Prepare Tenders For Catering Contracts: D1.HCA - CL3.06 Trainee Manual

Prepare tenders for catering contracts
D1.HCA.CL3.06
Trainee Manual
Prepare tenders for
catering contracts
D1.HCA.CL3.06
Trainee Manual
Project Base
William Angliss Institute of TAFE

555 La Trobe Street
Melbourne 3000 Victoria
Telephone: (03) 9606 2111
Facsimile: (03) 9670 1330
Acknowledgements
Project Director: Wayne Crosbie

Chief Writer: Alan Hickman
Subject Writer: Alan Hickman
Project Manager: Alan Maguire
Editor: Jim Irwin
DTP/Production: Daniel Chee, Mai Vu, Riny Yasin, Kaly Quach
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967. The Member
States of the Association are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.
The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
General Information on ASEAN appears online at the ASEAN Website: www.asean.org.
All text is produced by William Angliss Institute of TAFE for the ASEAN Project on “Toolbox
Development for Front Office, Food and Beverage Services and Food Production Divisions”.
This publication is supported by the Australian Government’s aid program through the ASEAN-
Australia Development Cooperation Program Phase II (AADCP II).
Copyright: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2013.
All rights reserved.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that this publication is free from errors or omissions. However,
you should conduct your own enquiries and seek professional advice before relying on any fact,
statement or matter contained in this book. The ASEAN Secretariat and William Angliss Institute of
TAFE are not responsible for any injury, loss or damage as a result of material included or omitted
from this course. Information in this module is current at the time of publication. Time of publication is
indicated in the date stamp at the bottom of each page.
Some images appearing in this resource have been purchased from stock photography suppliers
Shutterstock and iStockphoto and other third party copyright owners and as such are non-transferable
and non-exclusive. Clip arts, font images and illustrations used are from the Microsoft Office Clip Art
and Media Library. Some images have been provided by and are the property of William Angliss
Institute.
Additional images have been sourced from Flickr and SKC and are used under Creative Commons
licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
File name: TM_Prepare_tenders_for_catering_contracts_FN_030214
Table of contents
Introduction to trainee manual........................................................................................... 1
Unit descriptor................................................................................................................... 3
Assessment matrix ........................................................................................................... 5
Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 7
Element 1: Identify tender requirements............................................................................ 9
Element 2: Determine ability to meet tender requirements and conditions ...................... 37
Element 3: Estimate costs .............................................................................................. 51
Element 4: Prepare submission for management............................................................ 61
Presentation of written work ............................................................................................ 79
Recommended reading................................................................................................... 81
Trainee evaluation sheet................................................................................................. 83
Trainee Self-Assessment Checklist................................................................................. 85
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Trainee Manual
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Trainee Manual
Introduction to trainee manual

To the Trainee
Congratulations on joining this course. This Trainee Manual is one part of a ‘toolbox’
which is a resource provided to trainees, trainers and assessors to help you become
competent in various areas of your work.
The ‘toolbox’ consists of three elements:
 A Trainee Manual for you to read and study at home or in class
 A Trainer Guide with Power Point slides to help your Trainer explain the content of the
training material and provide class activities to help with practice
 An Assessment Manual which provides your Assessor with oral and written questions
and other assessment tasks to establish whether or not you have achieved
competency.
The first thing you may notice is that this training program and the information you find in
the Trainee Manual seems different to the textbooks you have used previously. This is
because the method of instruction and examination is different. The method used is called
Competency based training (CBT) and Competency based assessment (CBA). CBT and
CBA is the training and assessment system chosen by ASEAN (Association of South-
East Asian Nations) to train people to work in the tourism and hospitality industry
throughout all the ASEAN member states.
What is the CBT and CBA system and why has it been adopted by ASEAN?
CBT is a way of training that concentrates on what a worker can do or is required to do at
work. The aim is of the training is to enable trainees to perform tasks and duties at a
standard expected by employers. CBT seeks to develop the skills, knowledge and
attitudes (or recognise the ones the trainee already possesses) to achieve the required
competency standard. ASEAN has adopted the CBT/CBA training system as it is able to
produce the type of worker that industry is looking for and this therefore increases
trainees chances of obtaining employment.
CBA involves collecting evidence and making a judgement of the extent to which a worker
can perform his/her duties at the required competency standard. Where a trainee can
already demonstrate a degree of competency, either due to prior training or work
experience, a process of ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ (RPL) is available to trainees to
recognise this. Please speak to your trainer about RPL if you think this applies to you.
What is a competency standard?
Competency standards are descriptions of the skills and knowledge required to perform a
task or activity at the level of a required standard.
242 competency standards for the tourism and hospitality industries throughout the
ASEAN region have been developed to cover all the knowledge, skills and attitudes
required to work in the following occupational areas:
 Housekeeping
 Food Production
 Food and Beverage Service
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Trainee Manual 1
 Front Office
 Travel Agencies
 Tour Operations.
All of these competency standards are available for you to look at. In fact you will find a
summary of each one at the beginning of each Trainee Manual under the heading ‘Unit
Descriptor’. The unit descriptor describes the content of the unit you will be studying in the
Trainee Manual and provides a table of contents which are divided up into ‘Elements’ and
‘Performance Criteria”. An element is a description of one aspect of what has to be
achieved in the workplace. The ‘Performance Criteria’ below each element details the
level of performance that needs to be demonstrated to be declared competent.
There are other components of the competency standard:
 Unit Title: statement about what is to be done in the workplace
 Unit Number: unique number identifying the particular competency
 Nominal hours: number of classroom or practical hours usually needed to complete
the competency. We call them ‘nominal’ hours because they can vary e.g. sometimes
it will take an individual less time to complete a unit of competency because he/she
has prior knowledge or work experience in that area.
The final heading you will see before you start reading the Trainee Manual is the
‘Assessment Matrix’. Competency based assessment requires trainees to be assessed in
at least 2 – 3 different ways, one of which must be practical. This section outlines three
ways assessment can be carried out and includes work projects, written questions and
oral questions. The matrix is designed to show you which performance criteria will be
assessed and how they will be assessed. Your trainer and/or assessor may also use
other assessment methods including ‘Observation Checklist’ and ‘Third Party Statement’.
An observation checklist is a way of recording how you perform at work and a third party
statement is a statement by a supervisor or employer about the degree of competence
they believe you have achieved. This can be based on observing your workplace
performance, inspecting your work or gaining feedback from fellow workers.
Your trainer and/or assessor may use other methods to assess you such as:
 Journals
 Oral presentations
 Role plays
 Log books
 Group projects
 Practical demonstrations.
Remember your trainer is there to help you succeed and become competent. Please feel
free to ask him or her for more explanation of what you have just read and of what is
expected from you and best wishes for your future studies and future career in tourism
and hospitality.
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Unit descriptor
Unit descriptor
This unit deals with the skills and knowledge required to Prepare tenders for catering
contracts in a range of settings within the hotel and travel industries workplace context.
Unit Code:
D1.HCA.CL3.06
Nominal Hours:
35 hours
Element 1: Identify tender requirements

Performance Criteria
1.1 Clarify key objectives and/or requirements of tender in consultation with
management
1.2 Analyse fixed and variable costing elements in consultation with management
1.3 Identify and analyse tendering criteria and conditions
Element 2: Determine ability to meet tender requirements and

conditions
2.1 Assess ability to provide catering service/s specified in tender
2.2 Assess viability of tendering for the provision of catering service/s
2.3 Identify unique requirements of tender
Element 3: Estimate costs

3.1 Use enterprise rate and/or costing schedules to establish costing
3.2 Confirm availability of labour, equipment, materials and other relevant items
according to enterprise requirements
Element 4: Prepare submission for management

4.1 Outline required resources and capacity within submission
4.2 Outline cost estimate within submission
4.3 Outline operational details within submission
4.4 Outline proposed products and outcomes required to meet tender requirements
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Unit descriptor
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Assessment matrix
Assessment matrix
Showing mapping of Performance Criteria against Work Projects, Written
Questions and Oral Questions
The Assessment Matrix indicates three of the most common assessment activities your
Assessor may use to assess your understanding of the content of this manual and your
performance – Work Projects, Written Questions and Oral Questions. It also indicates
where you can find the subject content related to these assessment activities in the
Trainee Manual (i.e. under which element or performance criteria). As explained in the
Introduction, however, the assessors are free to choose which assessment activities are
most suitable to best capture evidence of competency as they deem appropriate for
individual students.
Work Written Oral

Projects Questions Questions
1.1 Clarify key objectives and/or requirements of

1.1 1–4 1
tender in consultation with management
1.2 Analyse fixed and variable costing elements in

1.1 5, 6, 7 2
consultation with management
1.3 Identify and analyse tendering criteria and

1.1 8 – 11 3
conditions
Element 2: Determine ability to meet tender requirements and conditions
2.1 Assess ability to provide catering service/s

2.1 12 – 15 4
specified in tender
2.2 Assess viability of tendering for the provision

2.1 16 – 19 5
of catering service/s
2.3 Identify unique requirements of tender 2.1 20, 21 6
3.1 Use enterprise rate and/or costing schedules

3.1 22, 23, 24 7
to establish costing
3.2 Confirm availability of labour, equipment,

materials and other relevant items according to 3.1 25, 26 8
enterprise requirements
4.1 Outline required resources and capacity within

4.1 27, 28, 29 9
submission
4.2 Outline cost estimate within submission 4.1 30 10
4.3 Outline operational details within submission 4.1 31, 32, 33 11
4.4 Outline proposed products and outcomes

4.1 34 12
required to meet tender requirements
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Assessment matrix
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Glossary
Glossary
Term Explanation
24/7 Twenty-four hours-a-day, seven days-per-week
CBA Cost-Benefit Analysis
CEO Chief Executive Officer
COP Code of Practice
CV Curriculum Vitae (personal résumé)
CVP analysis Cost/Volume/Profit analysis
Client The person or business issuing the RFT
Deliverables The requirements of the catering contract
EMP Emergency Management Plan
F&B Food and Beverage
FIFO First In, First Out stock control
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points
HR Human Resources
KPI Key Performance Indicator
PC packs Portion Control packs
RFT Request For Tender
ROI Return on Investment
RSA Responsible Service of Alcohol
SOLAS Safety Of Life At Sea
SOP Standard Operating Procedure
SME Small to Medium Enterprise
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Glossary
Term Explanation
Tenderer Person or business who submits a tender application
Tender price The price the business wants to charge for the work
performed under the tender
Tender team Group of staff from within the business who assist in
identifying tender requirements and preparing tender
submission
Travel packs Food which is served from the site and taken off-site (for
example) by employees working at a remote location
USP Unique Selling Points
QA Quality Assurance
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Element 1:
Identify tender requirements
1.1 Clarify key objectives and/or requirements of
tender in consultation with management
Introduction
When a Request for Tender has been obtained the first step is to determine what the
objectives of the document are.
This section provides background information to tenders and the tendering process,
describes activities necessary to identify and clarify tender requirements and provides
examples of project deliverables.
Tenders and the tendering process

Tender – defined
A tender is a formal offer from you to do work for another person/business.
When the tender is accepted, a legally-binding contract is formed.
RFT – defined
An RFT is a Request For Tender.
It is a document from another person/business asking you to submit a tender stating how
you will meet the needs specified in the RFT and the price you will charge for the products
and services offered.
The tendering process

The tendering process can be seen as comprising the following steps/stages:
 Identify the opportunity to submit a tender
 Obtain the RFT documentation
 Identify and clarify key objectives and/or requirements
 Determine ability/capacity to meet tender requirements
 Assess feasibility/viability of the tender
 Determine resource requirements
 Estimate/calculate costs
 Prepare tender documentation
 Submit tender
 Speak to tender, if requested/short-listed.
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Reasons businesses issue RFTs

There is an increasing trend for companies to ‘tender out’ their work.
This may be because they:
 Believe the tendering process is the best and most effective way to obtain high quality
products and service at best price
 Find tenders often develop new ideas and/or concepts for product and service
provision as part of the offer made by those responding to RFTs
 Want to identify what different providers have to offer
 Are obliged by internal company requirements (or mandatory legislated obligations) to
submit all contracts over a certain value to a compulsory, competitive tendering
process.
Reasons businesses respond to RFTs

Not all businesses seek out RFTs.
If your business seeks to respond to RFTs it will be because they want to:
 Increase market share
 Expand the business
 Increase revenue
 Raise profit
 Enhance business viability
 Grow the reputation and market presence of the business.
Types of catering contracts

There is no limit regarding the type/nature of catering contracts for which an RFT may be
prepared.
Clients can offer contracts for any form of catering to meet their specific needs.
Commonly, catering contracts are offered for:
 Schools – day schools and boarding schools
 Hospitals and aged care facilities, including:
 Facility catering
 In-home provision of meals
 Prisons/jails
 Work sites and canteens – including remote site
locations, often involving oil rigs and mining sites
 Hospitality venues – who do not want to operate their own food business within the
facility
 Sporting and entertainment venues – for the provision of catering at events
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 Transport catering – which may relate to the provision of catering for:

