Thread by @uk_domain_names

"The UK government handed a contract to feed more than a million pupils eligible for free school meals to a company with fewer than 150 staff"

French firm, no competitive tender, handling £234 million in vouchers.

Odd. Is there some inside connection?
theguardian.com/society/2020/m…

Here's a bit more background to the story. Still doesn't reveal the connection, if any, but gives a better idea of the size of the contract - and of the firm's failure to provide adequate service.
schoolsweek.co.uk/edenreds-natio…

And here's some more insight into the disastrous performance of the scheme, which has left many kids going hungry...
schoolsweek.co.uk/how-the-govern…

And here are the companies Edenred's parent group company is connected to in the UK. (Ownership stake % is given in the second-to-right column.)

Do shout if you notice anything that might provide the 6-degrees-of-separation clue as to how they landed this super plum contract!

Hmm... In October 2012 they were named as one of the 4 largest providers of childcare vouchers in the UK in a written evidence submission to Parliament.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cm…

And here's the bit about Edenred being the winning horse in a field of one to get the contract for the school vouchers...

I don't know what the "Crown Commercial Service framework RM6133" gobbledegook is, but clearly it's a jackpot win for the big E.
parliament.uk/business/publi…

Maybe there's also a Department for International Trade connection? The DiT stated in 2018 that they were using Edenred as a provider for 65 employees...
parliament.uk/business/publi…

Now here's something fun...

Edenred sued the Treasury in 2015 for having been prevented from tendering to supply a new "tax free childcare" scheme because the contract was never put out to tender. (They lost.)

Very much boot on the other foot territory!
supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-201…