✓Tender information last checkedLast checked 12 Oct 2026, 12:27.
Opportunity overview
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 Ambient and Chilled Grocery Products and Fresh Muffins. 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 no later than 3pm on the closing date detailed in the PME Questionnaire document. There are no formal tender documents to be completed other than the questionnaire.
Classification
CPV15000000 — Food, beverages, tobacco and related products
CPV15800000 — Miscellaneous food products
CPV15820000 — Rusks and biscuits; preserved pastry goods and cakes
CPV15830000 — Sugar and related products
CPV15850000 — Pasta products
CPV15860000 — Coffee, tea and related products
CPV15870000 — Condiments and seasonings
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.
Rusks and biscuits; preserved pastry goods and cakes
Entry 4
Scheme
CPV
Id
15830000
Description
Sugar and related products
Entry 5
Scheme
CPV
Id
15850000
Description
Pasta products
Entry 6
Scheme
CPV
Id
15860000
Description
Coffee, tea and related products
Entry 7
Scheme
CPV
Id
15870000
Description
Condiments and seasonings
Planning and budget
Milestones
Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Description
Pre-Market Engagement Questionnaire (PME) for the provision of Ambient and Chilled Grocery Products for the Education Authority and NI Educational Bodies.
Interested Suppliers are asked to complete and return the questionnaire available via the eTendersNI messaging portal no later than 3pm on 30 October 2026.
Due
30 Oct 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled
Documents
Entry 1
Id
095958-2026
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
095958-2026Preliminary 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 for the Education Authority Northern Ireland’s planned supply of ambient and chilled grocery products and fresh muffins. This is not a formal tender or open bidding opportunity; suppliers may complete a questionnaire to inform potential future procurement planning.
Who this may suit
Potentially relevant to food wholesalers and distributors able to supply ambient, chilled grocery and bakery products to an education-sector buyer in Northern Ireland. Formal supplier requirements for any later procurement are unknown.
Key points identified
Market engagement responseComplete the pre-market engagement questionnaire.Evidence: "Suppliers who wish to participate in the market engagement exercise should complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire."
Questionnaire deadline3pm on the closing date stated in the PME Questionnaire document; the date is not provided in the notice data.Evidence: "The Questionnaire must be completed no later than 3pm on the closing date detailed in the PME Questionnaire document."
Formal tender documentsNo formal tender documents are required for this market engagement other than the questionnaire.Evidence: "There are no formal tender documents to be completed other than the questionnaire."
96% approved-analysis confidence6 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 for the Education Authority Northern Ireland’s planned supply of ambient and chilled grocery products and fresh muffins. This is not a formal tender or open bidding opportunity; suppliers may complete a questionnaire to inform potential future procurement planning.
Who this may suit
Potentially relevant to food wholesalers and distributors able to supply ambient, chilled grocery and bakery products to an education-sector buyer in Northern Ireland. Formal supplier requirements for any later procurement are unknown.
Key deliverables
Complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire available through CfT documents.
Provide market input on a potential contract for ambient and chilled grocery products and fresh muffins.
SUPPLIER REQUIREMENTS
6 criteria identified
Market engagement response
99% confidence
Complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire.
View supporting evidence
"Suppliers who wish to participate in the market engagement exercise should complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire."
Questionnaire deadline
98% confidence
3pm on the closing date stated in the PME Questionnaire document; the date is not provided in the notice data.
View supporting evidence
"The Questionnaire must be completed no later than 3pm on the closing date detailed in the PME Questionnaire document."
Formal tender documents
99% confidence
No formal tender documents are required for this market engagement other than the questionnaire.
View supporting evidence
"There are no formal tender documents to be completed other than the questionnaire."
Effect of participation
99% confidence
Participation or non-participation will not prevent suppliers participating in a potential future procurement.
View supporting evidence
"Participation or non-participation in this preliminary market consultation exercise shall not prevent any supplier from participating in any potential procurement process."
Evaluation advantage
99% confidence
Information provided will not be appraised in future tender evaluation and is not intended to advantage or disadvantage suppliers.
View supporting evidence
"Any information gathered... will NOT be appraised in any future tender evaluation exercise" and "not intended that any information supplied shall place any supplier at an advantage or disadvantage".
Supplier eligibility criteria
99% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No eligibility, financial, insurance, company-size or certification criteria are stated in the supplied notice data.
COMMERCIAL AND DELIVERY
Contract intelligence
Commercial
Potential contract value
86% confidence
Up to GBP 67,500,000; whether this is an estimate, ceiling or whole-life value is not stated.
View supporting evidence
Source opportunity data lists value_max as 67500000 GBP.
Pricing and payment terms
99% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No pricing, payment, indexation or contractual terms are stated in the supplied notice data.
Delivery
Products in scope
99% confidence
Ambient and chilled grocery products and fresh muffins.
View supporting evidence
Notice title and description refer to "Ambient and Chilled Grocery Products and Fresh Muffins".
Delivery locations and service model
98% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
The supplied Belfast buyer location does not state delivery locations or logistics requirements.
Contract duration
99% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No contract start or end date is supplied.
PROCEDURE
How to respond
Notice status
99% confidence
Upcoming / planning: early-stage pre-market engagement, not a formal procurement process and not open tender bidding.
View supporting evidence
Display status is "upcoming"; stage is "planning"; the notice states it is "the scoping phase of the project and is not part of a formal procurement process".
Procedure
99% confidence
Preliminary market engagement questionnaire; any subsequent procurement route is unknown.
View supporting evidence
Notice type is "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender" and the description says the exercise may inform "any possible subsequent procurement process".
Submission route
93% confidence
Questionnaire available via CfT documents; detailed access and submission instructions are unknown from the supplied data.
View supporting evidence
"Further information including the questionnaire can be downloaded from CfT documents."
RISKS AND UNKNOWNS
Points requiring attention
Early-stage status
99% confidence
This is a planned market-engagement exercise rather than an open tender. A future procurement is possible but not committed, and its scope, route, timetable and terms may change.
View supporting evidence
The notice describes a scoping exercise intended to inform "any possible subsequent procurement process" and states it is not part of a formal procurement process.
Response deadline unavailable
99% confidence
The notice references a 3pm questionnaire deadline but does not provide the closing date; suppliers need the PME Questionnaire document to confirm it.
View supporting evidence
The deadline is stated only as "3pm on the closing date detailed in the PME Questionnaire document".
Limited lot detail
99% confidence
A single planning lot is present but has no title, description, value or deadline.
View supporting evidence
Supplied lot 1 fields are null, with planning status.
Value interpretation
94% confidence
GBP 67.5m is recorded as a maximum value in the source data, but the notice data does not explain the valuation basis or confirm a future contract award.
View supporting evidence
Source opportunity data lists value_max as 67500000 GBP; the exercise is pre-market engagement only.
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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