UvA and caterer Cirfood extend catering contract
Caterer Cirfood will continue to provide catering services to the UvA in the coming years. This is the outcome of negotiations between the Facility Services department and Cirfood over the past few months. The current contract expires at the end of 2021.
These are difficult times for corporate caterers in general, and therefore also for corporate caterer Cirfood, which provides food and beverages to employees and students of the UvA (and HvA). Nevertheless, both parties will continue to work together after the end of the first contract term on 1 January 2022: the catering contract has been extended until 1 January 2027 at the latest.
Less waste and wastage
The UvA was not satisfied with all aspects of Cirfood’s performance in recent years, according to Bert Zwiep, head of procurement and logistics at the UvA (and HvA). “The contract has been extended subject to conditions. For example, Cirfood must demonstrate in the coming months how it can provide a demand-driven offering to students and staff. Cirfood is also being asked to respond more effectively to the organisation’s objectives, such as less waste, less food waste and a clear offering of vegetarian and vegan food. If the changes are not visible, we can terminate the contract early with a notice period.”
The fact that not every consumer at the UvA considers the current catering formula to be equally inexpensive is also due to the fact that the catering chain is long: not only does Cirfood want to make money, but the existing concept also involves subcontractors with their own eateries, who also need to make money. It all has to be paid for by the customer.
Tender
Nevertheless, the UvA (as well as the HvA) is continuing with Cirfood. This is not only due to new substantive agreements with Cirfood, but also to these difficult times of the coronavirus crisis. Zwiep: “If we had terminated the contract with Cirfood, we would now have had to start a European tender process. Due to the coronavirus crisis, it is likely that no caterer would have signed the contract, which would have left us without a caterer on 1 January 2022 and the 75 people who work for Cirfood for the UvA and HvA out of a job.”
If a new caterer is selected after a tender, they are legally obliged to take over the staff from the old caterer, but if no new caterer is selected, it’s game over for everyone. “I don’t want that on my conscience.”
Some higher education institutions keep catering in-house, as the UvA did until twenty years ago. But setting up a catering department within the UvA again is a thing of the past, says Zwiep. “Surveys among students and staff consistently show that they are satisfied with the existing catering concept with a main caterer and subcontractors.” So the UvA will continue with this.
Minimal offering
And then it’s just a matter of waiting for the end of the coronavirus pandemic and the return of students and staff to the campuses. Even with a vaccine on the way, that will still take three to four months. Zwiep: “We are aware that the current situation means that the offering will be minimal, given the low occupancy of our buildings, but Cirfood, the UvA and the HvA are confident that as soon as the buildings reopen and studying on campus increases again, the offering will become more appropriate and the objectives will be better incorporated into the service.”
