The Source
Beautiful writing about delicious British food. Articles, comments and musings from our contributors.
About us
Established in 2002, School Milk Services were originally incorporated to supply milk solely to schools across the South West for children under 5. Over the years, we grew the business and started to supply children over 5 with milk, alongside serving businesses such as Hotels, Care Homes, Kitchens, Café’s and more.
Why we applied
We applied for the NHS Somerset tender as we wanted to expand our business and delivery areas. Prior to securing the contract, we primarily serviced the areas of Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset.
Although we did not have high hopes for winning the tender, we wanted to apply so that we could gain experience from the application process to aid potential future applications.
How we knew about the tender
Due to other contracts we hold within the local area, we are registered with the ProContract system which notifies us of tenders that may be of interest to our business.
Why we won the tender
I believe that our in-depth research and dedication to the application supported our winning of the contract, alongside our commitment to customer service and family values.
We wanted the interview panel to understand how we would wholly dedicate our time and efforts into the contract, and would aim to work with them at every step of the process to ensure their needs were put first.
What our experience is now
Since starting the NHS Somerset contract in December 2022, we have developed a strong relationship with key members of NHS Staff. Winning the contract has allowed us to review and align some of our key business values and dedications with those of the NHS. For example, we have further extended our commitments to Net Zero and are looking to complete further business certifications, such as the ISO4001 (we currently hold the ISO9001:2015 certification).
By working closely as a team, we have had ongoing success and look forward to the upcoming months and years working with all of the sites we deliver to.
Lessons and tips for other suppliers thinking about supplying the NHS
- Research before you consider applying for the tender – prior to completing the application, we drove around to every delivery site to ensure that, if we were successful, we could meet the requirements of the contract.
- Aim to win, but if you don’t, learn from the experience!
- Use all of the available resources provided when completing the tender – and do further research if possible
- Pay attention to the weighting of specific questions as this is extremely important to ensuring your application progresses further
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