Official UK procurement notice
DBC (EE) Provision of Election Printing
Authority: Dacorum Borough Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Council are seeking experienced suppliers within the market in relation to the delivery of printing of election and annual canvass requirements.
Dacorum Borough Council's (the Council) Electoral Services Department manages all elections within the area and carries out the annual canvass across the borough. The borough currently includes around 70,000 properties and 115,000 electors. Dacorum is made up of 25 wards and 16 Town and Parish Councils. The Council is also responsible for one parliamentary constituency with 2 other constituencies being undertaken by other local authorities.
We ask all interested parties to respond to the tender via the Council’s e-tendering portal ‘Supply Hertfordshire’. Suppliers must register to use the portal – this is free of charge. Documents can be downloaded from the portal and via this link
in-tendhost.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/… ↗
The closing date for responses to the tender is midday on Monday 16th November. Submissions received after this date and time will be rejected.
CPV: Electoral forms · Printing and distribution services · Printing and related services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£750,000
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).
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality: See ITT documentation for full details in relation to weightings for each quality question
- Price: See pricing schedule for further details
No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.
- Price carries 25 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2.5 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- Turnover usually expected at this size: about £499,544 (twice the annual value).
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula. Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How Dacorum Borough Council buys Printing and related services (CPV 7980), and who usually turns up
Dacorum Borough Council’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Printing and related services (CPV 7980) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Here, local means registered in East of England (authority’s region).
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered outside East of England.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 104 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid31% / 0%
2–331% / 37%
4–615% / 30%
7+23% / 33%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate20% / 29%
Within ±2%80% / 67%
Above estimate0% / 5%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 7980Published estimate£750k
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid5%
2–325%
4–637%
7+34%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
Based on 4 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Middle 50%£750k
Estimate£750k
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascot Services Uk LimitedWorked for this buyer | DBC (AL) Facilities Management Servicesnotice published May 2025 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £46m9 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 5 live · £44m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=5 | |
IDOX SOFTWARE LTDLarge | £14m69 awards in 36m · last this month | 22 live · £3.6m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 17% below n=6 |
Careium UK LimitedLarge | £11m22 awards in 36m · last this month | 11 live · £14m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 19% below n=6 |
| £16m34 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago | 20 live · £23m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=12 | |
| £1.8m7 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago | 1 live · £240k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 60% below n=1 |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Open for tender
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 20 Jul 2026, 15:09 BST
- Last source update
- 19 Oct 2026, 10:36 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 31 Mar 2027
- Authority reference
CPU00599- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-093970- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06cf0bFind a Tender- Contract terms summary
30 days in arrears
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via In-tend- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 16 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 26 Oct 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
supplier.in-tend.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/… ↗
registration is free. Bids received after midday on 9th November will be rejected.
Timeline
20 Jul 2026 → 1 Jun 2027 · 9 dates- Planning notice published92 days ago20 Jul 2026, 15:09 BST
- Market engagement73 days ago7 Aug 2026, 23:59 BST
The Council are seeking views from experienced suppliers within the market in relation to the service specification for the printing of election and annual canvass requirements.
Dacorum Borough Council's (the Council) Electoral Services Department manages all elections within the area and carries out the annual canvass across the borough. The borough currently includes around 70,000 properties and 115,000 electors. Dacorum is made up of 25 wards and 16 Town and Parish Councils. The Council is also responsible for one parliamentary constituency with 2 other constituencies being undertaken by other local authorities.
Over the next two years Hertfordshire will undergo major reform of local government arrangements, with the removal of the current two-tier systems (i.e. county and district councils) replacing it with unitary authorities. Current timescales state that Dacorum Borough Council will cease to exist and a new unitary will be created from 1st April 2028. The new Unitary Authority will see Dacorum Borough Council partner with St Albans and Hertfordshire County Council.
This market engagement is not a formal procurement process. It is designed to help the Council understand:
- The level of market interest
- Feasible commercial structures
- Innovation in service delivery
There is no commitment required to participate, and Dacorum Borough Council will not be liable for any costs incurred.
We ask all interested parties to respond to the questionnaire via the Council’s e-tendering portal ‘Supply Hertfordshire’. Suppliers must register to use the portal – this is free of charge. Documents can be downloaded from the portal and via this link
in-tendhost.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/… ↗
The closing date for responses to the questionnaire is midday on Friday 7th August
- Next notice expected28 days ago21 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published15 days ago5 Oct 2026, 16:12 BST
- Latest notice published1 day ago19 Oct 2026, 10:36 BST
- Today20 Oct 2026
- Clarification questions byin 6 days26 Oct 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission deadlinein 27 days16 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 163 days31 Mar 2027, 23:59 BST
- Contract startsin 224 days1 Jun 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
9 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 Jul 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published20 Jul 2026, 15:09 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published21 Jul 2026, 11:19 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published5 Oct 2026, 16:12 BSTUK4
- Published value published: £750,0005 Oct 2026, 16:12 BST
- Status changed to active5 Oct 2026, 16:12 BST
- Procurement method changed5 Oct 2026, 16:12 BST
- Deadline published: 9 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT5 Oct 2026, 16:12 BST
- Tender notice published19 Oct 2026, 10:36 BSTUK4
- Deadline moved to 16 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT19 Oct 2026, 10:36 BST+7 days · was 9 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2026-07: 1 release · 20 Jul 2026
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (5)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications Tender documentation can be found via the Supply Hertfordshire link above.
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender