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Office of Government Commerce
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New courier services cover all the bases
A new set of courier services launched today, 1 September 2008, will provide buyers across the public sector with swift and easy access to an extensive range of collection, delivery and logistics solutions.
The Logistics and Courier Services framework agreements, from Buying Solutions, were developed following a detailed collaborative exercise involving government departments and agencies to ensure that a wide cross section of public sector requirements and circumstances were considered.
The package that has emerged includes ad hoc and scheduled collections and deliveries locally and nationally, both same day and next day, together with international services too.
Among the suppliers are organisations expert in the secure movement of cash and other valuable items, together with potentially hazardous goods such as medical or veterinary material.
A range of logistical and bespoke services are also available where customers may need a tailored, managed service dealing with additional requirements such as secure transit, storage and destruction of items.
Buying Solutions worked closely with HM Revenue & Customs, Home Office, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and other government departments to develop these services, to aggregate public sector demand and enable organisations to call off a range of requirements quickly and cost effectively.
The six suppliers appointed to the framework agreements are:
* City Sprint
* DX Group
* Government Car and Despatch
Agency
* Royal Mail Group
* TNT UK, and
* E-COURIER UK
Buying Solutions Postal and Courier Services Category Manager Peter Gollop said today:
"These new arrangements will appeal to all those organisations across the public sector requiring a fast, secure and efficient courier service, including both central and local government, education and health.
"The framework agreements are compliant with EU procurement directives, allowing customers to bypass the time and costs involved in conducting a full procurement exercise themselves.
"There is also the opportunity to run further mini competitions, dependent upon each organisation's operational requirements and profile."
Notes to Editors
Organisations considering using these arrangements can also access Buying Solutions' Postal and Courier Services category experts who will also provide information and guidance on procurement issues specific to the public sector, tailoring solutions to suit specific customer needs, implementation and change management issues and best practice and benchmarking.
The Buying Solutions team also monitors supplier performance and accesses trends and developments within the marketplace that could provide further benefits or service enhancements for customers.
For more details about the Logistics and Courier Services framework agreements visit the Buying Solutions website at http://www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk or telephone the Customer Service Desk on 0845 410 2222 and ask to speak to a member of the Postal and Courier Services team.
About OGCbuying.solutions
Buying Solutions is the trading arm of the Office of Government Commerce, which is itself an office of HM Treasury.
It provides public sector procurement professionals with a route to the products and services they need to maximise procurement efficiency and value for money. Its contracts and framework agreements offer substantial savings through significant buying power, economies of scale and strategic partnerships.
Rigorous tendering and evaluation processes ensure that products and services are checked for quality, price competitiveness, fitness for purpose and compliance with statutory requirements. These products and services are available through Buying Solutions' framework agreements, managed services and other procurement arrangements.
More details are available on the website: http://www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk
The Office of Government Commerce is an independent office of HM Treasury, established to help Government deliver best value from its spending. The OGC works with central Government departments and other public sector organisations to provide policy standards and guidance on best practice in procurement, projects and estate management, and monitors and challenges Departments' performance against these standards, grounded in an evidence base of information and assurance.
It promotes and fosters collaborative procurement across the public sector to deliver better value for money and better public services; and it provides innovative ways to develop Government's commercial and procurement capability, including leadership of the Government Procurement Service.
More details are available on the website: http://www.ogc.gov.uk
