OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT
COMMERCE News Release (COU0109) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 1 September 2008
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