The Cabinet Member Signing is scheduled to discuss awarding a contract for print and post services and to exclude the press and public from a portion of the meeting. The meeting will be held at Alexandra House in Wood Green.

Award of Print and Post Services Contract

Councillor Dana Carlin, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, is scheduled to consider a report regarding the award of a contract for print and post services to support various council functions. The report recommends awarding the contract to DSI Billing Services Limited, with a total value of £1.398 million, for a period of two years, commencing on 1 February 2026.

The report states that the contract was procured through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) G-Cloud 14 framework (RM1557.14). The services covered by the contract include:

• Council Tax Bills, Reminders, Summons, General Council Tax Correspondence.
• NNDR (Business Rates) & BID Levy Bills, Reminders, Summons, General NNDR & BID Levy Correspondence.
• Housing Benefit Notifications, Landlord Schedules, Reminders, Final Notices, general benefit correspondence.
• Rent statements, Rent Increase Notices, Amount to Pay letters, automated arrears letters.
• Pension packs, pension statements, general pension correspondence.
• Planning correspondence, Reminders, Summons.

The report notes the importance of these services, stating that the council has a statutory requirement to issue notices for Revenues and Benefits under Local Government Finance Act 1988 & 1992 . It also highlights the financial implications, noting that £193 million in Council Tax and £84 million for NNDR (Business Rates) has been billed this financial year, and that customers who have not opted for e-billing must receive a paper bill to be obligated to pay.

Alternative options to awarding the contract are scheduled to be considered in the report, including doing nothing, which was discounted because it would not only place the Council in breach of its statutory obligations but would also result in a significant reduction in income to the Council as Council Tax and Business Rates cannot be collected unless the associated statutory notices have been issued.

The report also states that a full procurement was discounted, as procurement through a framework will allow the Council to take advantage of accumulated pricing based on the framework .

The report states that the proposed contract aligns with the council's Digital Strategy in the short term, allowing flexibility for other services to use the hybrid mail offer, while protecting current users from unit price increases should volumes fall. It is anticipated that an enhanced Corporate print/post solution will be available as part of the Digital portfolio to which the print/post services detailed in this document will be migrated within the term of the contract.

The report notes that a shift to digital correspondence could result in savings, but that the timescales, approach, implementation costs and operational savings for the future Corporate solution will be handled as a separate project.

The report includes comments from statutory officers, including the Director of Finance, who notes that the affordability of the new contract will be reliant on implementing digital solutions and minimising non-statutory print/post correspondence.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The agenda for the meeting indicates that the Cabinet Member Signing is likely to consider a motion to exclude the press and public from item 8 on the agenda. This exclusion is justified under Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972, as the item contains exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of a particular person, including the authority holding that information.