Decision

RESOLVED

KEY DECISION

That the Executive:

a)             approves the approach to seek open market procurement of specialist electoral print and mailing services to 31 March 2032. A contract structure of 3+1+1 years.

b)             authorises the Corporate Director of Law and Governance & Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, Efficiency and Change to procure and award the contract(s) necessary for the implementation of election specialist printing and mailing services in-line with the procurement routes and budget outlined in this report.

Reasons for Recommendations - The printing contract underpins the Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer’s legal duties. Failure to procure replacement systems ahead of contract expiry would result in an inability to lawfully deliver elections and electoral registration.

Printing & mailing services

Failure to identify a new print supplier and procure a new contract would have an adverse impact on service provision and the ability of the Electoral Registration Officer, Returning Officer and North Northamptonshire Council to deliver successful elections/referenda. It is imperative that the statutory duties of the Returning Officer and Electoral Registration Officer as appointed by North Northamptonshire Council are delivered to avoid legal challenge and to maintain confidence in electoral process and the delivery of elections. Printing materials for elections and electoral registration is a highly specialised service with a limited pool of suppliers that can produce high volumes, meet tight deadlines and adhere to changing legislative requirements.

The procurement of printing and mailing services requires an open market approach due to contract value and to encourage market competition, ensuring compliance with procurement regulations and delivering value for money.

The proposed 3 + 1 + 1 contract structure avoids procurement and implementation activity during peak electoral periods, reducing pressure on a small Elections team and ensuring delivery stability.

The approach aligns with agreed budget assumptions based on upper range cost modelling, ensuring sufficient provision is made for procurement and avoiding future funding shortfalls.

Alternative Options Considered – Several delivery options were considered to determine the most appropriate approach for procuring a printing and mailing solution that closely integrates with the Election Management Software system (EMS). These options were assessed based on statutory compliance, operational resilience, deliverability, and overall risk.

Option 1 – Do Nothing

This option would allow the current printing and mailing solution to expire without replacement. The Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer has a statutory duty to prepare and issue documents as defined in legislation for electoral registration and election purposes. On expiration of the current contract, the production and despatch of election and electoral services documentation would have to be undertaken by North Northamptonshire Council’s in-house printing service. The specialist nature, quantities and tight lead times would make this impractical. There would be limited opportunities to optimise savings created by economies of scale and the Council does not currently have the specialist printing equipment, resource or capacity to effectively and efficiently deliver production of electoral documents. The associated risk of operational failure could lead to potential legal challenge and significant reputational damage caused by failure to deliver, potentially jeopardising the integrity of any election/referenda result and eroding confidence in the democratic process. In addition, the Council does not have the specialist knowledge, capacity or other resources to create bespoke systems that facilitate single step software, printing and mailing integration. The specialist nature, quantities and tight lead times would make in-house provision impractical.

This option is not recommended.

Option 2 - Procure new print supplier through an existing framework via Direct Award

Using a compliant framework agreement to make a Direct Award is a legally permissible route, however direct awards should only be used in exceptional circumstances and only where there is specific justification. A direct award for a contract value over £2m would require additional justification as per Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023.

This option is not recommended.

Option 3 – Open market process to secure a printing and mailing solution that closely integrates with the proposed EMS solution (Preferred Option)

This option involves procuring a printing and mailing solution that closely integrates with the proposed EMS system. This option provides a stable and proven approach to delivering elections, that would maintain continuity of service and ensure critical processes such as data transfer and automated response systems remain integrated. It reduces operational complexity, minimises points of failure, and supports efficient delivery by a small service operating within strict legislative requirements. The approach also enables greater efficiencies through improved automation, stronger data integrity, and greater resilience during peak electoral activity, including unscheduled events. This option represents the most robust and deliverable solution, with the lowest overall risk profile.