Only one bid was submitted for an annual €140,000 University of Malta canteen tender but the bid was “administratively ineligible” due to “lack of relevant documentation submitted by the only one bidder”, University secretary Simon Sammut  told this newspaper.

However, the University has taken the odd step and has contacted leading caterers with the aim of encouraging them to bid in the second round of the bidding process.

Mr Sammut said that despite doing so, the bidding process will still remain “competitive”.

Mr Sammut was contacted by this newsroom after it was informed that only one bidder had thrown in an offer for the rather expensive €140,000 bid and the University was in the process of directly contacting caterers to compete in another round.

Asked if the deal had been sealed between the University and James Caterers already, Mr Sammut said that the evaluation board, which comprises individuals involved in the University’s operations and a person from the Ministry of Education, was still evaluating offers.

This newsroom contacted a number of leading caterers who confirmed that they were contacted by the University of Malta to participate in the process to take over the canteen’s operations.

When questioned if the bidder who bid the first time around would be given a second chance to bid, he replied in the affirmative.

“This next process is still being conducted within the criteria of a tender process,” Mr Sammut told this newsroom, adding that “it will remain a competitive process”.

Mr Sammut denied that a catering company was given a direct order to take over the operations of the canteen.

“This is not in a form of direct order but in a form of a tender,” he insisted.