DfC Printed Material

Concepts

• printing services
• dfc
• belfast
• dfc printed material
• material forms
• material
• material volumes
• materials
• benefits offices
• government initiative

Location

Northern Ireland: A range of client and external locations as stated in the specification of requirements

Description

The Department for Communities (DfC) provides services through a network of thirty-six Jobs and Benefits Offices. It has centralised benefit offices in Belfast, a pension centre in Carlisle House, Londonderry as well as a number of support branches. It is responsible for the management of Social Security benefits, providing advice, information and help to the public and employers on the whole range of benefits and other services. The DfC requires a single Contractor to provide a Service for the provision of printed material to support the operation of the following business areas within DfC: • Working Age Services Directorate; • Pensions, Disability, Benefit Security and Debt Directorate; • Guidance, Learning and Development Branch; • Debt Management; • Benefit Fraud and Compliance; • Finance Change; • Universal Credit; • Make the Call Wraparound Service; • Standards Assurance Unit; and • Pension Centre. The contract has 1 main area: • Print materials and delivery of them to a specified location in Northern Ireland and/or Great Britain A single supplier will be appointed the Prime Contractor and will be responsible for managing and delivering the entire service. However, suppliers may utilise sub-Contractors to provide certain components as they see fit. DfC printed material forms the basis of the various communications and instructions issued both within the DFC and externally to its customers. It is the main avenue through which customers apply for Social Security benefits. Legislation dictates that the DFC has to have a supply of its printed material available in a specific format by a specific date in specified outlets, including outlets in Great Britain (GB). The distribution of printed material within the DfC is demand led and therefore difficult to forecast. This means it is necessary to store forms for quick distribution to business areas. There are also occasions when a Government initiative is launched which results in an abnormal and urgent demand for the supply of printed material. In contrast, other Government initiatives may lead to the removal of the need for certain materials such as application forms which could move wholly or partially on-line. There can be no guarantee of printed material volumes or continuity of a particular form. Neither CPD nor the DfC can give any guarantee as to the volume of work commissioned during the contract period.

Total Quantity or Scope

• Working Age Services Directorate; • Pensions, Disability, Benefit Security and Debt Directorate; • Guidance, Learning and Development Branch; • Debt Management; • Benefit Fraud and Compliance; • Finance Change; • Universal Credit; • Make the Call Wraparound Service; • Standards Assurance Unit; and • Pension Centre. … • Print materials and delivery of them to a specified location in Northern Ireland and/or Great Britain A single supplier will be appointed the Prime Contractor and will be responsible for managing and delivering the entire service.

Renewal Options

3 years (initial period) + 2 years (extension option)

CPV Codes

• 79810000 - Printing services

Indicators

• This is a one-off contract (no recurrence)
• Options are available.
• Renewals are available.

Other Information

** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** The estimated contract value is a broad estimate only and includes additional quantum for unforeseen demand. There is no guarantee of any level of business under this contract. The estimate is not deemed to be a condition of contract nor a guarantee of minimum demand or uptake. No compensation will be payable to a contractor should the actual demand be less than that stated.. . Since this is a demand-led requirement, neither CPD nor the Department for Communities can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this contract.. . Contract monitoring: the successful contractor's performance on the contract will be regularly monitored. Contractors not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a contractor fails to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still fail to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in CPD for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an act of grave professional misconduct and they may be issued with a notice of written warning and notice of unsatisfactory performance and this contract may be terminated. The issue of a notice of written warning and notice of unsatisfactory performance will result in the contractor being excluded from all procurement competitions being undertaken by Centres of procurement expertise on behalf of bodies covered by the Northern Ireland Procurement Policy for a period of up to 12 months from the date of issue of the notice. The authority expressly reserves the rights:. (i) not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;. (ii) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition;. (iii) to award (a) contract(s) in respect of any part(s) of the services covered by this notice; and. (iv) to award contract(s) in stages and under no circumstances will the authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates.