Official UK procurement notice
376E_24 Digital Library Content and Print Books
Authority: ESPO
What is being bought8 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionESPO is seeking to renew its eBooks, eAudiobooks and Print Books framework, with the addition of an ePress Sub-Lot. It is anticipated that the new framework will be awarded during Autumn 2024.
CPV: Dictionaries, maps, music books and other books · Library services · Library software package · Newspapers, journals, periodicals and magazines · Printed books · Printed books, brochures and leaflets · Subscription services · Textbooks
How this framework works
From the published notice- Bids received
- 9 bids on the busiest of 7 lots · 6 suppliers appointed
- Framework period
- 2 yrs from 1 Nov 2024
Lots and requirements (8)Procurement structure
8 lots · 7 with a published value · evaluation weights differ by lotEvery one of these 2 lots carries the same published figure, £7,200,000: it is the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each lot's own budget, and no share per lot is published. The cards below say ceiling above rather than repeat it.
Lot #1ESPO is seeking to renew its eBooks, eAudiobooks and Print Books frameworkPlannedLot estimate not published
ESPO is seeking to renew its eBooks, eAudiobooks and Print Books framework. It is anticipated that the new framework will be awarded during Summer 2024.
ESPO is also considering extending the framework scope to include ePress and Serviced Library Stock.
Prior to retendering, ESPO is seeking to engage with the supplier market to help inform the new framework to ensure that it best meets the needs of both suppliers and customers across the public sector.
Suppliers responding to this opportunity will be invited to participate in the pre-market engagement which will take place between January and February 2024.
Lot #21 - eBook SolutionsAwardedPublished value£3,600,000
This lot is for digital lending platforms to provide eBook accessibility to education and public library service users. Solutions will offer a range of eBook titles via a portal, where service users will be able to reserve and check-out content virtually on a range of devices including smart phones, e-readers, tablets and desktop computers. This lot is expected to be used by schools and public libraries.
Lot #32 - eAudiobook SolutionsAwardedPublished value£2,400,000
This lot is for digital lending platforms to provide eAudiobook accessibility to education and public library service users. Solutions will offer a range of eAudiobook titles via a portal, where service users will be able to reserve and check-out content virtually on a range of devices including smart phones, e-readers, tablets and desktop computers. This lot is expected to be used by schools and public libraries.
Lot #43 - ePress and Associated SolutionsAwardedPublished value£1,200,000
This lot is for digital lending platforms to provide ePress accessibility to education and public library service users. Solutions will offer a range of ePress titles via a portal, where service users will be able to access content virtually on a range of devices including smart phones, e-readers, tablets and desktop computers. This lot is expected to be used by schools and public libraries.
Lot #54 - Combined eBook and eAudiobook SolutionsAwardedceiling above
This lot will be used by customers who require a comprehensive system that combines the functionalities offered by both lots 1.1 and 1.2.
Lot #65 - Combined eBook, eAudiobook and ePress SolutionsAwardedceiling above
This lot will be used by customers who require a comprehensive system that combines the functionalities offered by lots 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3.
Lot #71 - Fiction and Curriculum BooksAwardedPublished value£1,680,000
This lot will cover both children's and adult fiction titles, textbooks, revision guides and reading scheme sets used in schools and colleges by students. This lot will largely be used by education customers.
Lot #82 - Reference Materials, Handbooks and ManualsAwardedPublished value£720,000
This lot will cover the requirements of education customers for materials such as dictionaries, and encyclopaedias as well as non-education customers such as local authority departments and central governments bodies for reference books related to their area of work (e.g. social care).
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Lots publish different evaluation splits; there is no single procedure weighting.
- Price carries 30–70 points depending on the lot; most lots put it at 30 points.
- “376E_24 Digital Library Content and Print Books” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- No (one-off requirement)
- First published
- 9 Jan 2024, 17:14 GMT
- Last source update
- 21 Nov 2024, 11:49 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- 28 Aug 2024 – …
- Authority reference
376E_24- FTS notice number
2024/S 000-037638- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-042bd8Find a Tender
- Performance terms
As part of the on-going contract management process, during the period of the Framework Agreement, ESPO shall monitor the financial stability of the awarded Suppliers during the period of the Framework Agreement by reference to credit rating agency reports. ESPO shall obtain a credit score for the Supplier on or before the Framework start date as a base score and where a significant change in the credit score is identified over the life of the Framework Agreement, ESPO reserves the right to investigate the reasons for this significant change. Depending on the severity of the changes, it will be at the sole discretion of ESPO to suspend or even permanently remove the Supplier from the Framework Agreement.
