Postal Services · UK public procurement notice

The proposed direct award to Royal Mail Group Ltd is justified on the following grounds:

1.Universal Service Obligation (USO)

•Royal Mail is the only provider in the UK with a statutory Universal Service Obligation.

•It is legally required to deliver letters to every UK address, six days per week, at a uniform and affordable price.

•This ensures guaranteed nationwide coverage that alternative providers cannot match.

2.Absence of Comparable Competition

•While other courier providers exist they:

Do not provide full national letter delivery services

Rely partially on Royal Mail infrastructure for final delivery ("last mile")

No alternative supplier can independently deliver a fully compliant, end-to-end postal service across all required service types.

3 . Operational Necessity and Continuity

•South WalesPolice require a reliable, secure, and legally compliant postal service for:

oCourt documentation

oLegal notices

oSensitive correspondence

•Royal Mail provides established processes for:

oSecure handling

oProof of delivery

oCompliance with evidential standards