Panel with: Simon Elliot (4xi Global Consulting), Chris Stern (Stern Consultancy Ltd), and Peer van Gurp (Hospitality Group)

Hosted by Peter Baech , CEO & Co-Founder, Kanpla

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Tenders shape the future of contract catering. They determine who gets to serve the food, and create experiences in offices, universities, and public institutions across the globe, but what actually matters when the decision of catering company is to be made?

To dive deeper into this, we spoke with three experienced consultants in the industry - people who’ve sat through hundreds of tender presentations, advised some of the world’s biggest clients across both the U.S., UK, Europe, and Asia Pacific, and know exactly why some bids stand out while others fall flat.

“It’s not the presentation that wins the tender - it’s what happens after”

Behind the food displays and polished slides, there’s a real question: who’s actually going to run the operations once the contract is won?

Presentations can be memorable - but they’re often misleading. Many caterers pull in top chefs, borrow talent from other sites, and present a vision that’s hard to replicate in day-to-day operations.

Chris Stern was blunt: “You rarely win a tender on the presentation. But you can definitely lose it.” A flashy pitch can’t save a caterer who lacks the operational depth to follow through. And clients are learning to spot the difference.

Peer van Gurp echoed the concern. “Sometimes it’s not the actual chef or manager who’ll run the location. It’s someone from another contract, just for show.” That gap between the promise and the delivery can create trust issues before the contract even begins.

Simon Elliot added: “Service providers in the U.S., and elsewhere can invest an enormous amount of time, resources, and money into the bid process and that is something that clients should be aware. For large major pursuits, it’s not uncommon for these investments to be in the six-figure range. We saw one example where a service prover spent nearly a million dollars creating a full pitch day experience in Manhattan."

People first. Then price.

Every tender has a spreadsheet, a scorecard, and a financial model—but the real deciding factor is often much simpler: do we trust these people to deliver?

In a market full of dashboards and AI-generated bids, it's easy to forget that catering is still a human business. Day-to-day operations depend on people - and if you can’t work together, no model will save the relationship.

“This is still a people business,” said Peer. “All the tech in the world doesn’t change the fact that the people who show up matter most.”

Simon agreed but pushed it further: “Ease of doing business is a real differentiator. I’ve heard clients say: ‘We the local team - but the enterprise is hard to work with.’ That's enough to lose a deal.”

Chris brought it back to basics: “You can’t deliver a five-year contract if you don’t trust the people across the table.” The relationship matters - sometimes even more than price.

What clients actually want (and how it’s changed)

Today's Tenders aren’t just about food. They’re about creating environments that support work, study, and wellbeing - and the expectations are much higher.

Simon described the shift clearly: "Amenities, services, including food is no longer just fuel - they are all parts of how organizations shape behaviours. The amenities set plays a role in bringing people together, supporting hybrid work, even reinforcing company culture, and driving business outcomes."

In practical terms, this has changed the entire landscape. Peer noted that “we’re not really having lunch anymore - we’re grazing all day.” That means clients now expect all-day food service, flexible formats, and dining spaces that feel more like cafés than old-school canteens.

At the same time, costs haven’t gone away. In fact, they’ve become more urgent.

“Everyone says sustainability is their top priority,” said Chris. “But when you talk to stakeholders, what they really want is great food that doesn’t cost too much. That hasn’t changed.”

The truth about sustainability in tenders

Sustainability is front and center in most RFPs. But the reality is murkier - and often driven more by compliance than conviction.

When asked how seriously clients take sustainability in their evaluations, the panel didn’t mince words. “There’s a lot of box-ticking,” Chris admitted. “Procurement teams demand the CSR section, but it’s rarely the deciding factor.”

Peer believes the problem starts with how we define sustainability in the first place. “It’s too broad a word. We always split it into three parts: environmental, social, and governance. Otherwise, everyone talks past each other.”

Simon’s firm even created a service line called “Sustainability Simplified.” “When clients and service providers start throwing around SDGs and jargon, no one knows what they’re aiming for. We focus on outcomes - what are you actually trying to change, and how?”

All three agreed that sustainability only becomes a real differentiator when it's backed by clear action - and cultural alignment, but they were also clear that sustainability across both environmental, social, and governance is essential to be competitive in today's market.

The big vs. the mid-sized vs. the small players

In a consolidated market, how can small and mid-sized players compete? By being clear about what they stand for - and when to say no.

The market is narrowing. As major companies acquire brands and merge portfolios, clients are left with fewer unique choices. Chris has seen it firsthand: “We’re inviting the same suppliers again and again. The field is getting smaller.”

But that doesn’t mean smaller caterers are out of the game. Quite the opposite - if they’re strategic. “Small companies should focus on tenders where they can add real value,” said Peer. “And they should have the confidence to say: this one isn’t for us.”

Simon believes smaller operators actually can have an edge in one key area: personal credibility and commitment. “When the owner can sit across the table and say, ‘I’ll make sure this works,’ that creates a levet of trust on a personal level that bug companies can struggle to counter.”

Flexible pricing is the new normal

Fixed contracts are breaking under the pressure of hybrid work, fluctuating occupancy, and economic uncertainty. The future belongs to flexibility.

Peer has seen the shift across the Netherlands and beyond. “Clients don’t want to lock into a fixed model anymore. The capture rate is too unpredictable. And they don’t know what their own hybrid policy will look like three years from now.”

This uncertainty is forcing new models - variable pricing, performance-based contracts, and shared investment frameworks.

Simon summed it up this way: “The future is more agile, more local, and more personalised. Clients want food and amenities that fit their real-world situation, and drive business outcomes, not just pretty proposals, fancy menus, and what was promised on paper.”

What wins (and what doesn’t)

Every tender is different - but certain patterns show up again and again. The winners are the ones who understand them.

Chris laid it out simply: “It’s cost, quality, trust, and proof. That’s the formula. If one is missing, you’re at risk.”

Peer added that many caterers try too hard to be everything to everyone - and end up sounding the same. “I’d rather see a caterer say, ‘This isn’t for us,’ than try to fake it.”

Simon’s advice to service providers was straightforward and direct: "Take the time to listen, to learn, and to understand the client needs. Craft services and solutions that meet those needs, and then do what you say you'll do. That's what makes the real difference."

The tender of the future

Looking ahead, tenders will become less transactional - and more about long-term partnerships, flexibility, and cultural alignment.

Simon described how although 4xi doesn't manage tenders, his team runs a "Partnership Optimization Program" for new relationship, or for refreshing existing partnerships. "We bring both the clients and the service provider partners together for typically a day and a half highly collaborative summit, and as a result create a shared Partnership Charter. This becomes the North Star of how they work together into the future and cornerstone of sustained success."

Chris has started asking bidders for references not just from current clients - but also from the last one they lost. “You learn a lot from failure. It tells you how they handle difficult situations, not just best-case scenarios.”

And Peer left us with a simple, human reminder: “Add a bit of fun. This process can be intense - but a little personality goes a long way.”

Watch the full episode