1. That the background information, as set out in the submitted report be noted.
2. That the award of the contract be agreed, following consideration of the procurement process set out in item 20, the Part 2 Annex.
Reasons for Decisions
The existing contract will expire on 31 October 2013. A tender process has been completed, and the recommendations arising out of the above process provide best value for money for the Council following a thorough evaluation process. The procurement activity is expected to deliver savings of 10% per annum through the use of composite notices, closer working relationships, targeted distribution and alternative designs requiring less advertising space. Also, the contract ensures the Managed Service Provider passes on all discounted rates that the newspapers offer.
The new contract rates are in line with the current rates but the difference is they are fixed for the contact duration; therefore the projected spend is £540,000 per annum, compared to the current spend of £600,000 per annum, without incurring any inflationary costs.
[The decisions on this item may be called in by the Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee]