Procurement Policy Note 10/14: the plan for public procurement of food and catering · first published 13 November 2014
PPN 10/14 sets out the government's plan for how central departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) must buy food and catering services. It requires those buyers to use a 'balanced scorecard' evaluation method alongside revised Government Buying Standards for food and catering. The stated aim of the plan is to improve transparency and open up supply chains to a wider range of companies — including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and businesses that have never supplied government before. Suppliers are found via a dedicated procurement portal. Buyers must also manage contracts proactively and work with suppliers on responsible sourcing. This brief is based on the GOV.UK summary only; the full detail sits in the PDF toolkit which has not been parsed, so specific scoring weights and thresholds are not confirmed here.
WHO THIS APPLIES TO
THE ENKII VIEW
The explicit goal of opening supply chains to SMEs and first-time government suppliers is a genuine signal that food and catering contracts are intended to be more accessible — small firms in food production, catering, or responsible sourcing should treat this as an active invitation to engage. The balanced scorecard method suggests evaluation goes beyond price alone, which can benefit SMEs who compete on quality, provenance or sustainability. However, because we only have the summary and not the full toolkit, the exact scoring criteria and thresholds that would sharpen a bid strategy are not confirmed — SMEs should download the full toolkit and Government Buying Standards before bidding.
1. Download the full PPN 10/14 toolkit and the revised Government Buying Standards for food and catering from GOV.UK — these contain the detailed balanced scorecard criteria you will be evaluated against.
SMEs in food production, catering or responsible sourcing seeking central government contracts — Buyers are required to use the balanced scorecard method and Government Buying Standards; knowing the exact criteria lets you structure your bid and evidence around them before you submit.
2. Register on the government procurement portal referenced in the plan so that central government buyers can find you as a potential supplier.
SMEs and first-time government suppliers in the food and catering sector — The document states buyers 'will find suppliers that can help them achieve this via the procurement portal' — if you are not listed, you may be invisible to in-scope buyers.
3. Build and document your responsible sourcing credentials (e.g. provenance of ingredients, sustainability practices, ethical supply chain) ready to evidence against the balanced scorecard.
SMEs bidding for food and catering contracts with central government — Buyers must 'work with suppliers to source responsibly and comply with the balanced scorecard approach' — suppliers who can already demonstrate this reduce risk for the buyer and strengthen their bid.
4. Use the plan's stated intent to 'open up the supply chain' as a prompt to approach central government buyers directly or via the portal — do not assume prior government supply experience is required.
First-time government suppliers in food and catering — The plan explicitly calls out companies 'that have not supplied government before' as a target group, signalling that inexperience is not disqualifying.
Every rule below quotes the official document verbatim.
Central government buyers must use the balanced scorecard method when procuring food and catering services. (Central government departments, executive agencies and NDPBs — all food and catering procurement.)
“central government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies should commit to procuring food using the balanced scorecard method”
Buyers must apply the revised Government Buying Standards for food and catering services. (Central government departments, executive agencies and NDPBs.)
“revised Government Buying Standards for food and catering services”
The plan explicitly aims to open supply chains to SMEs and companies that have not previously supplied government. (All potential food and catering suppliers to central government.)
“open up the supply chain to a wider range of companies, including small and medium businesses (SMEs) and companies that have not supplied government before”
Suppliers are found by buyers through a dedicated procurement portal. (Central government departments, executive agencies and NDPBs.)
“They will find suppliers that can help them achieve this via the procurement portal”
Buyers must manage contracts proactively and work with suppliers on responsible sourcing and compliance with the balanced scorecard approach. (Central government departments, executive agencies and NDPBs.)
“Departments should also manage their contracts proactively, and work with suppliers to source responsibly and comply with the balanced scorecard approach”
The plan aims to improve transparency for government suppliers. (All food and catering suppliers to central government.)
“The Plan for Public Procurement of Food and Catering aims to improve transparency for government suppliers”
This briefing is enkii's interpretation of the official document — the official text always governs.
Source document © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0 via the GOV.UK Content API. enkii tracks every Procurement Policy Note and briefs changes the day they land — see all briefings.