 Airline catering – in-flight and/or at terminals
 Railway catering – on board and at stations
 Cruise catering
 One-off jobs with food service operators who wish to tender out the work they
have secured.
Identify the opportunity to submit a tender

You can become aware there is an opportunity to submit a tender in the following ways:
 Registering with government agencies to be included on their distribution list when
they have RFTs to circulate. When you are registered you will automatically be
forwarded notification and the relevant documentation
 Regularly searching the internet:
 Using key words such as <name of your country> + <catering contract>
 Visiting known sites of potential/past clients who you know issue online RFTs
 Reading an advertisement about the RFT in:
 A newspaper – this is a common method for companies to notify potential
tenderers that there is a catering contract available
 A trade magazine
 A government gazette
 You will need to follow-up this advertisement by:
 Visiting a website
 Telephoning a contact person
 Receiving direct communication from the client –
sometimes the client will identify businesses it wants to
tender for the work/catering they have to offer.
In these cases they may directly approach you:

 By telephone – to enquire if you are interested
 By email – sending you an electronic version of the RFT
 In person – arranging a meeting and giving you a copy
of the RFF. This is most common where the two
businesses have had previous dealings with each other
 Registering and paying a Tender Information Service to:
 Monitor suitable catering RFTs as they become available
 Forward documents to you for contracts which meet the
criteria/specifications you have provided.
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Obtain the RFT documentation

When you identify an opportunity to tender for a catering contract you will need to obtain
the relevant RFT documentation.
Sometimes the RFT documents will be provided when you are notified of the opportunity
to tender – either in electronic or hard copy form.
Obtaining RFT documentation may require you to:
 Visit a website, register as an applicant and download the documentation
 Telephone or otherwise contact a nominated person to request hard copy and/or
electronic copies
 Call in to a given address and collect a copy
 Attend a general meeting – where all potential respondents are given a copy of the
RFT documents and have the requirements of the tender explained to them.
Sometimes:
 RFTs are provided free-of-charge to any business interested in tendering
 There may be a need to lodge a non-refundable deposit/fee to obtain the RFT
documentation.
Need to involve management

It is standard practice to involve management when considering an RFT.
It is necessary to involve management in this process to:
 Gain the benefit of their experience and expertise with tendering – where they have
previously participated in other tender applications
 Identify if the business is interested in submitting a tender or not – because
management has access to the Business and Strategic Plans of the business and can
best determine whether the business is seeking to:
 Grow or expand
 Contract or down-size
 Move into new market areas
 Focus on new target markets
 Re-position the business in the marketplace
 Be made aware of the opportunity facing the business –
so they can factor this into other thinking and planning
for the business
 Authorise actions necessary to research and prepare for the tender application – there
is always a need for management to:
 Agree to the time necessary for preparing a tender submission – this process
always requires a large/significant amount of time
 Authorise resources required for a detailed tender submission – such as visits to
the client/work site as identified in the RFT, meetings with client and internal staff
meetings, preparation of documentation
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 Allow the ‘tender price’ to be calculated in a way that best suits the needs of the
business – for example, management may:
 Be desperate for the contract and so be prepared to approve a low tender price to
win the business because of a poor cash flow position
 Only want to tender if they can charge the ‘normal’ prices they charge for their
products and services
 Be prepared to tender at a lower price in order to break into a new market and/or
start a business relationship with a new client
 Insist a higher than normal price is included in the submission because of previous
problems management is aware of when dealing with this client
 Want to determine the profit which will flow to the venue if they win the contract.
Identifying and clarifying key objectives and/or requirements

It is vital to appreciate that:
 The specific contents or requirements for all catering contracts will differ
 You must understand the details of the contract – it is not sufficient just to have an
overview or vague idea of what is required
 There is a need to check and confirm you have all parts of the RFT documentation –
many RFTs comprise a series of sub-documents which combine to produce the total
RFT documentation.
See below ‘Tender documentation’.
You can identify and clarify the requirements of an RFT by using a combination of
techniques, such as:
 Forming a ‘Tender Team’ – this is a group of people from within the organisation (see
‘Composition of the Tender Team’ below) who will assist with the tender application.
They will help by undertaking activities such as:
 Reading the RFT and contributing to analysis of it
 Attending relevant meetings
 Undertaking designated research
 Performing calculations and costings delegated to
them
 Identifying, developing and trailing F&B options for
the tender
 Preparing draft materials for the tender submission
 Reading and re-reading the RFT – this is a critical aspect of the process at this stage.
You should:
 Read the RFT on your own – this should be done:
– In a quiet place without interruptions
– Taking notes as you read – about issues requiring special/further attention,
and items you need to clarify
– Posing questions you think need to be asked and answered as part of the
decision making process (‘should we apply for the tender?’ for example)
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 Re-read the RFT – you must always read the RFT at least twice – you will always
identify new things the second time you read the document
 Read the RFT with others – such as management or the Tender Team to get their
perspective and interpretation about requirements and tender objectives
 Making contact with the client – it is always necessary to make contact with the
business presenting the RFT as a standard practice when considering responding to
their offer.
Every RFT will nominate a contact person and this person MUST be contacted – see
‘Communicating with the nominated contact person’ below.
Examples of key objectives and requirements

‘Key objectives and requirements’ refer to the specific focus for the project/contract.
Many RFTs contain a document or section titled ‘Objectives’ or ‘Background’ or ‘Scope of
Work’ or ‘Contract Specifications’ providing an overview of what the catering contract is all
about.
This gives context for the tender and helps you determine whether or not you want to, or
able to, proceed with the application.
Advice regarding key objectives and requirements for a catering contract may involve
statements such as:
 “The successful caterer will provide total catering
services to workers, management and visitors on an oil
rig situated 15 kms off-shore from a nominated city,
providing four meals a day to cater for 24-hour shift
works, 365 days of the year for a three-year period.
A full-time crew of 345 personnel staff and operate the

rig, comprising workers predominantly from XYZ
countries.
In addition there is a need to operate a shore-based function

centre capable of delivering food and beverage services to
1,200 on an as-required basis subject to bookings from local
businesses and communities.
All rig employees of the successful tenderer will need to

complete the mandatory SOLAS course and work a 14-day on
and 14-day off rotation.
All crew transportation and deliveries will be via helicopter.
High seas and hurricanes are common in the platform area and the rig must be
sufficiently provisioned to operate for a minimum of 15 continuous days without re-
supply.”
 “XYZ requires a caterer experienced with the provision and service of food in medical
facilities to serve 18,000 meals per day to patients (average 14,000 meals per day),
staff and visitors (average 4,000 meals per day) of a Grade B, medium-size in-patient
hospital.
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Patient meals must be delivered to the wards where they will be served by nursing
staff.
Successful tenderers will need to produce rotating menus. This many comprise of two-
week cycles with three courses with three choices per course for patients across a
wide-range of specific health-related requirements (see Appendix C for details) to
support specified medical and nutritional requirements.
One ‘public’ canteen and two staff canteens also need to be catered for providing a
range of pre-prepared and made-to-order sandwiches and rolls as well as 10 hot and
cold meals per service session plus side dishes, non-alcoholic beverages and
proprietary lines of biscuits and confectionaries.”
 “The XYZ Boarding School requires the services of an experienced caterer to deliver
meals, snacks and light refreshments for 450 children and 60 staff at their ABC
campus.
All children and staff are live-in at the school and rely on the caterer for all their food
and beverage needs during the school year, as well as catering for camps, excursions
and special events conducted by the school from time-to-time.
The school has several students with special needs diets based on health or medical,
cultural and religious requirements.
Alcohol is to be served with meals provided to staff, parents and visitors, as well as at
functions and nominated special events.
The XYZ Boarding School believes in ‘health body,

healthy mind’ and seeks a provider with demonstrated
ability to prepare attractive, nutritional and tasty meals to
underpin this philosophy.”
 “ABC Penitentiary provides secure housing for 5,000
high-security inmates and employs 1,500 full-time staff.
The facility is located in the ABC desert 120 kms from

the nearest town and accessible only by road: a helipad
is also available.
Catering requirements for the period of the contract require:

 Service of three meals-a-day to the prison population in four general dining halls
operating two sittings per hall, per service session
 Individual service of all meal types to invalid inmates in the infirmary and prisoners
who are confined to their cells
 Twenty-four hour operation of staff canteen providing hot a cold meals for sit-down
and take away consumption
 Annual functions for approximately 1,500 attendees for the Governor’s ball and the
national Prisoner Progress Convention conducted in September each year.”
 Bundling of requirements – catering contracts may also require a range of items to be
provided in addition to the standard food and beverage requirements:
 Provision of accommodation
 Provision of transport
 Establishment of kitchen facilities at the sites.
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You can see how, from reading the Objectives or Background section of the RFT, you can
quickly:
 Gain an overview and understanding of the job or contract
 Determine whether or not it is worth investing more time and money in preparing a
submission
 Identify any ‘knock out’ questions or issues which may automatically exclude you from
applying.
Identifying ‘knock out’ questions or issues

‘Knock out’ questions or issues are any demands made by the client which you cannot
meet.
They stop you being an eligible candidate for the tender.
Identifying them early is important to save you wasting time, money and effort submitting
an application for a tender you have no real chance of winning.
Examples of knock out questions can include:
 Need to have demonstrated previous experience – and
your business has never had any
 Need to be a ‘local’ company in another country –
where you have no existing presence and are not willing
to establish a presence
 Applications may only be offered to national businesses
– and you are based in another country
 Need to hold a liquor licence to support the service of alcohol – but your company
policies forbid you doing this
 The magnitude, complexity or establishment cost for the project is simply too much for
the size, experience or expertise of your business
 Need to make an application as a sole provider – and not in conjunction with other
businesses. This can rule you out of contention if you need to make a joint-venture
submission
 Need to use certain technology – which you are unable to fund or obtain
 Inability to comply with specified issues – which may relate to security, environmental
issues, employment, status of your business. The RFT may require only registered
companies to apply.
Composition of the Tender team

Membership of the Tender Team should comprise:
 Management representative – this may be the owner of the
business in SMEs
 A Tender Manager – this is the contact person for all
communications relating to the tender submission.
The Tender Manager has ultimate responsibility for

preparing and submitting the tender application.
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 Someone from Administration – to assist with accessing or providing necessary

business information
 Head Chef – to provide food-related expertise
 Other cooking staff – with expertise/experience relevant to the requirements of the
tender
 Beverage manager – for advice/input of beverages, if required.
Communicating with the nominated contact person

Communicating with the nominated contact person should include:
 Making initial telephone contact with them – to introduce yourself and indicate your
interest in the RFT
 Getting to know the client – it is extremely
important to do this in order to:
 Develop a positive relationship between your
business and the client – you need to do
whatever is necessary to ensure the contact
person is well-disposed towards you personally
and towards your employer
 Identify specific challenges and or other
problems their business is facing – which may
not be specified in the RFT documentation but which are important to them and
which may form a significant part of the decision making process when they
decide who to award the catering contract to
 Get a better ‘feel’ for them/their business and what they want – it is a fact of life the
expectations of clients usually exceeds what is contained in most RFT documents,
and the only way to identify these additional requirements is to engage with the
client in person
 Arranging a face-to-face meeting with them – this may be at their workplace or at your
venue/business.
This allows you to:

 View their office/workplace
 Visit, inspect and gain an appreciation of the site where the contracts is to be
undertaken. See ‘Visiting the site’ below
 Show the client your workplace, its facilities and the resources you have available
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Tender documentation
The entire tender documentation often comprises several individual documents, such as:
 Cover document – detailing:
 Name of the tender
 Code number for the tender
 Identification of all documents comprising the RFT documentation
 Overview of the objectives for the tender
 Conditions – covering:
– Definition and interpretation of terms used in the documents
 Details of client
 Description of sites where catering is required
 Details of any mandatory meetings required for tender
applicants – to obtain standardised details and
information relating to the requirements of the tender
 Information about short-listing of applicants
 Rules applying to tender submission and submission
requirements – more information about this is provided
in section 3.1
 Need to observe confidentiality
 Rules governing communication with the client to obtain extra information –
commonly, the client will respond to your queries and then forward the information
they have given you to all other interested parties or applicants
 Need to avoid conflict of interests
 Period/term of the contract being offered
 Need for compliance with terms and conditions specified in the RFT
documentation
 Need to provide warranties
 Complaint handling and dispute resolution procedures
 Need to indemnify the client
 Rights and responsibilities of both parties in relation to the contract
 Need for risk assessment
 Requirement for insurance
 Stipulation of mandatory reporting regarding implementation or discharge of the
contract
 Need to provide sample menus and names of products, ingredients or suppliers to
be used
 Evaluation criteria – which identifies how every submission will be evaluated, setting
out
 Details of criteria which will be used to judge the submission
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 The relative weighting of each criterion – in numeric or percentage terms

