Official UK procurement notice
SPPD - Postal Services Framework
Authority: Scottish Government (Central government)·Consortium: 2 public authorities
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionThe Scottish Ministers wish to award a Framework Agreement for the provision of Postal Services for users throughout the public sector in Scotland. The Framework Agreement will comprise of 2 Lots with one supplier appointed to each:
Lot 1 – One Stop Shop for Physical Mail, Hybrid Mail, Scheduled/Regular Bulk Mail (Print & Post), Software and Digital Mail, and Mail Security Screening
Lot 2 – Hybrid Mail, Scheduled/Regular Bulk Mail (Print & Post), Software and Digital Mail Services
Lot limiting - Tenderers may bid for all Lots, however, a Tenderer may only be successful in one of these Lots. For Lots 1 and 2, we will undertake the evaluation in sequence and evaluate Lot 1 first. The Tenderers with the most economically advantageous tender in Lot 1 will be the preferred Tenderers for Lot 1. If the preferred Tenderers for Lot 1 also bid for Lot 2, they will be eliminated from consideration for Lot 2. From the remaining bids in Lot 2 the Tenderers with the most economically advantageous tender will be the preferred Tenderers for Lot 2.
- Recurrence: within 4 years
CPV: Postal services · Postal services related to letters · Postal services related to parcels
How this framework works
From the published notice- Places
- up to 2 suppliers
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · all with a published value · win at most 1 of them · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1One Stop Shop for Physical Mail, Hybrid Mail, Scheduled/Regular Bulk Mail (Print and Post), Software and Digital Mail and Mail Security ScreeningCancelledRenewalPublished value£76,000,000
Lot 1 of this Framework Agreement is for the provision of a One Stop Shop for the following postal services - Physical Mail, Hybrid, Scheduled/Regular Bulk Mail (Print and Post), Software and Digital Mail Services, and Mail Security Screening
Physical Mail - The collection and delivery of mail from Framework Public Bodies throughout Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands. It is prepared for posting by the Framework Public Body and collected by the Contractor from Framework Public Body sites. It is sorted by the Contractor and either delivered directly to recipients by the Contractor if they operate an end to end process, or injected into the Royal Mail network ‘downstream’ for final mile delivery by Royal Mail.
Off Site Hybrid - The Contractor shall provide an off site hybrid mail service via a web-based or cloud hosted solution allowing a fully digital process up to the point of print;
Scheduled/Regular Bulk mail - The production and delivery of planned or bulk mailings including includes, but is not limited to health screening service letters, generic health messaging, appointment letters and reminders; council tax notices and reminders, bursary notices, prospectus packs
Digital e Communications - The provision of additional and alternative options to physical print of mail items, including but not limited to SMS (text messaging) communications, Email communications, Secure web-based communications.
Software - The Contractor shall be permitted to deliver the required Hybrid, Scheduled Regular/Bulk (Print & Post) and Digital Mail services and/or solutions to Framework Public Body through the provision of the following: desktop solution and/or supporting software, web-based solutions and/or supporting software, development of a Framework Public Body portal or via a contractor’s website interface.
Mail Security Screening - The Contractor shall be capable of fulfilling a broad range of Framework Public Body requirements this shall include security screening services for a variety of inbound mail items; which shall include documents and parcels; and the security screening shall be for a range of hazardous items and materials. Additional information: The Authority accepts that Down Stream Access (DSA) may be a solution offered by Contractors under this Framework Agreement. Where this is the case, tenderers should be in possession of an access agreement with the universal service provider, Royal Mail, and if required to, be prepared to provide the Authority with evidence of this agreement.
Lot #2Hybrid Mail, Scheduled/Regular Bulk Mail (Print and Post), Software and Digital MailCancelledRenewalPublished value£20,000,000
Lot 2 of this Framework Agreement is for the provision of the following postal services - Hybrid Mail, Scheduled/Regular Bulk Mail (Print and Post), Software and Digital
Mail Services.
Off Site Hybrid Mail - The Contractor shall provide an off site hybrid mail service via a web-based or cloud hosted solution allowing a fully digital process up to the point of print.
Scheduled/Regular Bulk Mail - The production and delivery of planned or bulk mailings including includes, but is not limited to health screening service letters, generic health messaging, appointment letters and reminders; council tax notices and reminders, bursary notices, prospectus packs.
Digital e Communications - The provision of additional and alternative options to physical print of mail items, including but not limited to SMS (text messaging) communications, Email communications, Secure web-based communications.