- Review procedure
Information on deadlines(s) for review procedures can be found in Part 3, Chapter 6 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
Publisher note: As a Central Purchasing Body as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the Framework Agreement is open for use by Public Bodies (defined at https://www.espo.org/amfile/file/download/file/9608/) that also fall into one of the following classifications of user throughout all administrative regions of the UK: Local Authorities; Educational Establishments (including Academies); Central Government Departments and Agencies; Police, Fire & Rescue and Coastguard Emergency Services; NHS and HSC Bodies, including Ambulance Services; Registered Charities; Registered Social Landlords; The Corporate Office of the House of Lords, The Corporate Officer of the House of Commons; or any public body established by or under the Scotland Act 1998 or any Act of the Scottish Parliament. Details of the classification of end user establishments and geographical areas are available at: https://www.espo.org/legal. ESPO has established a commercial trading company, ESPO Trading Limited, whose target clients are third sector organisations such as national and local charities, public sector mutual organisations and other organisations involved in the delivery of services to or for the public sector. The successful Supplier may be asked to enter into an additional separate framework agreement (the Second Framework) with ESPO Trading Limited on materially similar terms to that found in the tender pack to be entered into by ESPO itself. Any Second Framework agreement will be a purely commercial agreement and will, for the avoidance of doubt, not be governed by the Public Contract Regulations 2015 or other public procurement legislation. ESPO Trading Limited may enter into the second framework agreement with the successful supplier and make it available to third sector clients who themselves are not required to follow the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or other public procurement legislation. Accordingly, this is provided for bidders information only. An eAuction process may be used to award subsequent call off contracts following the reopening of competition among the parties to the Framework Agreement.
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 28 Aug 2024, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 90 days from the deadline
- Bids opened
- 28 Aug 2024, 12:01 BST
Timeline
24 May 2024 → 21 Nov 2024 · 5 dates- Next notice expected24 May 2024, 00:00 BST
- Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown28 Aug 2024, 12:00 BST
- Bids opened28 Aug 2024, 12:01 BST
- Contract starts1 Nov 2024
- Notice published21 Nov 2024, 11:49 GMT
Notice history
5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 23 Jul 2024- Published value updated to £24,000,00023 Jul 2024, 12:50 BSTwas £16,000,000
- Status changed to active23 Jul 2024, 12:50 BST
- Procurement method changed23 Jul 2024, 12:50 BST
- Deadline published: 28 Aug 2024, 12:00 BST23 Jul 2024, 12:50 BST
- Status changed to complete21 Nov 2024, 11:49 GMT
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast7 suppliers are admitted to this framework without individual award values or dates, see the supplier list below.
Contracts
All 2 of these contracts carry the same published figure, £7,200,000, the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each contract's own value. They are not eleven separate sums.
Lot 1.1 - eBook Solutions
- Signed
- 7 Nov 2024
- Value
- £3,600,000
- Period
- … – 31 Oct 2026
- Status
- active
Lot 1.2 - eAudiobook Solutions
- Signed
- 7 Nov 2024
- Value
- £2,400,000
- Period
- … – 31 Oct 2026
- Status
- active
Lot 1.3 - ePress and Associated Solutions
- Signed
- 7 Nov 2024
- Value
- £1,200,000
- Period
- … – 31 Oct 2026
- Status
- active
Lot 1.4 - Combined eBook and eAudiobook Solutions
- Signed
- 7 Nov 2024
- Value
- ceiling above
- Period
- … – 31 Oct 2026
- Status
- active
Lot 1.5 - Combined eBook, eAudiobook and ePress Solutions
- Signed
- 7 Nov 2024
- Value
- ceiling above
- Period
- … – 31 Oct 2026
- Status
- active
Lot 2.1 - Fiction and Curriculum Books
- Signed
- 7 Nov 2024
- Value
- £1,680,000
- Period
- … – 31 Oct 2026
- Status
- active
Lot 2.2 - Reference Materials, Handbooks and Manuals
- Signed
- 7 Nov 2024
- Value
- £720,000
- Period
- … – 31 Oct 2026
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 · 1 - eBook Solutions | 9bids · 9 electronic | 7 | — | — |
| 3 · 2 - eAudiobook Solutions | 9bids · 9 electronic | 7 | — | — |
| 4 · 3 - ePress and Associated Solutions | 9bids · 9 electronic | 7 | — | — |
| 5 · 4 - Combined eBook and eAudiobook Solutions | 9bids · 9 electronic | 7 | — | — |
| 6 · 5 - Combined eBook, eAudiobook and ePress Solutions | 9bids · 9 electronic | 7 | — | — |
| 7 · 1 - Fiction and Curriculum Books | 9bids · 9 electronic | 7 | — | — |
| 8 · 2 - Reference Materials, Handbooks and Manuals | 9bids · 9 electronic | 7 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- The Royal Court of JusticeReview body
Framework contractors & participating bidders
6 commercial parties on the notice- A T Little & Sons Ltd (T/A Browns Books)Framework contractor
- Bolinda UK LtdFramework contractor
- Imagine Me Stories LtdFramework contractor
- OverDrive Global LimitedFramework contractor
- Ulverscroft LimitedFramework contractor
- Waterstones Booksellers LimitedFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Technical selection criteria
- Economic and financial selection criteria