This service will provide the end-to-end document management of physical and e-mail correspondence from citizens. All DWP inbound mail must be sorted at envelope level, opened (whether hard-copy or email), and prepared into batches according to the DWP business rules ahead of being scanned, indexed using OCR software, and digitally ingested into DWP's IT infrastructure. DWP will then route this digital correspondence to the relevant business unit in DWP for processing. This contract will also include the hard-copy storage of records, both in the short-term following an inbound item being scanned and longer-term hard-copy storage of physical items relating to citizens, staff and corporate records. All items held in storage, whether short-term or longer-term must be securely stored, maintained, retrieved and destroyed in-line with the DWP retention policies.

This procurement, an Open Procedure via Find a Tender Service, will look to brigade all of the services related to an end-to-end document management process. The resulting Contract, with an initial term of 6 years and an extension option of up to 24 months, for Inbound Mail and Document Management, will encompass the following service components:

Envelope level sortation requires the successful Supplier to undertake a high-level

envelope sortation of all items received from citizens (received via Royal Mail). DWP has in place c. 1,100 'non-geographic' postcodes which can be used as the basis for the sortation. This high-level sortation facilitates finer sortation required at business unit and document level aligned to the DWP business rules.

The Digital Mailroom component requires the successful Supplier to undertake post opening, document sortation, scanning, indexing and digital ingestion of all DWP's inbound written and electronic communications from citizens. The solution proposed by the successful supplier must include provision of any licence(s) required for their solution, such as those required for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to index items that are scannable and readable.

The Records Management service component requires the successful Supplier to manage all DWP hard-copy document storage from the perspective of both a short-term, post scan storage, and a longer-term hard-copy storage. The component involves the secure storage, intake, maintenance, retrieval, and destruction of all DWP's existing hard-copy citizen, staff, and corporate records.

To avoid any delays in handling and processing of items relating to DWP's vulnerable citizens, likely to be incurred by any redirections, the DWP requires the MOU to remain inside the Wolverhampton Catchment Area and/the MOU Location Catchment Map (included in the Procurement Documents) which is based 60 minutes travel time by motorised vehicle of the Northwest Midlands Mail Centre (WV1 1AA).

The 'II.1.5) Estimated total value' and 'II.2.6) Estimated value' fields within this Contract Notice includes an estimated value for a fully extended term.