HCC08/23- Framework Agreement For The Supply of Art and Craft Materials, Art Papers, and Adhesives

Hertfordshire County Council (the ‘Council’) is currently out to procurement for the provision of a Framework Agreement for the supply of art and craft materials, art paper and adhesives. Further information in regard to this opportunity can be found in II.2.4) Description of the procurement field Organisations wishing to take part in this project are invited to ‘express interest’ which will give access to the full procurement documents in the e-tendering system. Please see VI.3) Additional information for further information. Any questions relating to this procurement must be made via the correspondence area in the e-Tendering system, in accordance with the procurement documents and can be addressed to the main contact as shown in the details above.

The Contracting Authority, acting on behalf of the Participating Authorities is leading on the procurement process to establish a Framework Agreement for the supply of art and craft materials, art papers and adhesives (herein after referred to as ‘Goods’), and is seeking suitably qualified Contractor(s) to supply the Goods and any related services under any agreement resulting from this tendering exercise. Details of the Goods required under this Agreement are given in the separate excel spreadsheet HCC2314568-Pricing Schedule. The requirement is for delivery of the Goods in bulk drops to the Participating Authority’s central stores. The method of delivery and palletisation will be as stated in Sections 10-13 of this specification. The requirement is split into four lots: - Lot 1: Craft Materials- Lot 2: Glitter, Sand and Sequins - Lot 3: Art Paper - Lot 4: Adhesives The Lots will be awarded on a line-by-line basis, meaning there is no requirement to bid on every item listed on HCC2314568 – Pricing Schedule. It is the intention of the Contracting Authority to award each line to a maximum of three (3) contractors per line who scores the highest across the award criteria and weighting described in the Instructions to Tenderer’s documentation. Orders will be placed to the first ranked contractor, In the event the first ranked contractor is unable to fulfil the order, the Council shall repeat this exercise with the next ranked contractor and shall continue in this way until the Council identifies a contractor to whom the order may be issued.Samples or Colour Swatches are required for this tender opportunity for all goods the contractor bids for; full details of this requirement are outlined in section 23 of the specification.The Council reserves the right to request further samples during the procurement process, such as evaluation stage, if required. Requests for samples will be made via the Supply Hertfordshire portal.Further samples may be requested by the Contracting Authority throughout the term of the Framework. Requests for further samples will be made via the Framework Contract Manager. The anticipated total annual joint expenditure across the Participating Authorities on these Goods is presently circa GBP 2,193,000 per annum.The estimated annual spend by each Participating Authority can be broken down as follows: Hampshire County Council GBP 887,000Hertfordshire County Council GBP 1,306,000The estimated total value of the Framework Agreement is stated in II.1.5) of this notice and is for the four-year term, together with the Individual Orders and their possible durations. It is anticipated that the term of the Individual Orders awarded under this Framework Agreement could be up to 4 years. For the avoidance of doubt, the estimated total value of the Framework Agreement could be up to GBP 8,772,000. The Framework Agreement may be awarded for a period of up to Four (4) years, unless terminated in accordance with the provisions of the Framework AgreementPlease note that the requirements of the Framework Agreement will be subject to available financial resources, supplier performance and flexibility to meet changing demands. In addition, there will be no form of exclusivity or volume that is guaranteed under the resultant Framework Agreement and the Council will be entitled to enter into other Contracts and arrangements with other Suppliers for the provision of any, or all, of the requirements which are the same as, or similar to those specified under the established Framework Agreement.Organisations should be aware that due to the nature of the Services provided, any Framework Agreement formed as a result of this procurement process shall be executed as a deed. Organisations should seek independent legal advice on the implications of this prior to submitting their bid, where appropriate.