Office Supplies

The Association of North East Councils Trading as the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) is seeking to establish a multi-supplier, multi-lot Framework Agreement for the provision of Office Supplies including Catering Disposables, Educational Products, Electronic Consumables, and Office First Aid Kits for use by contracting authorities throughout the United Kingdom. The purpose of the prior information notice (PIN) is to provide advance notice to the marketplace of the tendering opportunity and intentions of NEPO to hold market consultation activities with suppliers to help shape the future Framework Agreement. NEPO are not advertising this PIN as a mechanism to reduce future procurement timescales. NEPO intends to publish a soft market testing questionnaire via the Open eTendering system. The questionnaire will be used to assess interest in the tendering opportunity and to gain information and insight from the market to help shape the future NEPO502 Framework Agreement design. The soft market testing questionnaire will be made accessible via the Open eTendering system on Friday 22nd March 2024 with a submission deadline of midday on Tuesday 2nd April 2024. Suppliers wishing to access and complete the soft market testing questionnaire must first register on the eTendering system using the following link https://www.open-uk.org. Guidance for how to create an account search for opportunities and respond are included within the Supplier's Hub. If you require further support, please email open.support@nepo.org. In addition, NEPO intends to hold a group market consultation meeting. NEPO intends to hold the group Market Consultation meeting, which will be advertised openly via this PIN and will take place on Tuesday 16 April 2024. Suppliers wishing to register attendance must do so in writing to Steph Westgarth (stephanie.westgarth@nepo.org) no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday 11 April 2024. The Market Consultation session will be no longer than 90 minutes and NEPO intends to conduct this session virtually through online meeting platform applications. NEPO anticipates this virtual meeting session will take place via Microsoft Teams or alternative online platforms. The time of the appointment will be confirmed following the registration deadline. Suppliers wishing to attend the virtual market consultation meeting should be capable of meeting the requirements under any of the applicable lots. Attendance at market consultation is optional and does not provide suppliers with an advantage in any future related procurement. Attendance also does not constitute as an intention to tender for any future related procurement. Please note the above dates may be subject to change depending on availability and supplier uptake.