Background Litmus had an initial appointment with Camden Council to explore the possibilities of managing a catering tender project for the borough’s school meal provision. The borough already had their own e-procurement system and department. Litmus presented the LTMS system to the council team and they were impressed with its capabilities. Brief Litmus was bought…
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The Litmus Partnership helps local authorities and education partnerships deliver compliant, efficient and cost-effective catering and soft facilities services through strategic procurement and contract management expertise.
Helping local authorities and education partnerships achieve compliant, cost-effective food service and soft facilities solutions
We undersand the challenges faced by Local Authorities. Changes in central funding have increased the pressure on local authorities to support schools in delivering value-for-money catering and facilities services.
For many, the complexity of the Procurement Act (2023) and the challenge of managing multi-school procurements can make it difficult to ensure compliance and achieve the best possible outcomes. That’s where we come in.
At Litmus, we’ve worked with local authorities across the UK to design and manage fully compliant procurement processes that benefit both the authority and the schools they support — ensuring consistency, transparency and measurable value.
Set up to succeed
We take pride in our collaborative approach. By working in partnership with local authorities, we create tailored solutions that deliver sustainable outcomes for schools and communities alike.
Our expertise and resources allow us to:
- Manage complex, multi-site procurements with precision and consistency
- Benchmark bids and costings using the most comprehensive live database in the sector – revealing opportunities for improvement that others miss
- Support mobilisation and implementation, ensuring a smooth transition for all participating schools
- Implement kitchen management and procure to pay software solutions such as Litmus Edge to help run in-house operations seamlessly
Our goal is to simplify the process, reduce risk and achieve better outcomes for every school involved.
Hands-on expertise
With decades of experience supporting local government and education partnerships, we understand the technical and operational challenges of delivering catering and soft facilities services at scale.
Our expertise includes:
- Managing large Procurement Act (2023) tenders to appoint service providers for groups of schools
- Delivering competitive procurement projects, including joint ventures between local authorities and preferred partners
- Overseeing the construction and mobilisation of central production kitchens for schools without on-site facilities
- Providing contract management and monitoring through embedded Litmus resources within client teams
- Managing catering equipment maintenance contracts to ensure compliance, performance and value
Each solution is designed to balance compliance, efficiency, and service quality — helping schools and local authorities get the most from their partnerships.
Client Success Stories
Discover how we’ve helped organisations across education, healthcare, business and the public sector achieve measurable improvements in quality, efficiency and value.
This was quite a complex partnership as it meant a new legal entity was formed – one between a joint venture company owned by the Council and the selected service provider. With the borough stretching from near Chiswick through to the border with Surrey, covering Brentford, Isleworth, Hounslow and Feltham, the schools in the area…
Read moreBackground Due to the scale and required level of technical expertise in public procurement, LSC appointed Litmus Partnership to tender the group contract to ensure ‘best value’ was achieved for all participating schools and that the process was fully compliant with OJEU procedures. Brief The six objectives Litmus was briefed on were: Approach Simon Biggs,…
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Our specialists are here to help
Our impact
Our track record speaks for itself. We’ve supported numerous local authorities in streamlining operations, improving supplier performance, and delivering measurable savings — while ensuring schools continue to receive high-quality, nutritious, and compliant services.
By combining deep procurement expertise with sector-specific insight, we help every client operate with confidence and control.
Talk to our local government specialists
If your local authority or education partnership is looking to improve efficiency, compliance or value across its catering or facilities services, we can help.
Speak to our local government team to ex
Contact Us
We love to connect with business leaders that want to make a change. Contact our friendly team to request a no obligation chat about your current challenges and goals.