 Lowest price will not necessarily be awarded the contract
 Reference to the fact that every submission will be assessed against certain points
such as:
– Quality – as defined by the RFT
– Performance standards – as stated
– Other relevant matters – for example, environmental concerns, ethical
purchasing of ingredients and products, use of local labour
– Previous performance
– Value-for-money
 Application document – this is the official form which MUST be used as the basis for
the tender submission and which is likely to contain space for you to address
information regarding:
 Formal acceptance of terms and conditions specified in the documentation
 Information and details of your business
 Confirmation of compliance with stated Specifications for the provision of goods
and services as started in the RFT
 Details of your previous experience and demonstrated capacity to meet the
requirements of the tender
 Alignment with designated:
– QA requirements
– COPs
– Certification – of the business and/or staff who will
deliver the required products and services
– Pre-requisite training – such as ‘All staff must hold XYZ food safety certificate’
 Service plan – detailing how food and beverages will be displayed and made
available, include delivery of foods from the kitchen to patients in wards
 Customer feedback – explaining how you will track the satisfaction of customers
including patients, inmates or workers with the foods and beverages provided and
with the service delivered to them
 Monitoring and reporting of the contract
 Details of the risk assessment which has been undertaken for the project – and
the insurance policy which will cover the operation
 Costings – detailing as appropriate to the RFT:
– Details of nominated sub-sections of food and beverages or other products or
services required by the contract
– Selling prices for items
– Labour costs
– Management fees
 Staffing details – identifying number and type of staff to be used
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 Appendices – which may give space to provide:

– Curriculum vitae for staff to be used
– Outlines of previous tenders which have been discharged
– Sample menus – with recipes
– Photographs of meals
 Invoicing for the contract – identifying how and when payment is required
 Signatures of nominated persons – on behalf of your business to formally apply for
the tender.
Visiting the site

Arranging the visit
You should always consider visiting the site, venue or location where the contract is to be
undertaken.
Your visit:
 May be required as a condition of the application
 May need to be arranged through the contact person nominated in the RFT
documentation
 Can be undertaken at your own discretion without notifying the client of your visit –
where the contract applies to an area which is open to the public.
Reasons to visit
Undertaking a personal visit to the site can reap many benefits and always provides a rich
source of information which can be referred to when deciding whether or not to proceed
with a tender submission and when constructing the actual application.
Your visit may enable you to:
 Speak to staff who are working at the location – and gain their impressions and
insights into:
 The operation of the business
 Problems they have identified
 Suggestions for improvement
 identification of potential for the operation
 Trade volumes
 Inspect the facilities and equipment – to:
 Identify what is available
 Gain an appreciation of its age and condition and/or need for repairs,
maintenance, service or replacement
 Learn the layout of equipment and utilities
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 View a shift/session – to gain first-hand experience of the existing service

protocols and the volume of trade being processed. This can be matched against
claims made in the RFT regarding potential/required numbers of meals, whether
per session, day or shift
 Observe operations and evaluate the food and/or beverages being offered – in terms
of :
 Prices charged
 Quality
 Serve sizes
 Plate appeal
 Types of meals – names of dishes, brand names of packaged products
 Ingredients used
 Cooking styles and methods used
 Talk to food or beverage consumers – to:
 Obtain their feedback on the food and beverages on offer – in terms of relevant
factors such as taste, quality, choices, serve sizes, availability
 Obtain their feedback on prices
 Obtain their feedback on service standards
 Seek their suggestions for improvements
 Identify the issues they rate as priorities for attention.
1.2 Analyse fixed and variable costing elements in

consultation with management
Introduction
When you have a sound and detailed understanding of the RFT documentation you can
start analysing certain aspects of the offer in more detail.
This section identifies and discusses common costing elements of RFT documents.
Need to involve management or the Tender Team

Management and/or the Tender Team should be part of this
analysis process because they can:
 Help by providing advice based on their experience
 Perform calculations required for analysing variable costs
 Assist with necessary research – such as:
 Sourcing products and prices
 Obtaining quotations for ingredient and products
 Determining availability of required resources
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 Trialling/testing required elements – such as:

– Tasting ingredients
– Developing recipes
– Inspecting workplaces where service delivery is required – to determine
resources and space available; to identify local issues problems and possible
other opportunities
 Provide direction about costs to be applied
 Approve, reject or modify proposed costs
 Identify ability of the business to obtain required resources to meet needs of each
element.
Difference between and examples of ‘fixed’ and ‘variable’

elements
Fixed costs are costs which stay the same regardless of the volume of catering/food
production which needs to be provided.
Examples can include:
 Contract management
 Insurance
 Venue hire or rent
 Security
 Permanent staff
 Maintenance or service agreements
 Membership of organisations or associations.
Variable elements are items which vary with the amount of catering provided.
They may also be referred to as ‘semi-variable’ or ‘mixed’ costs.
They include:
 Food
 Beverages
 Transportation
 Power and other utilities
 Staffing – to an extent, such as extra service, kitchen and cleaning (casual , part-time
and overtime payments) staff required to cope with higher levels of catering or service
delivery
 Laundry.
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Considerations when analysing fixed costs

Because fixed costs do not change regardless of the production and service levels the
only analysis required is to:
 Ensure all fixed costs have been identified for all of the outcomes and deliverables
required under the tender – it is vital all of these are named because failure to do can
have a major, negative impact on the viability and profitability of the tender
 Calculate the actual costs attaching to each identified fixed cost – this can mean:
 Obtaining quotations
 Sourcing options and possible alternatives
 Undertaking price comparisons
 Negotiating deals with suppliers and providers
 Determine how the costs will be defrayed when the tender pricing/costing is done – for
example:
 Will you identify each cost and list the cost at ‘full cost recovery’ value only?
 Will you add a percentage to each fixed cost? So you show a profit and return on
each cost
 Will you integrate all fixed costs into the pricing/costing for other tendered items?
For example, assimilating all these costs into:
– A project management fee
– The individual selling price for products
– Costing for ‘food’ and/or ‘beverages’ as defined by the RFT.
Issues when analysing variable costs

Issues when analysing variable costs may include:
 Identifying all items which can be classified as
variable costs
 Quantifying volumes for each identified item at a
series of production/service points. For example:
 Maximum volumes
 Average volumes
 Minimum volumes
This is particularly important where the RFT documentation requires you to provide
costing on a ‘per meal’ basis, also referred to as ‘activity per service’, as it allows you
to tender at three different volume rates.
 Determining base costs and prices for each identified variable cost
 Conducting CVP analysis
 Considering required selling prices – as necessary for the RFT or as required to
generate sales or profit required by your application
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 Developing a comprehensive and relevant cost pricing strategy for each food and
beverage items to be provided – determining relationship of costs to selling prices for
items or ‘per meal’ revenue earned under the contract
 Undertaking CBA for the project – or for individual components of the tender
 Identifying the nature of deals which can be obtained from suppliers, such as:
 Quantity discounts at different purchase volumes
 Bonus offers – for buying certain amounts
 Better terms of trade – such as more time to pay or increased discount for prompt
payment
 Identifying alternative uses for ingredients or products which may not be used at the
client’s site – for example:
 Some suppliers are prepared to take back items you are unable to use
 If you operate another venue/catering business, you may be able to transfer
perishables to this other venue and use them there
 Determining relationship of costs to selling prices for items or ‘per meal’ revenue
earned under the contract
 Considering budget implications – for allocation of funds to budgets
 Predicting contribution margins for products and elements – as part of Break-Even
analysis
 Determining these individual costs as a percentage of expected revenue.
Full cost recovery

Where you are asked to provide certain services to support the tender you may elect to
do this on a ‘full cost recovery’ basis.
This means you only charge the client the same amount you paid to obtain the service
from a third party. This approach does not generally apply to products.
For example if you were required to include travel and accommodation in your catering
contract you might only cost out this expense to the client at the same rate/amount the
travel agent charged you.
This means:
 The client is not charged extra for the service
 You do not show a profit/return on your effort
 The price you quote allows the focus to be on just the food
and beverages you are providing
 It is a sign of goodwill towards the client – because, in
effect, you are doing something for nothing as an ‘added
extra’ for them.
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Cost plus
An alternative to charging/costing out an item at ‘full cost recovery’ is to charge the items
(products or services) out as ‘cost plus’.
This means you charge the client:
 The amount it cost you
Plus, either:
 A nominated percentage – such as ‘plus 10%’ or ‘plus 15%’,
 A set ‘service fee’ per transaction.
1.3 Identify and analyse tendering criteria and

conditions
Introduction
Another initial step in identifying tender requirements is to
identify and then analyse the specific tendering criteria and
conditions set out in the RFT documentation.
This section indicates how tendering criteria and conditions
can be identified, provides examples of possible criteria and
conditions, and identifies considerations in their analysis.
Purpose of this stage

At the end of the process of you need to know with absolute clarity and certainty:
 Exactly what products and services are required
 Precisely when it is required to be provided – and the duration of the contract being
offered
 Where service provision is required – the location or sites for service delivery
 How food and beverages are to be supplied
 Limitations on or mandatory requirements applying to eligible tender applicants
 Compulsory submission requirements as stipulated by the client
 Date and time by which the application must be submitted.
You should have also:
 Made contact with the client through their nominated ‘contact person’ – to
demonstrate your interest in applying, clarify issues and develop a rapport.
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Identifying tendering criteria and conditions

You can identify the criteria and conditions for a tender by:
 Reading the RFT document – the relevant criteria and conditions will usually be set
out under headings such as:
 Objectives
 Deliverables
 Goods and services to be supplied
 Specifications of products of services
 Service requirements
 Terms and conditions
 Proposed contract
 Conditions for tendering
You will need to read all of these sections as each individual section can contain
specific information not contained in other sections.
 Attending pre-tender meetings – conducted by the client for those wishing to lodge a
tender submission.
This may be a mandatory requirement for

tenderers or it may be optional.
It is beneficial to attend these as doing so:

 Demonstrates commitment to the tender
 Enables face-to-face meeting with the
client/their representative
 Often provides extra detail not provided in the RFT documents
 Provides an opportunity to ask questions
 Gives you an insight into the competitors who are also likely to make a submission
 Seeking clarification from the contact person named by the client in the RFT
documents – remember in most cases the information provided to you as part of this
explanation will also be provided to others who have registered as showing interest in
applying for the contract.
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Tendering criteria
Criteria are standards or specifications relating to products and services which must be
met in your tender submission to qualify you for consideration as a legitimate tenderer.
The information contained in the ‘Objective’ or ‘Background’ section of the RFT
documents is addressed, expanded on and specified through the tendering criteria so
there is some degree of duplication between these two areas.
Criteria may relate to:
 Food safety – which may refer to application of HACCP procedures and protocols to
the total food handling process with a view to identifying anything that could pose a
threat to consumers.
This process demands analysis of and establishment of control points and controls for
the following food handling steps:
 Purchasing of food
 Delivery of food into the premises and its receival
 Storage of incoming food – dry,
refrigerated/cold, or frozen
 Preparation of food – including thawing of
frozen food
 Cooking and processing of food – including
cooling of hot food
 Storing and holding of prepared or cooked
food – hot and cold
 Re-heating of previously cooked food
 Packaging of food for take away or travel packs
 Service and display of food – including self service
 Transportation of food where food has to be transported to a secondary location or
event
 Catering to be provided – for example:
 Breakfast, lunches and dinners
 Suppers, morning teas and afternoon teas
 Take away food requirements
 Demand for travel packs
 Provision of snacks, which commonly need to be available 24/7 – and may only
need to be provided via vending machines
 Volumes –number of meals to be provided on a daily or other basis
 Dates – this may address:
 Specific dates for specific catering
 Dates/times when catering is not required
 Duration of the contract – the dates the contract will start and finish
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 Service times – on a daily basis for each meal type, for example:
 Breakfasts – 05:30AM – 09:00AM
 Lunches 11:45AM – 2:30PM
 Dinner 05:45PM – 09:00PM
 Overview of those to be catered for – which may include reference to:
 Personal descriptors, such as:
– Patients and staff
– Prisoners and wardens
– Students and teachers
 Age ranges
 Nationalities
 Gender
 Types of food to be provided – detailing, for example:
 Types and cuts of meat and fish
 Types of fruit and vegetables
 Nomination of certain dishes(including provision of quantity foods recipes for these
dishes
 Specification of diet types to be provided – this is more important in institutions such
as hospitals, aged care facilities, prisons and schools, but of increasing importance in
other venues and facilities.
RFT documents may require, for example, the need to provide food which caters for:
 Low-fat menus
 Low-salt menus
 Diabetic menus
 Gluten-free menus
 Meals across a specified range of calorific content
 Nominated vegetarian requirements
 Certain allergies
 Quality-related criteria – which may address:
 Use of fresh food – or designated requirements regarding amount of fresh food to
be used
 Prohibitions on nominated foods – there may be a specific ban on the use of:
– Certain foods
– Use of certain suppliers
 Speed of service of food – detailing number of
people to be served in a given time or at a
designated service period
 Need for action to be taken to swab work
surfaces and food equipment and forward the
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specimens to a designated laboratory for analysis to determine the level and type
of microbiological contamination
 Pricing – RFT documentation may prescribe:
 Maximum selling prices which can be charged for items – for example in a staff
canteen when selling to workers, or in a public canteen at a hospital
 Parameters for food cost percentages for dishes
 Selling points for nominated food and beverage types
 Cooking or preparation methods – commonly separating dishes into ‘wet’ or ‘dry’
dishes and specifying cooking methods which can be used, must be used or must not
be used, for example:
 Boiling
 Frying
 Baking
 Poaching
 Stewing
 Braising
 Grilling
 Cooking styles which must, should and/or should not feature on the menu, such as,
for example:
 Chinese
 Mexican
 French
 Italian
 Asian
 Western
 Service styles – focussing on how food is to be served to those who will eat it.
Considerations may include:

 How meals are to be displayed
 How meals are to be served and service style
 Requirements for packaging take away food
 Requirements for enabling provision of hot and/or cold travel packs
 Liquor service – if the RFT covers the service of alcohol criteria commonly address:
 Need for successful tenderer to apply for a nominated type of liquor licence
 Need to maintain the licence for the duration of the contract
 Requirement to transfer licence to next successful tenderer at conclusion of this
contract
 Ensure all liquor service staff have completed a nominated RSA course
 Comply with all legislated obligation
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 Contract management team – detailing:

 Structure of the team
 Roles and responsibilities
 Required contact details
 Their CV
 Customs, religions or cultural requirements or
restrictions to be catered for – for example food
requirements as they apply to:
 Islam
 Buddhism
 Hinduism
 Judaism
 Lifestyle diets
 Ancillary requirements – which can cover a multitude of food and beverage-related
topics such as:
 Condiments – such as salt, pepper, mustards, sauces and other specified items
and how they are to be provided. For example:
– In shakers, pots, bottles or other suitable shared containers?
– In PC packs?
– Supplied ‘inclusively’ or sold to those who want them
 Type, style, quality and quantity of crockery, cutlery glassware and other service
ware
 Serviettes or napkins
 Tablecloths.
Tendering conditions
Conditions are requirements you must accept as part of the process of making a tender
submission for this contract with this client at this time.
For example, conditions may apply to:
 Using existing kitchen and service as currently provided at the contract site – or being
prepared to provide any extra equipment required ‘at own cost’
 Providing nominated equipment at tendered own cost’
 Nominating certain types of equipment to be used for specified operations
 Accepting the payment terms and dates offered in the RFT document
 Agreeing:
 To making a personal presentation to the client to explain the submission
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 The client reserves the right to alter food and beverage requirements at any time
subject to:
– A minimum advance notice period – such as 30 days for special
events/changes to previously agreed delivery requirements
– Joint agreement – between you and the client
– Necessary adjustments to original or agreed payments
 That the decision of the client as to who is the successful applicant is final.
Considerations in analysis
When analysing the tendering criteria and conditions, you and your tender team need to
pose and develop answers to a series of questions based on the topics and constraints
raised in the RFT.
The nature of the answers you honestly provide to these questions will be highly
influential in deciding your next step or if you proceed to the next step.
Questions may include:
 Do you have the necessary experience called for in the
RFT?
 Can you prove this?
 How should you prove this experience?
 Which past or current catering contracts will you
refer to?
 Who might provide you with a Letter of
Commendation to support the application?
 Can you provide the required products and services at the sites listed?
 How can you deliver these products and services?
 What do you know about this site, location, town or venue?
 What problems or challenges does this remote location pose?
 How will you transport materials and equipment to the site on a regular basis and
how much will this cost?
 How will you get staff to and from the site?
 What staff do you have who can fulfil the requirements of the RFT?
 Are there any special needs in terms of knowledge and skills required for the
preparation or service of food at the nominated venues?
 Are they willing to work on this project or at this location?
 What staff would you need to recruit?
 How difficult might it be to recruit the required staff?
 How much would you need to pay staff working on this project/contract?
 Do the requirements of the RFT:
 Meet/align with the stated plans and strategies of the business?
 Integrate with existing operations?
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 Enable the business to:

– Pursue identified new markets?
– Gain identified market share?
– Re-position itself in the marketplace or eyes of consumers?
 What money needs to be spent:
 To buy new plant, equipment, machinery or utensils to enable required products
and services to be provided?
 To train staff to required standards or certification?
 To develop and implement systems, SOPs, policies, COPs, protocols and QA
requirements specified?
 To renovate, refurbish or otherwise bring the contract location to the required level
of safety, cleanliness and appearance?
 When does it need to be spent?
 Will existing systems and protocols in the business integrate with other service
provisions at the contract site – in terms of:
 HR – in areas such as:
– Rostering?
– Payroll?
– Training and development?
– Induction and orientation?
– Industrial relations?
 Stock management – covering:
– Purchasing?
– Issuing?
– Control and monitoring/tracking?
 Recording and reporting?
 Internal communications?
 Determining financial performance of the contract?
 Cash control protocols – regarding:
– Cash handling and cash security on-site?
– Budgets?
– Accounting operations and bookkeeping?
 Do you need to seek a joint-venture partner to assist with:
 Financing the project?
 Giving the necessary experience and expertise to the application?
 Providing ‘local’ knowledge of the site/?
 Are you prepared or otherwise ‘able’ to comply with:
 Insurance requirements?
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 Timetable or delivery schedules?

 Registration of your business with a nominated organisation or authority?
 Business type or status requirements?
 Other eligibility criteria as stated in the RFT?
 Limitations and constraints imposed?
 Conflict of interest requirements?
 Lodgement provisions – for example:
– If submission is required to be hand-delivered in a foreign country, are you
prepared to pay someone (airfares, accommodation, and time) to do this?
– If there is a need to send three people overseas to make a formal presentation
(face-to-face) of the tender, are you willing to do this? Can you afford to do
this?
 Have you investigated requirements relating to contract-specific requirements – such
as:
 Setting up a business in a foreign country?
 Securing operating license, permits and other in-
country authorisations?
 What requirements including documents,
limitations and evidence, apply to overseas
countries and aliens working in-country?
 Food safety? Taxation? Occupational health and
safety?
 Are you prepared to disclose certain information and
problems your business has encountered?
Many applications require you to identify:

 Civil action the venue is party to
 Criminal action initiated against the venue
 Orders or injunctions made by authorities requiring the venue to take prescribed
action
 Financial statements showing the financial status of the organisation
 Nominated operational and other plans for the business
 Potential conflicts of interests.
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File and share information

Standard practices in relation to all information relating to a tender submission are to:
 Create one or more relevant paper-based or electronic files – and file all relevant
information
 Share the information gathered with all members of the Tender team – in hard-copy or
electronic form.
Information which should be filed and shared includes:
 Copies of all RFT documents – and copies of all generally-released extra information.
This may include:

 Amendments and updates to the original suite of RFT documents
 Responses to questions posed by you or other tender applicants
 Personal comments, notes, questions and issues on the basis of:
 Reading the RFT
 Inspecting worksites
 Talking to the designated contact person
 Research undertaken
 Feedback obtained – from (for example):
 Previous businesses that have won the contract you are applying for
 Past/existing workers at the contract venue
 Authorities/agencies which have legislated jurisdiction over and responsibility for
the business
 Customers/users of the catering provided
 Relevant documentation – which can include:
 Venue policies and procedures
 Venue plans and strategies
 Legislation applicable to the tender
 Sample menus
 Quotations from suppliers
 Advice from service providers – such as insurers, service technicians, legal
counsel, accountants and financiers
 Draft – and final – responses to requirements of the RFT.
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Work Projects
It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as advised by your Trainer.
You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of completion
of the project to your Trainer by the agreed date.
NOTE: This Work project forms the basis for all subsequent Work Projects
1.1 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are required to obtain RFT
documentation for a catering contract and prepare a report which:
 Includes a hard copy of the RFT documentation

 Details the key objectives and requirements for the tender
 Identifies and analyses the fixed and variable costing elements
 Identifies and analyses the tendering criteria and conditions
 Details (if applicable) the evaluation criteria for assessing tender submissions.
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Summary
Identify tender requirements
When identifying tender requirements:

 Actively seek out tender opportunities and obtain RFT documentation
 Read, identify and analyse the requirements of the RFT
 Create a Tender Team to assist with tendering
 Identify ‘knock out’ topics/requirements as soon as possible
 Involve management in identifying tender requirements
 Make contact with the client to ask questions, clarify issues and arrange a meeting
 Try to visit and inspect the venue/worksite where the work is to be carried out
 Identify all fixed and variable costing elements
 Request administration or management to analyse identified costing elements
 Ask/pose lots of questions
 Identify and analyse all tendering criteria and conditions listed in the RFT
 Continue involvement of management and the tender Team throughout the initial analysis and
identification processes
 Identify the evaluation criteria which will be used to judge the tender submission
 File all tender-relevant information and documents
 Share all information openly with Tender Team.
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Element 2:
Determine ability to meet tender
requirements and conditions
2.1 Assess ability to provide catering service/s
specified in tender
Introduction
An important element of determining your ability to meet tender requirements and
conditions is the need to assess your ability to provide the required catering services
specified in the RFT.
This section discusses the importance of this point and explains how the assessment is
made.
Importance of assessing your ability to meet requirements

The assessment of your ability to provide the services and products listed in the RFT is
important to:
 Assist in the decision about whether to proceed with the application or not – the earlier
this decision can be made, the better as it costs time and money to prepare a
response to an RFT
 Identify the resources necessary to discharge
contract requirements – in terms of:
 Physical resources
 Human resources
 Financial resources
See ‘Identifying resources’ below
 Serve as a basis for assessing the viability of
tendering.
Assessing ability to provide required catering services

The basic process
Assessing your ability to provide the outcomes/deliverables as identified in the RFT
documentation must address these activities:
 Involving Management and the Tender Team
 Allocating time/meetings for this stage of the process
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 Confirming RFT requirements and ensuring there is a comprehensive and detailed

understanding of the requirements – which MUST be underpinned by feedback and
additional information received as a direct result of:
 One-to-one contact with the client
 Site visit and inspection
 Willingness to undertake necessary research:
 With suppliers, providers and support services in relation to product and service
availability, continuity of supply, terms of trade, delivery, prices and quality
 In relation to developing, testing/trialling and costing recipes
 To prepare sample menus
 To draft and cost model staff rosters for operational aspects of the tender
 Asking and answering a series of questions – see below.
Asking and answering a series of questions

Questions which need to be addressed include:
 What is required?
You can only start this process when you have a full understanding of what is required
under the RFT.
 What products and services have to be provided?
 When and where?
 What are the performance measures (KPIs, service
standards and associated criteria for food, service,
food hygiene and other relevant factors) for each
aspect of the contract?
 How many staff are required?
 Can the business do this? Can you actually deliver what
is required?
 What factual evidence is there to support the answer
to this question?
 What is your ‘gut feeling’?
 What is your demonstrated experience?
 What is your potential?
 Does the business want to do this?
 Why? Why not?
 If you won the contract:
 When could you start? Does this fit with RFT requirements?
 Is the work in accordance with organisational plans for the development/growth of
the business?
 Does the work align with current workplace activities and culture?
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 Would the new contract require you to diversify into areas which are not your core
business?
Many businesses have strictly identified activity and operational parameters and
they may refuse to take on a contract which takes them outside these boundaries.
 What are the restrictions or challenges posed by the contract?
 Is the contract site ‘too remote or distant’? For example, is the delivery site in
another country?
 Are there significant potential problems
in relation to:
– Language barriers?
– Cultural issues?
– Procurement of materials?
– Delivery of products onto the site?
 Why has the client issued the RFT
documentation?
 Is it because a previous caterer has tried and failed? What does this mean? What
signals does this send to you?
 Have they found it is too difficult and/or expensive to deliver the required products
and services? If they cannot do what is required, why/how can you?
 Is the client genuinely committed to the project or do they appear to be trying to
distance them from it?
 What does the client know about your organisation?
 Do they know you exist?
 Have you contracted with them before?
 Are they aware of your work, the other clients you have and or similar work you
have already done?
 Have they indicated they want you to win the tender but must go through the
process of offering the tender for legal or other reasons?
 What do you know about the client?
 What problems or challenges are they facing?
 What is important to them, and why?
 What are the resource implications? See below
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Identifying resources
Identifying resources required to deliver tender requirements involves completion of the
following activities:
 Naming the resources
 Attaching numbers to each of the identified resources – such as volumes, quantities,
volumes, amounts, hours
 Preparing job descriptions for positions – to
assist in determining the staff who need to be
recruited, and or the training which needs to be
provided to your existing staff
 Conducting preliminary discussions with possible
financiers to identify their potential for providing
financial support for the project – and identifying
the amount of finance they may be able to
supply and the cost of that funding
 Identifying and or confirming resources already
available at the contract site – and establishing the condition of each available item
including plant, equipment, machinery, infrastructure, utensils, crockery, cutlery,
systems and technology
 Determining acquisition options for each classification of resources as appropriate –
see below
 Identifying and resolving problems and issues associated with obtaining the identified
required resources
 Calculating cost for each set of resources
 Determining on-going costs – such as service and maintenance, staff training, repairs
and replacements.
Acquisition options
You may consider the following when assessing how to obtain resources:
For physical resources
Options can include:
 Using existing resources – either:
 As provided ‘on site’
 Which you already own within your venue
 Items which are available from other workplaces in your wider organisation
 Purchasing – new or used
 Leasing
 Renting or hiring
 Joint-purchasing with a partner.
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For human resources