Software - The Contractor shall be permitted to deliver the required Hybrid, Scheduled Regular/Bulk (Print & Post), and Digital Mail services and/or solutions to Framework Public Body through the provision of the following: desktop solution and/or supporting software, web-based solutions and/or supporting software, development of a Framework Public Body portal or via a contractor’s website interface. Additional information: The Authority accepts that Down Stream Access (DSA) may be a solution offered by Contractors under this Framework Agreement. Where this is the case, tenderers should be in possession of an access agreement with the universal service provider, Royal Mail, and if required to, be prepared to provide the Authority with evidence of this agreement.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality: 60
- Price: 40
- Economic & financial standing
Bidders must demonstrate a current ratio of 0.6 or above and attach financial statements as supporting evidence that they meet the financial requirements. See Question 1.69.1 of the SPD.
Current ratio will be calculated as follows: total current assets divided by total current liabilities.
There must be no qualification or contra-indication from any evidence provided in support of the bidders economic and financial standing as this may lead to exclusion by Scottish Government.
In the event that the bidder does not meet the financial criteria for consideration but has a parent company that does, the tenderer may still be eligible for consideration where their tender submission is supported by a parent company guarantee.
Minimum: It is a requirement of this framework that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain prior to the commence of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below: -public liability insurance in the sum of not less than 1 000 000 GBP for any one incide…
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- “SPPD - Postal Services Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 2 suppliers, not a single contract.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Cancelled
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · within 4 years
- First published
- 21 Aug 2024, 08:52 BST
- Last source update
- 1 Jul 2025, 12:17 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 12 Mar 2025 – …
- Authority reference
SP-24-009- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-036374- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04925dFind a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
- Review procedure
An economic operator that suffers or risks suffering loss or damage attributable to a breach of duty under Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 may bring proceedings in the Sheriff Court or Court of Session.
Publisher note: The estimated total value of 96,000,000 GBP advised at II.1.5 is a genuine estimate, which may be exceeded for services within scope, up to a value of 120,000,000 GBP. The Framework agreement will be available for use by the Scottish Ministers (including Agencies), Scottish Non-Departmental Public Bodies, offices in the Scottish Administration which are not ministerial offices, cross-border public authorities within the meaning of section 88(5) of the Scotland Act 1998, the Scotland Office, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, councils constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, bodies regulated as social landlords under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, Scottish health boards or special health boards, Student Loan Company Limited, the Commissioner of Northern Lighthouse operating as the Northern Lighthouse Board, Scottish Futures Trust, Equality and Human Rights Commission, Business Stream Ltd, the Business Gateway National Unit at the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, further or higher education institutions being fundable bodies within the meaning of Section 6 of the further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005, any public body established by or under the Scotland Act 1998 or any Act of the Scottish Parliament, any association of or formed by one or more of the foregoing, bodies financed wholly or mainly by one or more of the foregoing, bodies subject to management supervision by one or more of the foregoing and bodies more than half of the board of directors or members of which, or, in the case of a group of individuals, more thank half of those individuals, being appointed by one or more of the foregoing. In addition to the contracting authorities listed, the framework agreement will be available to charities entered on the Scottish Charity Register and voluntary organisations entered on the Membership Database of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation. Information about agencies of the Scottish Ministers, Scottish Non-Departmental Public Bodies and offices in the Scottish Administration which are not ministerial offices are listed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/about/Bodies (SC Ref:803110)
How it was run
Official noticeTender documents are also served through a separate tool: http://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk ↗
- Appointment period ends
- 12 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 270 days from the deadline
- Bids opened
- 12 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
Timeline
28 Oct 2024 → 1 Jul 2025 · 4 dates- Next notice expected28 Oct 2024
- Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown12 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Bids opened12 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Notice published1 Jul 2025, 12:17 BST
Notice history
6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 6 Feb 2025- Published value updated to £96,000,0006 Feb 2025, 12:36 GMTwas £50,000,000
- Status changed to active6 Feb 2025, 12:36 GMT
- Procurement method changed6 Feb 2025, 12:36 GMT
- Deadline published: 12 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT6 Feb 2025, 12:36 GMT
- Buyer details updated6 Feb 2025, 12:36 GMT
- Status changed to unsuccessful1 Jul 2025, 12:17 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecastContracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeDispute resolution & review bodies
- Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace CourtReview body
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.