terms with the issuing authority.
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