Internal Mail & Courier Service

The Authority considers this requirement to be business‑critical to the continuity of services and the safe, secure movement of items. Bidders are therefore advised that the contract carries a number of risks which suppliers must be able to manage and price appropriately.

Key risks include: service delivery failure, such as inability to meet required service levels and KPIs (including on‑time collection/delivery, tracking/proof of delivery, incident reporting, and prevention of loss, damage, misdelivery or contamination), and any failure to meet required standards for security and confidentiality. Operational and capacity constraints may arise due to fluctuating volumes, peak‑period demand spikes, short‑notice requests, route changes, staff/vehicle availability, and depot/scheduling capacity, which may impact performance if not effectively resourced.

A key risk for this contract at this stage is fuel price volatility and wider operating cost inflation, which may materially affect the supplier’s cost base and the sustainability of pricing over the contract term. Bidders should therefore ensure their pricing approach and mobilisation plans reflect this risk. The Authority intends to include contract provisions that allow for contract price amendment in defined circumstances (for example, where evidenced changes in fuel costs meet an agreed threshold and are assessed in line with the contract mechanism), to support service continuity and value for money. The detail of any indexation and/or price adjustment mechanism will be set out in the tender documents and contract terms.

In accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 transparency requirements, the Authority highlights the following known and foreseeable risk scenarios which may arise during the contract term and may require adjustment to the service specification and/or contract scope: changes to delivery volumes and frequencies; changes to operating hours; changes to the number and location of sites served and/or the geographical coverage across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire (including additions, removals or consolidations of locations); and changes to tracking, reporting, or specialist handling requirements (including any temperature‑controlled movements where applicable). Bidders are also advised that Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCHC) and Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (CCS) intend to merge into a single NHS Trust, East of England Community Services NHS Trust, on 1 April 2026. At the point of award, a single contract will be awarded to cover the requirements of both current entities, and suppliers should ensure their proposals and mobilisation plans can support this position and any associated organisational or operational change.

Bidders are also advised that Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) may include a Suffolk requirement that is currently insourced, which could increase volumes and/or geographic coverage during the contract term. In addition, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (NWAFT) and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) may or may not place call‑off contracts under this arrangement, and therefore demand and scope may vary depending on their participation. As a result, contract values may increase or decrease over the term in line with actual demand levels, service changes, and participating organisations’ requirements.

The contract is also exposed to external disruption risks, including severe weather, road closures, major incidents, vehicle breakdowns, subcontractor failure, and wider economic or geopolitical impacts on transport operations. Bidders must be able to manage security, information governance and data protection risks, including secure handling of sensitive materials, maintaining chain of custody, and protecting any systems or data used for tracking and service management from cyber or data breaches. The Authority further notes financial and economic stability risks, including the potential impact of supplier financial distress or insolvency on service continuity, and compliance/legal risks arising from changes to relevant legislation and regulatory requirements (for example employment and labour law, TUPE where applicable, transport and road traffic legislation, and environmental requirements such as clean air/emissions zones). Further detail on KPIs, risk controls, and contract management arrangements will be provided in the tender documents.