North Down and Ards District Council has a wide and varied range of print requirements. These include, but are not limited to, booklets, newsletters, letterhead, folders and business cards. The current annual spend for North Down Borough Council has been on average 60 000 GBP and the spend for Ards Borough Council has been estimated at 75 000 GBP and there is an on-going review of budgets moving into the new council structure. There is no absolute commitment by the Council to spend these volumes and therefore the figures given are for guidance only. This Contract will operate as a Framework Agreement.

The Council will appoint a minimum of 3 companies and a maximum of 5 companies. The companies will be ranked 1, 2, 3 and so on after formal evaluation. Commissions will be offered to the company ranked 1. Companies 2, 3 and so on will be offered commissions in the event of the preferred organisation not having the capacity to deliver the goods within the required time-frame.

The Council will hold the discretion that for orders with a value of 5 000 GBP+ a mini competition may be held and all companies on the framework will be approached to quote for that particular piece of work.