Provision of the Distribution of Hillingdon People Magazine

The London Borough of Hillingdon are conducting preliminary market engagement in advance of a future procurement and contract for the Provision of the Distribution of Hillingdon People Magazine to understand market capacity and capability and to test the viability of the Council’s proposed service requirements. The Council is particularly interested in understanding potential delivery models, distribution timescales, geographic coverage, delivery assurance and tracking methods, mobilisation requirements, pricing structures and any factors which may affect competition or value for money. Feedback received may be used to inform the final specification and procurement approach.

This preliminary market engagement does not constitute a call for competition or an invitation to tender and does not commit the Council to commencing a procurement process or awarding a contract. Participation or non-participation in this exercise will not prevent suppliers from participating in any future procurement opportunity. The Council may use information obtained through this exercise to inform the development of its procurement strategy, specification and tender documentation.

The services under the proposed contract include, but are not limited to:

The London Borough of Hillingdon requires a door-to-door distribution service for its residents’ magazine, Hillingdon People. The Council currently publishes a minimum of four editions per year; however, publication frequency may vary during the contract to reflect Council requirements. Each distribution cycle is expected to involve approximately 119,660 copies, with distribution normally required to be completed within an approximately two-week delivery window.

The supplier will be required to distribute Hillingdon People to eligible residential properties throughout the London Borough of Hillingdon and deliver approximately 2,500 copies to Uxbridge Library.

On occasion, the Council may also require additional Council-related materials, such as booklets, leaflets or flyers, to be distributed alongside Hillingdon People.

Detailed postcode sectors and boundary information will form part of the procurement documentation, so suppliers understand that the requirement is for borough-wide geographic coverage.

The service will require appropriate delivery monitoring, back-checking and/or tracking arrangements to provide assurance and evidence that distribution has been completed. Suppliers will also be expected to support the investigation and resolution of reported missed deliveries and provide evidence of remedial delivery where required.

For context, the current magazine is approximately A4 size (297 x 210mm), colour and normally comprises between 32 and 36 pages including the cover and is currently produced on 70gsm paper stock.

The initial contract term is expected to be three years and six months, with options to extend for up to a further two years (1 year + 1 year), subject to satisfactory performance and the Council’s requirements.