A CONTRACT for ready meals supplied by Torfaen Borough Council’s meals on wheels service has been renewed.
The council provides subsidised meals to more than 200 people who live at home but are unable to prepare their own food and its research shows 34 per cent rate the service as “good” and a further 60 per cent “excellent”.
A hot meal and a pudding is delivered to eligible residents between 11.30am and 2pm, seven days a week and currently costs £6.30 per meal with 87 per cent rating it “value for money”. A tea time tray, delivered with the hot meal, is also available for an additional cost of up to £3.40 for three items.
The council has said it wants to maintain or improve the value-for-money satisfaction figure.
The existing contract was tendered in 2020, and due to end this November. Following a new tender process, in which two bids were considered, it agreed to award the three-year contract with a further two-year option, to the existing supplier. The total value, worth around £750,000, could change due to demand and food inflation.
Future price increases between the council and supplier will continue to be agreed in line with a public sector framework but the chosen supplier couldn’t commit to limit annual price increases to the CPI consumer rate of inflation.
The other bidder failed as it couldn’t provide the full basket of goods required by the council to make an award on price. Bids were judged on 60 per cent price and 40 per cent quality.