 Multi-skilling existing staff
 Up-skilling current workers
 Recruiting new staff with required experience and expertise to fill new positions
 Outsourcing certain services
 Engaging more staff to supplement available staff
For financial resources
 Obtaining loans from financial institutions
 Seeking private investment
 Negotiating better terms of trade with suppliers
 Searching for government or other subsidies.
2.2 Assess viability of tendering for the provision

of catering services
Introduction
There is always a need to assess the viability of providing a response to an RFT
This section identifies and discusses determination of the viability of tendering within a
specific organisational context
Considerations and context

Determining the viability of tendering for the provision of catering services involves
analysis and evaluation of many factors.
These factors will vary between RFTs.
While profitability is nearly always a principal consideration, there are frequently many
other matters which should impact your thinking and the final decision about whether or
not the tender is a viable one.
What is ‘viability’?
Assessing viability seeks to answer the question ‘Is it worthwhile submitting a tender for
this catering contract?’
Determining the ‘viability’ of tendering for the provision of catering services under a
contract requires to a formal and structured analysis of the topics listed below.
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Costs involved in the tendering process

This relates to the time and expenses involved in
submitting an application – this may mean you are
involved in costs related to:
 Meetings – internal Tender Team meetings,
meetings with management and external
meetings with the client and other stakeholders
 Research – into tender requirements, the site,
competitors, previous product and service
provision on site, legal compliance
requirements, resources required
 Development – of new required menu items,
policies and procedures, service protocols to meet stated requirements
 Testing – of products as well as SOPs and service and other protocols
 Fees associated with the application – there may be a need to pay a fee to register as
a tender applicant
 Complexity and requirements of the RFT response – some RFTs can be relatively
short and require only basic information to be provided while others can be very
detailed and demand you submit well over 100 pages.
There is obviously a very strong link between the information and detail required in the
submission and the time it will take to research, prepare and submit an application.
 Travel – to:
 Meet with the client
 Attend information sessions
 View sites
 Identify and negotiate with local
suppliers
 Hand-deliver your submission
 Make a presentation to support
your application
 Build a positive relationship with the client.
Time-related factors
The importance of certain factors which influence viability is likely to vary over time.
A critical factor ‘today’ may be an irrelevancy ‘tomorrow’.
Something not relevant today may be a vital consideration tomorrow.
For example:
 If you have a low cash flow situation and desperately need revenue, then even a
contract which fails to deliver the normal ROI is likely to be pursued – because ‘some
cash is better than no cash’
 Conversely, if you are ‘busy’ and generating sufficient cash and profit you will not
need to win the contract as much as in the previous situation.
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Site location
Some tenders are attractive and viable if they exist ‘nearby’, which may be within a given
distance, within the same city, within the same country or in an adjoining country.
Other applications may, simply by virtue of their geographic location, render the RFT an
unviable proposition due to issues relating to:
 Travel and transportation
 Lack of local knowledge
 Cultural and language issues
 Different legislated obligations.
Profitability
Profitability may be judged primarily in two ways and it is
up to you, management and the Tender Team to
determine what the profitability criteria are for individual
tenders.
Profitability may be seen:
 In strict monetary terms – the amount of profit
expected to be earned from performing the contract
 In percentage terms – judging either or both of:
 The overall ‘return on investment’ to be gained
from participation
 The percentage mark-up to be obtained on food and beverages.
 What other potential opportunities exist with this client into the future? Will
undertaking this contract better place you to tender for future (more lucrative)
contracts?
Future considerations
There are often times when you will be obliged to tender for a contract even though you
know you will not profit from being awarded the contract.
This can be acceptable in situations where:
 You believe undertaking this contract better places you to tender for future contracts
 Your organisational plans required you to break into this new client or market
 Your strategy is to secure the contract and learn more about the operational
requirements of the client and this type of catering service on-the-job, so you are
better prepared and more informed for future opportunities.
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Other tender applicants

Unless you are the only business to which the RFT has been provided it is always
worthwhile considering the competition ranged against you in terms of who else is
applying for the contract.
 Who else do you know or think is applying?
You can identify this by asking around, and through attendance at information
sessions related to the RFT.
When you have identified them you need to undertake some form of competitor
analysis:
 What is their history and track record?
 What are their Strengths and Weaknesses?
 What Opportunities and Threats do you think the tender poses for them?
 What are their USPs?
 What approach to the RFT do you think they are likely to take? Will they seek to
compete on the basis of:
– Price?
– Expertise in the type of facility where the
catering is to be provided?
– Previous experience in the geographic area?
– Their proven and demonstrated track record?
– Management proficiency?
– Innovation?
– Technology?
 Can you realistically expect to compete against them?
 Are they a genuine threat?
 Is a regular contractor applying?
And is this likely to mean they will get the contract because the client is familiar and
happy with their past performance?
It can be a fact of life some RFTs are issued simply to comply with a legal or internal
requirement: the reality is sometimes the decision about who will be awarded the
contract has been made before the RFT has been distributed.
 Is the current or previous contractor applying or not?
This requires you to:

 Find out how they have performed
 Determine whether or not the client is satisfied with their performance
 Try to find out their satisfaction levels with the results/profit/outcomes from the
previous contract
 If they are not re-applying, asking them why not
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 Identify any competitive advantages you have over these organisations – what
innovations are you able to offer that the competition cannot?
 Is it a competitive tendering process, or is your business the only one asked to
tender?
You will be encouraged to submit a tender if you know you are the only applicant.
Outcomes of risk analysis

Your risk analysis must reveal either:
 There are no significant risks associated with the contract
or
 You can implement suitable risk controls to eliminate or sufficiently mitigate identified
risks.
Risk management
A formalised risk management is undertaken by many operators for large RFTs and you
need to know what the outcome of the risk assessment is.
The process addresses three stages:
 Risk identification for the project – identifying risks your businesses sees as being
attached to the project if you were the successful tenderer
 Risk analysis – a process where you evaluate the identified risks to determine their
potential Consequence and Likelihood, and identify and analyse possible control for
each of the risks which have been listed
 Risk control – where each of the identified risks has (at least one) control allocated to
it in order to ensure the risk posed can be effectively mitigated
Your analysis of the risk assessment must look at:
 Effectiveness of each control
 Cost of implementing controls
 Associated legalities
 Impact on operation of the business.
Other factors and issues

There are nearly always ancillary issues which are factors in your thinking when
determining viability of a tender.
These considerations may address a wide range of topics such as:
 Would winning this tender enhance your image or build your brand in the
marketplace?
 Do you have existing spare equipment or other capacity which could be productively
and profitably used on this contract?
 Would winning the contract provide you with a useful and beneficial second outlet for
menu items and food and beverage products?
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Introduction
Because all catering contracts are unique, all RFT requirements will be unique.
This section identifies how to identify unique requirements and gives examples of what
these requirements have been in previous RFT documentation.
Identifying the requirements

The same techniques used to determine the objectives, requirements, criteria and
conditions for a tender are the same ones used to identify ‘unique requirements’.
To re-cap previous notes, these methods involve:
 Consulting with management
 Using the Tender Team
 Reading and reading the RFT
 Making sure you understand the RFT
 Clarifying ambiguous terms, statements and
requirement listed in the RFT documentation
 Asking questions of the client
 Attending pre-tender meetings.
In addition there is always a need for you to:
 Use common sense – to evaluate the nature, complexity and importance of each
unique requirement
 Apply industry knowledge – about how to determine and respond to unique
requirements
 Use venue knowledge – to recognise what is standard and what is ‘unique’ in terms of
what your organisation can provide.
The nature of ‘uniqueness’

Certain requirements as stated in the RFT documentation can be unique (see ‘Examples
of unique requirements’ below) but it is important to understand ‘uniqueness’ can be
relative.
What is ‘unique’ for you or your business, may not be unique to another tender applicant.
For example:
 If the tender required you to provide catering services in a country where you had not
previously worked, then this would be unique – if you had delivered contracts in that
country before then this requirement would not be unique
 If you were applying to deliver catering to a hospital and had only ever delivered
catering services to prisons and sporting arenas then this ‘hospital’ focus would be
unique for you.
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Examples of unique requirements

In practice there is no limit to what a client may requests in their RFT documentation, so it
is impossible to create an all-inclusive list of unique requirements.
The following, however, is an indicative list:
 Requirement to provide food and beverage 24/7
 Need to use local or specific, nominated suppliers
 Requirements to cater for a specific culture
 Need to provide meals to meet certain dietary requirements
 Occasional need to provide catering for ‘special events’ in addition to the normal, day-
to-day catering requirements – such as need to cater for:
 Board meetings every month
 Annual General Meetings
 Fundraising events
 Celebrations
 Specified meetings, functions and events
 Need to operate a liquor licence
 Requirement to produce a given number of choices per course or service session
 Need to offer a stipulated range of take away items
 Need to sell a given assortment of packaged foods and beverages for retail sale
 Demand for different classifications of food to be served at the one time – for example,
there can be a need to produce:
 One type, style, quality of food for the public in the general public outlets – at a
given set of prices or selling points
 A different range and or standard of food for patients
 A further range including type, style and quality of food for hospital staff and
doctors – at different price points to the canteen
 Shut-down at given periods – for example at boarding schools
 Need to align operations with designated Codes, QA systems or other criteria
 Necessity to employ a given number or percentage of local employees
 Mandatory requirement to use nominated equipment or service systems – to prepare,
deliver or serve food
 Need for the client to taste test and approve menu
items before they can be offered
 Adherence to designated food safety protocols
 Mandatory reporting requirements
 Requirement to participate in stipulated meetings with
the client to discuss progress, resolve issues and make
recommendations for improvement to service delivery
 Compulsory training or certification for staff
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 The right of the client to inspect the premises and provision of catering services either
‘on demand’ or at identified times
 Maximum selling prices which you can charge for items to be provided
 Stipulation payment for services rendered will only be made at certain times
 Requirement for your organisation to join a nominated industry association when/if it
wins the contract
 Necessity to provide a management structure/team at the project site and/or for the
contract
 Requirement to provide evidence appropriate risk management for the project has
been undertaken
 Need to provide identified financial statements and disclose other information which is
usually regarded as ‘commercial in confidence’
 Requirement to identify the supply chain to be used for materials and ingredients
 Need to provide emergency procedures to deal with nominated occurrences at the
catering site.
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Work Projects
2.1 Using the RFT which formed the basis of your response to Work Project 1.1 prepare
a submission which:
 Explains or demonstrates how you would assess the ability of an organisation to

provide the required catering services making reference to specific
points/requirements identified in the RFT documentation
 Explains or demonstrates how you would assess the viability of tendering with
reference to the nature, context and requirements of the RFT
 Identifies unique requirements of the tender explaining why (in your context) you
have identified them as unique.
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Summary
Determine ability to meet tender requirements and conditions
When determining ability to meet tender requirements and conditions:

 Assess your ability to provide the required catering services
 Identify the human, physical and resources required
 Involve management and the Tender Team in all considerations and activities
 Pose lots of questions
 Consider a range of resource acquisition options for identified need
 Determine the context of the contract for your business, its focus and its operations
 Calculate the financial and other costs involved in making an application
 Determine viability of the tender
 Consider all relevant factors, not just profitability
 Do an analysis of identified competitors
 Undertake a risk analysis process, where/if necessary
 Be aware of all unique requirements for the tender.
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Element 3:
Estimate costs
3.1 Use enterprise rate and/or costing schedules
to establish costing
Introduction
A vital aspect of all tender applications is to establish the costs you will incur in delivering
the services required by the contract.
This section discusses the importance of costing and identifies the use of a variety of rate
and/or costing schedules as part of this process.
Importance of this step

