Official UK procurement notice
LEGISLATION PRINT PUBLISHING CONTRACT
Authority: The National Archives (Central government)
The purpose of this Procurement Process is for The National Archives (TNA) to select a Print Publishing Supplier to deliver its Legislation Print Publishing Contract. The intention is to award the Contract for an initial period 2 years, with options to extend for three further periods of up to twelve months each (2+1+1+1). We estimate the maximum contract value over the whole contract term (i.e. 5 years) to be circa £4,200,000 (inc. The Print Publishing Supplier is responsible for all aspects of print production.
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe purpose of this Procurement Process is for The National Archives (TNA) to select a Print Publishing Supplier to deliver its Legislation Print Publishing Contract.
The intention is to award the Contract for an initial period 2 years, with options to extend for three further periods of up to twelve months each (2+1+1+1).
The attached Invitation to Tender document gives an overview of the print publishing requirements and should be read in conjunction with Annexes 1 - 4, which provide more information about what is printed and why. If you require access to them, please contact us at [email protected]
We estimate the maximum contract value over the whole contract term (i.e. 5 years) to be circa £4,200,000 (inc. VAT).
The Print Publishing Supplier will operate the print publishing of legislation, associated documents, annual bound volumes of legislation and legislative effects, Chronological Tables and correction slips. The Print Publishing Supplier is responsible for all aspects of print production.
The Print Publishing Supplier will make sure that all printed items are made available for sale and deliver all aspects of order fulfilment and customers services related to the printing and sale of legislation items, including taking payment, handling enquiries and complaints, despatch and record keeping.
Printing legislation is a statutory requirement - the Print Publishing Supplier must provide a print publishing service that meets exacting quality standards and specifications, and that prints legislative items to prescribed and non-negotiable deadlines.
In addition, government departments pay a publishing fee for online publishing. The Print Publishing Supplier is not responsible for online publishing but is responsible for the financial administration of the publishing charges made to government departments. This involves invoicing departments for the correct publishing fees and ensuring that invoices are paid in a timely manner, including chasing where invoices have not been paid. The Print Publishing Supplier then transfers the publishing fees to The National Archives on a quarterly basis. The Print Publishing Supplier needs to inform The National Archives of any overdue outstanding departmental invoices.
- How the procedure runs: Stage 1' Tender submissions will be evaluated applying the criteria specified in paras 8.1 to 8.3 of the attached ITT document. Once all of those submissions have been evaluated, the top-four-ranked bidders will be issued with a 'Stage 2' ITT document and invited to submit a 'Stage 2' Tender response. A contract award decision will be made by scoring the 'Stage 2' Tender responses against the criteria specified in para 8.4 of the attached ITT document.
CPV: Printing and related services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£3,500,000
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 (3)
- Quality
- Price
- Social Value
- Price carries 45 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4.5 points. Quality carries 45 of 100: the paper moves it further than the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Closed
- 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
- 18 Sept 2026, 10:26 BST
- Last source update
- 19 Oct 2026, 15:43 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 22 Jan 2027
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-098612- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077519Find a Tender
- How it runs
Stage 1' Tender submissions will be evaluated applying the criteria specified in paras 8.1 to 8.3 of the attached ITT document.
Once all of those submissions have been evaluated, the top-four-ranked bidders will be issued with a 'Stage 2' ITT document and invited to submit a 'Stage 2' Tender response.
A contract award decision will be made by scoring the 'Stage 2' Tender responses against the criteria specified in para 8.4 of the attached ITT document.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 30 Oct 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 8 Oct 2026, 17:00 BST
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Submissions are to be sent to [email protected]
The National Archives' website address is www.nationalarchives.gov.uk ↗
Timeline
18 Sept 2026 → 1 Aug 2027 · 6 dates- Tender notice published48 days ago18 Sept 2026, 10:26 BST
- Clarification questions by28 days ago8 Oct 2026, 17:00 BST
- Latest notice published17 days ago19 Oct 2026, 15:43 BST
- Submission deadline6 days ago30 Oct 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Today6 Nov 2026
- Award decision expected byin 77 days22 Jan 2027, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 267 days1 Aug 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 18 Sept 2026- Tender notice published18 Sept 2026, 10:26 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published19 Oct 2026, 15:43 BSTUK4
Published amendments (1)
Published clarification questions and answers document.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications Clarification Questions & Answers Document
- Bidding documents and specifications Stage 1 ITT document
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender