Original Tender Description
Hertfordshire County Council is currently out to procurement for the Provision of a Framework for the Supply of Cut Paper, Card and Envelopes. Hertfordshire County Council (HCC or the Contracting Authority) is leading on the procurement process to establish a Framework for the Supply of Cut Paper, Card and Envelopes. (hereinafter referred to as “Goods”) and is seeking suitably qualified Suppliers to supply the Goods under any Framework resulting from this tendering exercise. A list of the Goods required is given in the Pricing Schedule. You are invited to submit your tender for these Goods. The requirement covers Cut Paper and Card and Envelopes to be delivered in bulk drops to the central stores of Herts Fullstop. Hampshire County Council will be participating in Lot 4 only. The requirement is divided into the following Lots - Lot 1 Branded Copier Paper Lot 2 Tinted Copier Paper & Card Lot 3 Whitebox Copier Paper Lot 4 Envelopes You are invited to bid for one or more Lots, or Lines within a Lot. Full details are in the Specification, Schedule 1 of the Framework document. Please note that the maximum values stated in this notice are for the core period and include the value of any extensions. The Council will procure this Framework using the Open Procedure as defined in the Procurement Act 2023. Full details of the requirement and context of the procurement can be found in the Specification of the Framework Document. Organisations wishing to take part in this project are invited to ‘express an interest’ and also ‘opt in’ which will give access to the full procurement documents in the e-tendering system. To be considered as a Tenderer you must complete and submit a Tender by the deadline of 12 noon on 8th April 2026. Please allow sufficient time to make your return, as Tender submissions cannot be uploaded and submitted after this return deadline. Please ensure that where possible documents are uploaded as a PDF and that file names are succinct. Any questions relating to this procurement must be made via correspondence on the website, in accordance with the procurement documents, and can be addressed to the main contact as shown in the details above. Tenderers should be aware that due to the nature of this requirement for Goods, any Framework formed as a result of this procurement process shall be executed as a deed. Tenderers should seek independent legal advice on the implications of this prior to submitting their Tender, where appropriate. Please note that the Framework requirements will be subject to available financial resources, supplier performance and flexibility to meet changing demands. To access this opportunity please visit https://in-tendhost.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/ If you are experiencing problems In-Tend offer a help section which includes a dedicated UK support desk which can be contacted via email: support@in-tend.co.uk or Telephone: +44 1144070065 for any website/technical questions, Monday to Friday, 8:30-17:00. The Council reserves the right at any time to cease the procurement process and not award a Framework or to award only part of the opportunity described in this notice. If the Council takes up this right, then they will not be responsible for or pay the expenses or losses, which may be incurred by any organisation or tenderer as a result. In February 2025 the UK Government formally invited Hertfordshire County Council (the ”Council”) and the various district and borough Councils of Hertfordshire (see attached - District and borough councils | Hertfordshire County Council) to develop proposals for local government reorganisation in Hertfordshire which is likely to result in the current two-tier system of local government being reorganised into a single tier of local government with one or more unitary councils for the whole of the Hertfordshire area. If implemented, local government reorganisation is currently expected to take effect in April 2028 and, on that date, the existing two-tier councils will be dissolved and replaced by one or more new unitary authorities. Existing contracts held by the Council and the district and borough Councils of Hertfordshire are expected to transfer to their successor authorities on vesting day in accordance with the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and the Local Government (Structural Changes) (Transfer of Functions, Property, Rights and Liabilities) Regulations 2008. These reforms will be subject to a decision of the Secretary of State and could be subject to change at any time. As these reforms may occur during the term of this contract and result in changes to the form, structure, size and shape of local government in Hertfordshire, they are a known risk to the Council within the meaning of paragraph 6, Schedule 8 of the Procurement Act 2023 (Act) in that the reforms could jeopardise the satisfactory performance of the contract but because the nature and extent of the reforms are presently unknown, it is not possible to address the risks in the contract. If these risks materialise, the contract may need to be modified under paragraph 5 of Schedule 8 of the Act. Such modification could include, but not be limited to, the need to replace the contracting authority with a successor public authority and/or vary the structure, scope, nature and/or geographical location/boundary within which the contract is delivered. Tenderers should note that any variation(s) to the terms and conditions of the contract will be made in accordance with its terms.