Establishing correct and competitive costing is such an
important phase of the tender development process
because:
 Your tender price will need to reflect and (usually)
cover the identified costs associated with providing
the required products and services – this underlines
the need for most submissions to return a profit to
your organisation
 The organisation which wins the tender is mainly determined on the basis of the
tender price they submit – subject to other factors such as quality, compliance, value
for money, performance and other nominated evaluation criteria
 Clients usually expect the tender price to represent a saving to them assessed against
the cost they would incur in delivering the catering themselves
 Where tender submissions provided by two applicants appear similar in all other
respects, it is the tender price which will determine who secures the contract
 This part of the tendering process is often the most time consuming aspect of the
tendering process – and frequently the one about which there is the most debate,
discussion and disagreement amongst management and the Tender Team
 Where the client has decided on a competitive tendering approach, there is usually a
high degree of similarity between the costing presented by all applicants.
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Background to rate or costing schedules

Rate or costing schedules:
 Are lists of costs your business will charge for a range of products and or services
showing:
 Name of products and services
 Amount charged per unit – as appropriate to the product or service, be it per item,
per hour, per person or per meal
 How rates vary as more or less of each unit is required
 Will be developed by your business to facilitate costing of tenders – and to assist with
the provision of quotations for smaller events or functions
 Must be current and comprehensive – meaning the
costs associated with each charge or unit must:
 Be up-to-date – you cannot afford to use dated
prices as they can change so quickly, using a dated
schedule can mean the difference between profit
and loss for a tender
 Include all associated costs – for example, if you
need to pay your supplier a fee for insurance,
delivery and or re-packing then this amount needs
to be added to the unit cost of individual ingredients
and items.
This means you need to identify the landed in-store cost for everything, as
opposed to (just) the ‘list price’ or wholesale price for items.
 Must be approved by management before they are used – as a means of verifying you
are using the correct ones
 May be prescribed (in part) by the client – as part of the RFT documentation: that is,
some RFTs may set parameters or limits within which you are required to operate in
order for your submission to be accepted for consideration
 May need to be included by you as part of the total tender application you submit
 Must clearly indicate whether costs are inclusive of any relevant taxes or not.
Examples of rate or costing schedules

There is no standard list of rate and or costing schedules which you may be required to
address.
There is also no standard definition of what each schedule contains.
If in doubt about what you need to include in your schedules or about the format they
should take, you must clarify these with the client or their nominated contact person.
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Rate and or costing schedules may relate to cost components such as:
Labour rates
This schedule will need to detail:
 The individual job positions to be used to provide the required products and services –
such as kitchen hands, cooks, chefs, service staff, cleaners
 The hourly rate:
 For all classifications of staff – for example ‘Grade 1’, ‘Grade 2’, ‘Grade 3’
 For casuals and part-time staff
 Identifying (where applicable) differential pay rates for week days, weekends and
public holidays
 The weekly, or fortnightly or monthly pay rates for full-time staff
 Rates for management personnel including all support and administrative services –
which may include HR, payroll, secretarial services, office staff
 On-costs relating to staffing – such as uniforms, training, sick leave, holiday and leave
loadings, superannuation, worker’s compensation, hiring costs, accommodation and
other related expenses
In some cases there may also be a need to:
 Generate sample rosters – for a given period for each of the operational and support
areas such as administration, management or cleaning
 Cost those rosters – using the identified labour rates as the basis for these
calculations
 Include the sample rosters and the costings into the tender submission.
Standard equipment costs

You may also be required to construct and include a schedule for costs associated with
the provision of equipment you intend using to deliver the RFT requirements.
Equipment can relate to:
 Plant and equipment
 Systems and technology
 Items and utensils required for preparation, storage and
service of F&B
 Cleaning, hygiene and sanitations
In many cases this schedule is not required as:
 Equipment cost is integrated into the costing for food and
beverages
 Equipment is often provided at the site by the client – meaning there is no need for
you to provide it.
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A schedule for equipment may be required:

 Where the client requires a specific system, process or item to be used
 Existing equipment on-site is inappropriate or insufficient
 There are legal compliance demands
 If the use of additional or different equipment will result in other savings – such as
savings in labour, or reduction in wastage and or power usage
 Where equipment upgrades and or modifications are required.
The nature and content of the schedule for ‘standard equipment costs’:
 May be prescribed by and included in the RFT documentation
 Is usually listed as a total cost per item of equipment for the duration of the contract –
that is, items and costs are rarely listed on an hourly, daily, weekly or other basis
 Should include ‘service and maintenance costs’ – unless there is a requirement to
provide a separate ‘Standard service costs’ schedule (see below).
Current commodity costs

This is the cost of materials/ingredients to be used to provide the necessary food and
beverages required by the RFT.
Standard requirements include:
 Need to only identify commodity costs for items
nominated by the client in the RFT document
 Need to identify and cost all commodities required
to produce:
 All the menu items to be offered
 Only the menu items covered under ‘Standard
unit costs’ below
 Need to include ‘price lists’ or quotations from suppliers you intend using – as proof of
costs
 Need to identify for each commodity listed, not only the cost, but also:
 Supplier name – and contact details
 Size – for example, in number of units per carton, weight, volume or other
applicable measurement
 Brand name
 Quality identifier – for example:
– Grain-fed beef
– Export quality
– Grade number
 On-costs – all the costs which are/need to be added to the wholesale unit price to
arrive at the landed in-store cost.
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Standard service costs

While it is often relatively easy to project costs for many other expenditure items, it can be
quite difficult to anticipate accurate service costs.
Service costs can include:
 Cost required to service existing equipment at the contract site to bring items up to
fully-operational status – this is the initial service you will apply to equipment before
you start providing the contracted services.
Standard practice is to work with a service provider or service technicians and obtain
a quotation from them for this work.
 Preventative maintenance – this is scheduled maintenance provided to equipment
with the intention of avoiding equipment failure or breakdown
 Estimated repairs and breakdowns – detailing projected costs for effecting repairs
when equipment fails
 Cost of engaging replacement equipment – to substitute for equipment which needs to
be taken off-site for service or repairs
 Cost of providing stand-by items – to make sure necessary operations can continue in
the event an essential piece of equipment needs to be taken out of service
 Impact of normal wear and tear – this is the depreciation which needs to be factored
into consideration of equipment.
Standard unit costs

The standard unit cost schedule may:
 Identify all Food and Beverage items which will be provided – including items
prepared on-site as well as packaged items offered for retail sale
 Include the standard recipe for each item – showing type and amount of ingredients
used and preparation method
 List the cost for each dish or menu item – on a per serve basis
 Contain a photograph of each item.
Standard material costs

This can be a wide-ranging schedule covering, for example, the cost of materials other
than food and beverages (commodities) such as:
 Cleaning chemicals
 Disposable or single-serve items
 Linen and laundry
 Water
 Energy
 Printing and stationery
 Many other items variously classified as ‘overheads’.
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3.2 Confirm availability of labour, equipment,

materials and other relevant items according
to enterprise requirements
Introduction
Another important aspect of preparing a tender application is to determine or confirm
resource availability for items already identified as being necessary to deliver the required
catering services.
This section examines critical elements of this component of a tender application.
What resources need to be considered?

All resources identified as being necessary to deliver the requirements of the contract
need to be considered:
 Human resources – labour to perform work which needs to be undertaken
 Physical resources – plant and equipment; food and beverages; support materials
 Financial resources – funds to make purchases and pay labour
 Information – operational and other underpinning information necessary to comply
with client expectations and requirements as well as legal compliance issues.
Scheduling
It is standard practice when looking at the availability of resources to undertake basic
scheduling activities.
Scheduling is a planning process which:
 Allows you to make the most effective use of
scarce resources – so the right resources are
available in the right place at the right time
 Helps confirms the required resources are
available
 Enables identification of times when there are
insufficient resources – so alternate
arrangements can be made (see Alternative
arrangement’, below).
This means:
 Identifying the ‘start’ and ‘finish’ times for the contract
 Identifying the resources required for the contract
 Determining the times at which the identified resources are required (see below) for
the contract
 Identifying the resources required for the operation of the business
 Determining the times at which the business requires resources for the operation of
the business (see below)
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 Over-laying both sets of demands on resources against the required times for both
sets
 Identifying where there appears to be a lack of, or insufficient, necessary resources.
Determining times for required resources
Considerations must include:
 Peaks and troughs in trading – by the hour, day, or other relevant timeframe
 Requirements for mandatory cleaning of equipment and facilities
 Preventative maintenance or service requirements for plant and equipment
 Special events and functions
 Known staff-related requirements – such as:
 Training and development
 Leave entitlements.
What is ‘confirming availability’?

In this context ‘confirming availability’ means ensuring required identified resources are:
 Actually present in the workplace – serviced,
safe and ready to use
 Available when needed – not needing to be
used somewhere else in the organisation at the
same time
 Can be successfully transferred from one
location to another – so they are ready for use
when required
 Confirmed as being obtainable from elsewhere
– if the business does not already have them
available and or on-site (see Alternative arrangement’, below).
 Available in required sufficient quantity to meet identified need – on an on-going basis
 Confirmed through normal supply chain providers – such as your usual suppliers or
identified local suppliers
 Compatible with requirements of the contract – in terms of skills and knowledge (for
staff), and capacity and function for physical resources)
 Compliant with relevant legislation – regarding (for example) as appropriate to the
individual nature of each resource workplace safety and health, testing, and
certification.
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Alternative arrangements
Physical resources
Options for obtaining or making available, additional physical resources to meet contract
needs may include:
 Re-scheduling activities such as the provision of maintenance, training, staff meetings,
cleaning – so the demand on the items is altered to better accommodate identified
needs
 Purchasing, leasing or renting or hiring more equipment
 Sharing equipment with another venue
 Borrowing equipment from someone else
 Buying different or better equipment – which will enable more productivity to be
obtained thereby reducing demand on time for the item
 Upgrading operations to integrate new technology – which can often solve resourcing
issues
 Ensuring all plant and equipment is properly serviced and maintained – to reduce the
potential for breakdowns and down-down
 Locating dedicated items of equipment at each worksite – so each site has their own
equipment to use and schedule as they see fit.
Human resources
Options for obtaining or making available, additional human
resources to meet contract needs may include:
 Hiring more staff
 Allocating extra hours for staff – such as converting part-
time job to full-time or turning casual staff into part-time or
full-time employees
 Providing training to make staff more productive and
effective – which includes up-skilling and multi-skilling
employees
 Out-sourcing certain tasks to external providers.
Timing
Another option which may assist with scheduling can be varying service times – that is,
changing the times at which the contract site and your normal workplace venue operates.
This option is not always available as most contracts demand you operate at given times,
but:
 You should check to see if this option is available – through discussion and
negotiation with the client
 You may be able to make the changes at your normal workplace – rather than at the
contract site.
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Work Projects
3.1 Using the RFT which formed the basis of your response to Work Project 1.1 and 2.1
prepare a submission which:
 Demonstrates use of rate and/or costing schedules to establish costing

 Confirms availability of resources required for the contract.
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Summary
Estimate costs
When estimating costs:

 Appreciate the importance of costing in the overall tendering process
 Develop rate and/or costing schedules for identified resources in accordance with RFT
requirements
 Ensure and verify resources required for the contract
 Identify resources already available and their predicted usage/commitments
 Schedule usage of all resources for the project and normal business activities
 Compare and contrast available resources with identified demand
 Secure additional physical resources as required on the basis of analysis
 Hire more staff and/or provide extra hours
 Train staff.
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Element 4:
Prepare submission for management
4.1 Outline required resources and capacity
within submission
Introduction
Developing the submission in response to an RFT is the culmination of all the planning
and research which has occurred in relation to the tender.
This section identifies submission options, provides an overview of possible submission
requirements, presents basic submission writing considerations and highlights the need to
outline required resources and provides examples of same.
Submission options
The standard submission options for a response to an RFT are:
 A written submission in hard-copy and or
electronic form:
 Hand-written submissions are not acceptable
– they need to be word processed
 Signatures will need to be attached at certain
points – such as a signature from the CEO
formally making the offer contained in the
submission
 Verbal presentation – you may be required to make a verbal presentation in support of
your application:
 As part of the initial submission
 If your submission is short-listed – note some clients use a two-stage process
where your application, if it is not rejected outright, may be ‘long-listed’, in the first
instance – and, if successful at this stage, then will be ‘short-listed’
 Combination of written submission and verbal presentation – to the client or their
representative.
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Possible submission requirements

The submission requirements for tender applications will be provided in the RFT
documentation and may be further discussed and explained at tender meetings held by
the client for potential applicants.
General requirements will address:
 Number of copies of the submission document required – three to four copies are
usually required
 Maximum number of pages – the RFT may set a maximum number of pages for the
submission document, to prevent tender applicants sending in ‘too many’ pages for
the client to read
 Need to use Application document supplied as part of the RFT – as opposed to you
being allowed to create your own ‘individualised’ approach to the submission
 Need for electronic version – stipulating:
 Formatting requirements
 Need for e-version to be virus-checked
 How the submission is to be lodged – for example:
 Electronically – which usually means via email
 By mail
 By hand
 Where submission is to be lodged – identifying, for
example:
 The location of the Tender Box
 A street address – with name of company
 Date and times by which application must be received in order for the application to be
considered:
 Commonly the time is 4:00PM on the day in question
 There may also be a date before which submission will not be accepted.
Basic submission writing considerations

When crafting the tender application it is worth bearing the following in mind:
 Be certain of the submission requirements – as stated in the RFT document
 Make sure you are aware of the evaluation criteria – and relative weightings of each
criteria: these should provide a focus and set of priorities for your submission
 Adhere to:
 Maximum word numbers
 Maximum page numbers
 Write with clarity, purpose and economy of words
 Refer to previous successful tender applications – as a guide to what to do
 Continue to use the Tender Team to develop the proposal
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 Realise you will have to prepare a draft and then revise this version – many times over
 Presentation is important – it is true ‘first impressions count’ and clients can infer
competency from the quality of the submission documentation
 Always include ‘Letters of Support’ – where this is allowed by the rules governing the
submission
 List a person who the client can contact for follow-up
 Ensure the cover page of the submission clearly identifies:
 The name of the contract being applied for
– and the code of the contract/RFT
 Your business name – and contact details
 Date
 Construct the submission in accordance with
stated requirements – for example:
 Using the pro forma application document
provided in the RFT documentation
 Adhering to nominated constructs – for
example:
– Different ‘Sections’ – ‘Section A: Ability to deliver tender requirements’,
‘Section B: Costing’, ‘Section C: Staffing’
– Different ‘Parts’ – ‘Part 1: Operational Detail’, ‘Part 2: Compliance’, ‘Section 3:
Value for Money’
 If the RFT documents include a ‘Submission Checklist’, make sure you use and/or (as
required) complete this – to ensure you provide all necessary information, documents
and other requirements as part of your tender application
 Explain any industry terms, acronyms and/or jargon used in the application to optimise
proper understanding of offers and intentions
 If allowed by the RFT attach a series of Appendices to give you space and opportunity
to add extra information, examples, letters of support, testimonials, examples of
relevant experience and similar
 Include necessary payment or deposit – as identified in the RFT documentation
 Check and proof-read the final application before submitting it – to avoid spelling,
grammatical and other errors and or omissions
 Submit to management – for their final approval and signatures
 Make sure you keep a copy of the application – for your own future reference.
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Need to outline required resources

There will always be a need to outline the required resources in a tender application.
The extent of this requirement can, however, vary quite considerably.
Some submissions demand detailed identification and description of resources, while
other RFTs ask for far less.
Whenever in doubt about what is required or what the client is looking for in this regard,
always contact the client/nominated contact person and seek clarification as ‘required
resources’:
 Relate directly to the price of your submission
 Are often heavily weighted in terms of the evaluation criteria for the contract.
Sometimes the resources you need to outline will be prescribed in the RFT
documentation – that is, the documentation will list the resources you need to outline: all
you need to do is insert details, such as:
 Quantity, amount of volume required – which may be required:
 On a weekly basis
 On a monthly basis
 For the entire contract
 Brand, type or supplier name
 Cost.
Examples of required resources

For a catering contract there is a standard need to address the following resources:
 Labour – in terms of:
 Job descriptions of staff
 Numbers of staff in each position
 Hours and or indication of the employment status of
workers (casual, part-time or permanent)
 Wage rates – including overtime and relevant penalty
rates
 Raw food materials – which can be a requirement to:
 Identify ingredients
 Name suppliers
 Indicate projected volumes or quantities
 List costing for each item
 Packaged and pre-prepared items to be used – these may include:
 Convenience food
 Packaged foods for retrial sale
 Most beverages including liquor
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 Funding arrangements – some RFTs can require you to identify:

 Funds to be borrowed to enable the contract to be discharged
 Name of lender
 Interest rates
 Repayment amounts
 Dates for payment
 Support services and requirements – which can address a number of sub-categories
such as:
 Cleaning materials and chemicals - outlining:
– Type of products and brand names
– Supplies
– Volumes
– Cost
 Service and maintenance
 Compliance expenses – with local legislation and COPs and SOPs required by the
client
 Advertising and promotion.

Introduction
The amount you intend charging for the products and services you intend delivering must
always form a central part of all tender submissions.
This section focuses on ensuring you provide required cost estimates in-keeping with
client requirements and expectations.
Requirements for this important stage

Critical considerations include need to:
 Be certain about the cost estimations required by the
RFT documentation – these can vary significantly so it is
vital to be aware of the specific requirements for each
individual submission
 Realise the costs you submit will form the basis for the
price you intend charging for the tender – this means:
 All costs need to be identified and addressed – for
example, if you intend levying a management or
administration fee for the contract then this needs to
be listed as such
 The client will use the costs you have supplied to determine the profit you expect
from the contract – and they will look unfavourably on any set of figures which
returns what they believe to be an ‘excessive’ profit or ROI
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 Maintain use of the Tender Team – to assist with:

 Identifying the resources to be included in the costing
 Researching and developing the relevant all-inclusive costs for each resource –
ensuring that on-costs from suppliers are not over-looked and not factored into the
final cost price for each resource.
 Calculating the costs which will be included in the final submission
 Double-check the figures you submit – this may require someone to:
 Verify purchase prices from suppliers
 Check quantities or volumes required
 Confirm on-costs
 Integrate special deals which have been negotiated
 Re-calculate additions, extensions and other relevant statistical
manipulation of the data
 Highlight any cost items which you believe will provide:
 A benefit, bonus or saving for the client – never assume the client
will be identify savings you have provided for them
 Represent excellent value-for-money
 Are lower than what apply to the current or previous contracts
 Explain any costs which you believe the client will identify as being excessive or too
expensive:
 Identifying where these charges are imposed by an external agency or authority
and are simply being passed on, at cost
 Attaching price lists and quotations from suppliers – to demonstrate source costs
 Describing how prices from competitors have similarly increased
 Ensure the costs are presented in the required currency unit – as identified in the RFT
or as advised by the client.
Costs and prices may need to be given in:

 $USD
 The currency of the country in which the client Head Office is located
 The currency of the country in which the contract is to be delivered
 Avoid presenting ‘total’ figures without showing how these were arrived at – for
example:
 Show the unit cost
 List the number of units required
 Provide the final ‘total’ cost
 Indicate where variable costing applies – for example:
 Give indications of how cost per unit may drop if volumes rise – based on
economies of scale or quantity purchasing discounts
 How product costs can alter if different quality products or ingredients are used
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 The way labour costs can vary in different service options are used
 Provide an overview of costs –where permitted by the submission guidelines:
 While you will want to give plenty of detail in relation to individual cost elements it
is always useful to present a single table or chart which gives a single view of the
overall costs
 Add statements indicating, as appropriate:
 Costs are correct at time of submission
 Costs are valid till XX/XX/XXXX
 Costs are subject to inflation
 Costs are inclusive of all relevant taxes and other charges
 You are available to explain listed costs, as required
 Indicate the charge out rate for certain costs – for example:
 Labour costs may be XX per hour/day but you may want to charge this out to the
client at XX+
 Other costs may be charged out at a flat charge out rate of (for example) ‘Cost
plus 25%’.

Introduction
All tender submissions need to describe the operational details for implementing the
products and services required by the contract.
This section explains the importance of this component of the submission and identifies
operational details which may need to be addressed.
Importance of this component

It is important to provide full and proper details of how you
intend discharging the requirements of the catering contract in
order to:
 Prove your capacity and competency to do the job – as
opposed to what others may be offering or proposing
 Convince the client of your ability – you need to give the client reasons to:
 Long-list or short-list you
 Select you as the successful applicant
 Validate the costs you have listed as applying to the contract (see previous section) –
in effect the operational details demonstrate how you will use and apply the resources
identified
 Provide evidence your planning has addressed all the required elements listed in the
RFT document – thus demonstrating your:
 Understanding of the contract
 Ability to deliver what is required
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 Give the client faith in your ability – while the tender price is obviously an important
consideration for all tenders it ALWAYS runs in tandem with other important
factors/questions the client has, such as:
 Can they trust your company to deliver what they have promised based on the
figures and planning you have presented?
 Will the price charged enable you to manage and operate the contract as
required?
 Does your submission fit with their interpretation of what is needed to provide the
deliverables for the contract?
Operational details
Operational details required by the client:
 Will vary between RFTs/contracts – some submissions need you to provide details not
required in other submissions
 Ask you to indicate how you plan to manage and implement the contract – on a
practical basis.
Operational details may relate to:
Staffing
This may require you to provide:
 Names of staff
 Numbers and classifications of staff
 Hours to be worked
 Sample staff rosters
 Curriculum Vitaes
 Certification or qualifications of individuals and training provided
 An organisational chart.
Style of service
This may require you to identify:
 Service locations
 Description of styles being offered at each service location identified in the RFT –
styles may include:
 Race or queue system
 Buffet style, self-service
 Service to tables, cells, wards:
– Management at the site
– Workers
– Members of the public
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 Take away service options

 Travel packs
 Provision of special events and function service.
Transport
Detailing, as appropriate:
 How materials and ingredients will be transported to the
contracted worksite
 How staff will be transported to remote sites
 How staff will be accommodated at remote sites.
Stock control
Stock control is an important aspect of submissions for catering contracts as there is a
need to explain how you will apply stock control procedures to support the safe handling
and storage of food.
This may require you to provide details of your overall stock management system in
relation to:
 Stock purchasing and product acquisition
 Protocols for inspecting and checking food on
delivery into the venue
 Correct storage of fresh, refrigerated and frozen
food
 Stock rotation procedures – using FIFO
procedures
 Inspection of foodstuffs.
Equipment and resources

This will commonly require you to (as appropriate to the RFT):
 Give an overview of the plant, equipment and resources to be used
 Indicate what specific items will be used for
 Prove the submission you have prepared guarantees:
 All required resources have been identified
 There are sufficient resources to do the job
 Describe maintenance and service requirements
 Verify your equipment and resources will:
 Integrate with items which exist at the contract worksite
 Integrate with systems/technology being used by the client
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Security
In terms of security you may be asked to:
 Identify security staff to be utilised
 Define the roles of security staff
 List the technology and systems you will use to provide
security.
 Describe protocols to prevent security breaches – in
terms of:
 Internal staff
 External customers
 Suppliers, delivery drivers and service technicians
 Site visitors
 Other potential offenders.
Emergency management
This may require you to provide details of:
 Risk analysis relating to possible emergencies at the worksite
 Specific emergency management plans to be used to respond to situations such as
fire, gas leaks, robberies, adverse weather and a range of other emergency situations
commonly addressed by EMPs
 Drills which will be conducted to underpin emergency
procedures
 Equipment and resources to support emergency
responses
 Staff training in emergency management and responses.
Facilities management
This requirement can ask you to detail:
 Operating policies and procedures for the site
 Planned preventative maintenance arrangements
 Plans for refurbishment and or updating of the venue
 Technology and systems which will be used to control
or monitor the workplace
 Internal reporting protocols
 Document management.
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Environmental issues
This is likely to require attention to:
 Compliance with local laws regarding noise, pollution, energy and water use
 Sustainability and lowering the impact of the facility on the environment
 Minimisation of energy and water usage
 Responsible purchasing – such as purchases from ‘Green’ suppliers and
organisations which support ‘local’ growers and communities.
Waste disposal
Operational requirements may ask you to address:
 Waste minimisation protocols
 Waste management and disposal procedures – detailing:
 Amounts and types of waste expected
 On-site storage to minimise pest infestation
 Plans for recycling of waste
 Waste contractors who will be used.
Management
This will traditionally require:
 Identification of the off-site management team

 Identification of the on-site management team
 Allocation of roles and responsibilities
 Statements regarding demonstrated experience
 Specification of:
 Authorities
 Accountabilities
 Reporting requirements for each position
 Sample management-related policies – such as:
 Staff performance appraisal policy
 Industrial relations policy
 Staff discipline policy.
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Other topics listed in the RFT

In addition to the operational details listed above there can be specific additional
requirements identified in the RFT document which may need to be addressed.
These will usually relate to your intended approach in relation

to dealing with and managing:
 Nominated challenges raised in the RFT document
 Local conditions
 Local laws
 Identified changes expected, by the client, to impact on
operations, such as:
 Business expansion
 Down-turn in trade
 Reduction in supplies
 Economic conditions.
4.4 Outline proposed products and outcomes

required to meet tender requirements
Introduction
Another essential component to be included in your submission must be presentation of
the actual products and services your offer will deliver for the client.
This section identifies issues for consideration.
Context
The deliverables identified in the RFT document must form the basis of the proposed
products and outcomes you outline in your submission.
In addition, listing your proposed products and outcomes provides an opportunity for you
to:
 Differentiate your submission from those made by others you believe to be also
submitting an application
 Demonstrate the value-for-money your application
presents to the client
 Influence the client by presenting a series of ‘Wow
factors’ relevant to the requirements but which were
not specified in the RFT documents but which have
arisen as a result of:
 Your discussions with the client
 Your understanding of the issues/challenges
facing the client
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 Your inspections of the workplace

 Your discussions with those who will be the recipients of the food and beverages
which form the heart of the contract
 Emphasise the extent to which your application meets the objectives, criteria,
conditions and other requirements of the client
 Highlight the USPs for your tender – for example:
 Pointing to instances where your tender actually exceeds the stated requirements
– such as:
– Being able to provide ‘more product in less time’ or ‘serve more people in less
time’
– Situations where you will or can provide more or longer service times than
those requested in the RFT
– Dishes where you use better quality ingredients than those required as a
minimum in the tender documentation
– Where you can achieve better financial results than what has been specified
– Situations where you can generate better productivity levels or deliver superior
quality to what is needed
 Provide a range of options to the client so they may select one which best suits their
needs – for example, your submission must, of course, meet the tender requirements
but you may within these parameters present, for example:
 A basic version at a basic price
 An enhanced or upgraded version at a more expensive price
 A superior option at the most expensive price
 List additional products and or services which you are available to provide – to
enhance the stated requirements of the RFT, on:
 A gratuitous basis – listing free products and services you are able and willing to
provide to add value to your offer
 A fee-for-service basis – identifying other expertise you have (for example) in
associated areas such as market research of users, product development and
testing, provision of other catering products and services at different sectors you
know the client operates in
 Demonstrate innovation in the way you intend:
 Managing the project
 Producing and serving the food and
beverages
 Working collaboratively with the client for
mutual benefit
 Identify the range of experts your organisation
has access to in order to provide advice,
guidance and input to relevant issues such as:
 Food safety
 Costing and pricing
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 Product development
 Operational performance analysis
 Marketing
 Procurement
 International trade
 Describe your engagement with various bodies and organisations relevant to the
requirements of the tender – these may include:
 Government authorities and agencies
 Professional bodies
 Industry associations
 Business groups
 Advisory groups or boards
 Training providers
 Demonstrate your track record as a responsible and ‘good’ corporate citizen – by
listing:
 Donations of money and products made to charities
 Scholarships given
 Sponsorship provided.
Describing products and outcomes

The exact nature of the products and outcomes which need to be addressed in your
submission will always depend on the nature and type of the contract being offered.
The client will require different deliverables for different worksites and at different prices
they are prepared to pay for services.
You must always remember your submissions must be
tailor-made to suit the precise needs of each, individual
tender.
Never believe you can develop a ‘standard’ tender
application which can be used (or ‘fine-tuned’) for every
submission you make.
You may describe the products and outcomes you intend
delivering in the following ways:
 Providing sample recipes and food and beverage
menus for all the outlets which need to be catered for
 Including visual images of food and beverages you have stated you can/will deliver –
this may be achieved through:
 Use of photographs in the submission
 Including a DVD as part of the submission package
 Supplying (retail) price lists for all items which are to be sold to customers, workers,
and other purchasers
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 Identifying payment options you will be prepared to accept from purchasers at

different outlets – such as:
 Cash
 Electronic funds
 Payment on account
 Offering to present taste testing of products – if required
 Attaching specifications you will give to your suppliers for the provision of ingredients,
food and beverages – to ensure they provide products of a certain quality and
standard
 Giving examples of your service protocols – for, as appropriate:
 Greeting customers
 Displaying food
 Holding hot and cold food
 Plating food
 Delivering food
 Complaint handling and resolution procedures
 Generating customer feedback and gauging customer (patrons, patients, inmates,
others as appropriate) satisfaction levels with food and beverages provided,
service, prices, cleanliness and hygiene, plus other relevant factors
 Including testimonials – from:
 Previous clients for whom you have worked
 Consumers of food and beverages at sites where you
have delivered food and beverages
 Suppliers – attesting to the quality of the food you
have purchased from them
 Government agencies and authorities – stating your
level of compliance with legislated requirements
 Generating sample set-up plans for events – which
should indicate and describe:
 Table plans and seating arrangements
 Décor and decoration – appropriate to special events
and or themed occasions
 Rosters and staffing costs used for these events
 Menus used – food and beverages
 Including images and coverage of previous events you have been involved with – this
can take the form of:
 Photographs
 DVD
 Media coverage.
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Work Projects
4.1 Using the RFT which formed the basis of your response to Work Project 1.1, 2.1 and
3.1 prepare a hard-copy tender submission which:
 Outlines required resources and capacity

 Outlines cost estimates
 Outlines operational details
 Outlines proposed products and outcomes to meet tender requirements.
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76 Trainee Manual
Summary
Prepare submission for management
When preparing submission for management:

 Ensure you fully understand all the tender application requirements which must be covered in
your submission before you start
 Determine the exact requirements for submitting the application
 Use designated submission documentation provided in the RFT, if applicable
 Clarify any unclear requirements with the client
 Realise failing to meet submission requirements for the tender can render your tender
ineligible for consideration
 User the Tender Team to assist
 Accept people will infer competency from the nature, type and quality of your submission
 Outline all the required resources as part of the application
 Detail cost estimates for nominated elements
 Describe management and operational plans for the contract
 Outline all products and services to be provided
 Strive to distinguish your submission from others
 Never be shy about ‘selling the benefits’ of your submission.
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78 Trainee Manual
Presentation of written work

1. Introduction
It is important for students to present carefully prepared written work. Written presentation
in industry must be professional in appearance and accurate in content. If students
develop good writing skills whilst studying, they are able to easily transfer those skills to
the workplace.
2. Style
Students should write in a style that is simple and concise. Short sentences
and paragraphs are easier to read and understand. It helps to write a plan
and at least one draft of the written work so that the final product will be
well organized. The points presented will then follow a logical sequence
and be relevant. Students should frequently refer to the question asked, to
keep ‘on track’. Teachers recognize and are critical of work that does not
answer the question, or is ‘padded’ with irrelevant material. In summary,
remember to:
 Plan ahead
 Be clear and concise
 Answer the question
 Proofread the final draft.
3. Presenting Written Work

Types of written work
Students may be asked to write:
 Short and long reports
 Essays
 Records of interviews
 Questionnaires
 Business letters
 Resumes.
Format
All written work should be presented on A4 paper, single-sided with a left-hand margin. If
work is word-processed, one-and-a-half or double spacing should be used. Handwritten
work must be legible and should also be well spaced to allow for ease of reading. New
paragraphs should not be indented but should be separated by a space. Pages must be
numbered. If headings are also to be numbered, students should use a logical and
sequential system of numbering.
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Cover Sheet
All written work should be submitted with a cover sheet stapled to the front that contains:
 The student’s name and student number
 The name of the class/unit
 The due date of the work
 The title of the work
 The teacher’s name
 A signed declaration that the work does not involve plagiarism.
Keeping a Copy
Students must keep a copy of the written work in case it is lost. This rarely happens but it
can be disastrous if a copy has not been kept.
Inclusive language
This means language that includes every section of the population. For instance, if a
student were to write ‘A nurse is responsible for the patients in her care at all times’ it
would be implying that all nurses are female and would be excluding male nurses.
Examples of appropriate language are shown on the right:
Mankind Humankind
Barman/maid Bar attendant
Host/hostess Host
Waiter/waitress Waiter or waiting staff
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Recommended reading
Recommended reading
Australian Tender Centre Pty Ltd; 2002 (2nd edition); Complete guide to tendering: learn
how to prepare that winning tender!; Australian Tender Centre Pty Ltd
Dennett, Philip; 2012; How to win more tenders convincing skeptical evaluators; Mulga
Partners
Jaques, Emma; 2013; The winning bid: a practical guide to successful bid management;
Kogan Page Ltd
Lewis, Harold; 2012 (4th edition); Bids, tenders & proposals: winning business through
best practice; Kogan Page
Roberts, Jean (Jean Edna) & Roberts Management Concepts; 1997; Competitive
tendering: how to write a competitive tender; Roberts Management Concepts
Scanlon, Nancy Loman; 2013 (4th edition); Catering management; Wiley
Shiring, Stephen B; 2014; Professional catering: the modern caterer's complete guide to
success; Delmar
rd
Thomas, Chris & Hansen, Bill & Hansen, Bill; 2013 (3 edition); Off-premise catering
management; Wiley
Walker, John R; 2013 (4th edition); Introduction to hospitality management; Pearson
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Trainee Manual 81
Recommended reading
© ASEAN 2013
82 Trainee Manual
Trainee evaluation sheet

The following statements are about the competency you have just completed.
Don’t Do Not Does Not

Please tick the appropriate box Agree
Know Agree Apply
There was too much in this competency to

cover without rushing.
Most of the competency seemed relevant to me.
The competency was at the right level for me.
I got enough help from my trainer.
The amount of activities was sufficient.
The competency allowed me to use my own

initiative.
My training was well-organized.
My trainer had time to answer my questions.
I understood how I was going to be assessed.
I was given enough time to practice.
My trainer feedback was useful.
Enough equipment was available and it worked

well.
The activities were too hard for me.
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Trainee Manual 83
The best things about this unit were:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
The worst things about this unit were:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
The things you should change in this unit are:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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Trainee Self-Assessment Checklist

As an indicator to your Trainer/Assessor of your readiness for assessment in this unit
please complete the following and hand to your Trainer/Assessor.
Yes No*
1.1 Clarify key objectives and/or requirements of tender in consultation with

management
1.2 Analyse fixed and variable costing elements in consultation with

management
1.3 Identify and analyse tendering criteria and conditions
2.1 Assess ability to provide catering service/s specified in tender
2.2 Assess viability of tendering for the provision of catering service/s
3.1 Use enterprise rate and/or costing schedules to establish costing
3.2 Confirm availability of labour, equipment, materials and other relevant

items according to enterprise requirements
4.1 Outline required resources and capacity within submission
4.4 Outline proposed products and outcomes required to meet tender

requirements
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Trainee Manual 85
Statement by Trainee:
I believe I am ready to be assessed on the following as indicated above:
Signed: _____________________________ Date: ______ / ______ / ______
Note:
For all boxes where a No* is ticked, please provide details of the extra steps or work you
need to do to become ready for assessment.
© ASEAN 2013
86 Trainee Manual

Prepare Tenders For Catering Contracts: D1.HCA - CL3.06 Trainee Manual

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Prepare tenders for catering contracts

William Angliss Institute of TAFE

Project Director: Wayne Crosbie

Introduction to trainee manual........................................................................................... 1

Assessment matrix ........................................................................................................... 5

Element 1: Identify tender requirements............................................................................ 9

Element 2: Determine ability to meet tender requirements and conditions ...................... 37

Element 3: Estimate costs .............................................................................................. 51

Element 4: Prepare submission for management............................................................ 61

Presentation of written work ............................................................................................ 79

Trainee evaluation sheet................................................................................................. 83

Trainee Self-Assessment Checklist................................................................................. 85

Introduction to trainee manual

Element 1: Identify tender requirements

Element 2: Determine ability to meet tender requirements and

Element 3: Estimate costs

Element 4: Prepare submission for management

Work Written Oral

Element 1: Identify tender requirements

1.1 Clarify key objectives and/or requirements of

1.2 Analyse fixed and variable costing elements in

1.3 Identify and analyse tendering criteria and

Element 2: Determine ability to meet tender requirements and conditions

2.1 Assess ability to provide catering service/s

2.2 Assess viability of tendering for the provision

2.3 Identify unique requirements of tender 2.1 20, 21 6

Element 3: Estimate costs

3.1 Use enterprise rate and/or costing schedules

3.2 Confirm availability of labour, equipment,

Element 4: Prepare submission for management

4.1 Outline required resources and capacity within

4.2 Outline cost estimate within submission 4.1 30 10

4.3 Outline operational details within submission 4.1 31, 32, 33 11

4.4 Outline proposed products and outcomes

24/7 Twenty-four hours-a-day, seven days-per-week

CBA Cost-Benefit Analysis

CEO Chief Executive Officer

COP Code of Practice

CV Curriculum Vitae (personal résumé)

CVP analysis Cost/Volume/Profit analysis

Client The person or business issuing the RFT

Deliverables The requirements of the catering contract

EMP Emergency Management Plan

F&B Food and Beverage

FIFO First In, First Out stock control

HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points

KPI Key Performance Indicator

PC packs Portion Control packs

RFT Request For Tender

ROI Return on Investment

RSA Responsible Service of Alcohol

SOLAS Safety Of Life At Sea

SOP Standard Operating Procedure

SME Small to Medium Enterprise

Tenderer Person or business who submits a tender application

USP Unique Selling Points

Tenders and the tendering process

The tendering process

Reasons businesses issue RFTs

Reasons businesses respond to RFTs

Types of catering contracts

 Transport catering – which may relate to the provision of catering for:

Identify the opportunity to submit a tender