Decision Maker: Cabinet Member Signing

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: December 18, 2025

Purpose:

Content: DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST FOR THIS ITEM:   Mone   RESOLVED:   That the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services:   1.    Approved the award of contract for the provision of secure print and post services for the Revenues and Benefits, Housing, Planning and Pensions Service Areas to DSI Billing Services Limited as permitted under Contract Standing Orders 7.02 (access and call off a framework) and 2.01(c) (approval of awards at £500k or more) for a period of up to 2 years up to a total contract value of £1.398 million. 2.    Agreed that the proposed contract commence on 1st February 2026 for a period of 2 years until 31st January 2028.   Reasons for decision   The current contract expired in January 2026. Production of the notices laid out in section 1.4 was an essential service, with the Council having a statutory requirement to issue notices for Revenues and Benefits under the Local Government Finance Acts 1988 & 1992. £193 million in Council Tax and £84 million for NNDR (Business Rates) had been billed that financial year. All customers who had not opted into e-billing had to be issued a respective bill by post; otherwise, they did not have to pay. DSI Billing Services Limited specialised in high-volume hybrid mail solutions for Revenues and Benefits, Housing, Planning, Pensions and related services, providing secure printing and postal services for Council Tax, NNDR and Housing Benefit correspondence and recovery notices. The award of this contract resulted in a fixed unit cost for production, which spared the Authority index-linked price increases and maintained economies of scale where volumes of outbound correspondence fell. The cost of Royal Mail postage, however, continued to be variable.   Alternative Options Considered   Do nothing – This was not an option and would have placed the Council in breach of its statutory obligations. It would also have resulted in a significant reduction in income to the Council, as Council Tax and Business Rates could not be collected unless the associated statutory notices had been issued. Undertake a full procurement – This was discounted, as procurement through a framework allowed the Council to take advantage of accumulated pricing based on the framework.