Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
Printing and Postage for Strategic & Operational Finance
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Executive Decision Notice – 02 May 2023 Page 1
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
OFFICIAL EXECUTIVE DECISION NOTICE
PUBLISHED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
Notice is hereby given that the following decision(s) have been made today by
Cabinet Members at the London Borough of Hillingdon:
Title of decision
AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR PRINTING AND POSTAGE
FOR STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL FINANCE
Reference No. 774
Date of decision Tuesday 02 May 2023
Call-in expiry date Wednesday 10 May 2023
Relevant Select
Committee
Finance and Corporate Services Select Committee
Relevant Wards N/A
Decision made
Cabinet Members
making the decision
Councillor Martin Goddard – Cabinet Member for Finance
Approved
That the Cabinet Member for Finance agreed to extend the
contract via the CCS G-Cloud Framework, with effect from 01
August 2022 for two years in total, to DSI Billing Services Ltd
to provide printing and postage services for Strategic and
Operational Finance teams (Council Tax, Business Rates,
Business Improvement Districts (BIDS), Corporate Debtors,
Adult Social Care Financial Assessments and Benefits
services).
Reason for decision The recommendation to award the contract to DSI Billing
Services Ltd as the preferred option to the Council for the
following reasons:
• They are the existing supplier of the contract since 2006,
there is a strong working relationship with DSI and a good
understanding of the complex and varied printing
requirements of a Revenues and Benefits service.
• Reduction in the cost of bulk printing and postage due to
DSI Billing Services Ltd economies of scale and ability to
negotiate favourable and competitive postage costs with
their suppliers.
• The Revenues and Benefits contract currently provided
by outsourced provider Liberata is due to expire in May
2024, this will be going thr
ough a tender process for
provision of services from May 2024. Given the potential
to roll elements of the printing contract into this broader
managed service contract, an extension is being
proposed at this time.
Executive Decision Notice – 02 May 2023 Page 2
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
• The avoidance of significant cost of cha nge and set up
should there be a change of supplier.
• This option should also provide the Council with a
consistent level of performance over the period at a time
that continues to be extremely challenging for the service
as result of the pandemic, and the government initiatives
being introduced due to the rising energy costs.
Alternative options
considered and
rejected
Do nothing: The Council would be left with no printing or postage
services for Strategic and Operational Finance teams which
would seriously put at risk the Financial Services to both the
Council and our residents in the provision of Council Tax,
Business Rates, Business Improvement Districts (BIDS),
Corporate Debtors, Ad ult Social Care Financial Assessments
and Benefits services.
Tender Options: Printing and postage was previously part of the
Managed Services contract with Northgate Public Services (UK)
Ltd. Northgate had sub- contracted this service to DSI Billing
Services Ltd since November 2006 charging a management fee.
Since 2018, the Council has had
a contract directly with DSI
resulting in a reduction in the cost due to the removal of the
management fee applied by Northgate. DSI performance has
been very good. The Council could have tendered for the
service, but this would not have provided value for money,
compared to using a framework agreement.
A framework agreement provides the Council with well
structured Procurement procedures and are specifically
designed to ensure a compliant route to market as well as
competitive pricing and a mechanism to build long term supplier
relationships.
The service is currently in the process of putt ing a specification
for the outsourcing contract for Revenue and Benefits (currently
Liberata) which expires May 2024. Therefore, the service would
be in a better position to review the contract requirements after
the outsourcing contract.
Classification Part II – Members’ Only and Not for Publication
Link to associated
report
That this report be declared as exempt from publication as it
involves the disclosure of information in accordance with
Section 100(A) and paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) to
the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), in that the report
contains information relating to the financial or business affairs
of any person (including the authority holding that information)
and that the public interest in withholding the information
outweighs the public interest in disclosing it.
Relevant Officer
contact & Directorate
Sulma Ali – Resources Directorate
Michelle Kenyon – Resources Directorate
Executive Decision Notice – 02 May 2023 Page 3
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
Any interest declared
by the Cabinet
Member(s) /
dispensation granted
N/A
Implementation of decision & scrutiny call-in
[Internal Use only]
When can this
decision be
implemented by
officers?
Officers can implement Cabinet Member decision in this notice
only from the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period which is:
5pm on Wednesday 10 May 2023
However, this is subject to the decision not being called in by
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee. Upon receipt of a
valid call-in request, Democratic Services will immediately advise
the relevant officer(s) and the decision must then be put on hold.
Councillor scrutiny
call-in of this
decision
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee shown in this
notice may request to call-in this decision. The request must be
before the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period above.
Councillors should use the Scrutiny Call-in App (link below) on
their devices to initiate any call-in request. Further advice can be
sought from Democratic Services if required:
Scrutiny Call-In - Power Apps (secure)
Further information These decisions, where applicable, have been taken under The
Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and
Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.
This is the formal notice by the Council of the above executive
decision, including links to the reports where applicable.
If you would like more information on this decision, please
contact Democratic Services on 01895 250636 or email:
democratic@hillingdon.gov.uk.
Circulation of this decision notice is to a variety of people
including Members of the Council, Corporate Directors, Officers,
Group Secretariats and the Public. Copies are also placed on
the Council’s website.
Democratic Services
London Borough of Hillingdon
Civic Centre
High Street
Uxbridge
UB8 1UW