Decision

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

a.     Agreed that the Council proceeds with the procurement of a contract for the supply of elections stationery and printing services for a maximum of five years including extensions; and   

b.     Delegated to the Corporate Director for Law and Governance authority to conduct the procurement and make all necessary arrangements to select the chosen contractor and award the contract accordingly. 

REASON RESOLVED:

a.     the Council is able to comply with its statutory duties relating to the conduct of elections. 

b.     The contract is awarded in compliance with the Council’s contract procedure rules and relevant procurement legislation in relation to the procurement of public contracts.   

c.      the procurement takes place before the expiry of the current contract.   

d.     the selected contractor is able to meet the very specific requirements relating to the production of election materials.   

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

Other options that have been considered are.  

•          In-house printing. Due to the specialist nature of this requirement and the lack of in-house printing capacity, this option has been discounted.  

•          Use of another existing contract. Due to the specialist nature of election print requirements, the Council does not hold any contracts with other suppliers that could provide the service required.   

•          Framework agreements for Print Management Services. This option has not been discounted entirely, but it is anticipated the use of a framework agreement is likely to limit the number of printers with the relevant election experience and may limit competition.