Photocopier Tender Template

[techie17]

Hi

 

I need to go to tender for our printers/copiers and i have never done one before so is anyone will to share a copy a a copier tender they have done recently? Additionally any pointers would be really helpful.

 

Many thanks

[howartp]

Biggest pointer is to provide them a template to fill in.

 

Last time, we had 6 responses with the figures calculated in as many different ways so it took ages to compare like-for-like.

 

The version I sent out is attached, with sample filled in by Apple for their brand new photocopiers (!) plus the blank for the supplier to complete.

Supplier Costings.xlsx

[techie17]

Biggest pointer is to provide them a template to fill in.

 

Last time, we had 6 responses with the figures calculated in as many different ways so it took ages to compare like-for-like.

 

The version I sent out is attached, with sample filled in by Apple for their brand new photocopiers (!) plus the blank for the supplier to complete.

 

Awesome thanks. So did you publish this anywhere for suppliers to comeback and quote or did you just send to a list of suppliers?

[howartp]

We used the multifunctional devices lot on the CPC framework.

 

There's about 7 suppliers on it so we sent it to them directly, with a document specifying our requirements (copier A: 30ppm with stapler, copier B: ..... etc etc etc)

[localzuk]

We also use framework agreements to do this. The CPC and the CCS frameworks to be precise - they've already done all the legal bits for tendering, you just follow their guidance on actually getting the pricing in.

[techie17]

Would you say costs tend to be cheaper doing it this way via CCS or is it more costly?

[localzuk]

Would you say costs tend to be cheaper doing it this way via CCS or is it more costly?

Far cheaper. And the contracts have been written to deal with many of the gotchas copier companies try to do (eg. charging a huge amount to collect machines at the end of a contract, charging for staples, charging for area coverage instead of flat rate per page) etc...

[techie17]

Far cheaper. And the contracts have been written to deal with many of the gotchas copier companies try to do (eg. charging a huge amount to collect machines at the end of a contract, charging for staples, charging for area coverage instead of flat rate per page) etc...

Cool thanks. What part of the CCS site do i need to go on? I've logged in to it but its not very straight forward i cant find anywhere for Managed print services.

[localzuk]

Cool thanks. What part of the CCS site do i need to go on? I've logged in to it but its not very straight forward i cant find anywhere for Managed print services.

Its been a while since I looked at their offering. But I believe this may be the current framework page for them - https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6174

[techie17]

Its been a while since I looked at their offering. But I believe this may be the current framework page for them - https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6174

 

Thanks for this. Looks really complex so i best start reading through. Not many suppliers on there though and i thought there would be loads more!

[localzuk]

Thanks for this. Looks really complex so i best start reading through. Not many suppliers on there though and i thought there would be loads more!

There are loads of rules regarding who can be added. I would personally recommend The CPC instead, much easier to do. https://www.thecpc.ac.uk/

 

On frameworks you generally find tier 1 companies and national sized resellers.

[Cw2k]

Far cheaper. And the contracts have been written to deal with many of the gotchas copier companies try to do (eg. charging a huge amount to collect machines at the end of a contract, charging for staples, charging for area coverage instead of flat rate per page) etc...

 

The non framework suppliers also sneak in other things like charging for a device to be connected to a network for monitoring.

 

One to watch out for even on framework providers is the click charge, most will charge each side of a4 and a3 as a click but occasionally you get some that charge a3 as 2 x a4 clicks. It will be in the agreement the tender responses return so make sure you read through them before deciding.

 

You will usually get better SLAs with frameworks.

[DrCheese]

Far cheaper. And the contracts have been written to deal with many of the gotchas copier companies try to do (eg. charging a huge amount to collect machines at the end of a contract, charging for staples, charging for area coverage instead of flat rate per page) etc...

 

Yes - Don't underestimate how shady photocopier companies can be, or how petty they can get at the end of a contract if you don't have the protection of the frameworks. Our non framework supplier wanted over £10.5k to pick up all their devices at the end of a contract. It took months of digging our feet in & threatening to dump them outside their offices to get off this.

[msi_school]

Biggest pointer is to provide them a template to fill in.

 

Last time, we had 6 responses with the figures calculated in as many different ways so it took ages to compare like-for-like.

 

The version I sent out is attached, with sample filled in by Apple for their brand new photocopiers (!) plus the blank for the supplier to complete.

 

Oh I like that idea, I am going to steal it for all my ongoing price comparisons.

[jmak]

Yes - Don't underestimate how shady photocopier companies can be, or how petty they can get at the end of a contract if you don't have the protection of the frameworks. Our non framework supplier wanted over £10.5k to pick up all their devices at the end of a contract. It took months of digging our feet in & threatening to dump them outside their offices to get off this.

Been there, got the T-shirt. I was generally unimpressed with the incumbent, they took real offence when I asked them to complete a tender document rather than just provide a quote and rollover the contract. Couldn't tell whether they were trying to obfuscate costs or just incompetent but their calculations were way off, so I went with someone else. They sent an invoice for £600 per device to collect them and their office was 9 miles from the school. I read the small print and we had the option to return them so I hired a man in a van service for £40 including insurance. That really really annoyed them [emoji57]

[localzuk]

We had a terrible experience with a previous company for one of the schools that joined our MAT. They illegally changed the pricing during the contract, and the school didn't realise. They charged for scanning. And their managing directory was incredibly rude.

 

So, yeah, there's about 0% chance I'd buy from anywhere but a framework deal these days.

[Ditto]

The CPC link looks interesting. I posted this morning elsewhere about whole ICT tendering, but it includes photocopiers, so hopefully still on topic! Is this service tied to educational institutions because we are a charity and although we work within schools, we wouldn't qualify as a school.

[localzuk]

The CPC link looks interesting. I posted this morning elsewhere about whole ICT tendering, but it includes photocopiers, so hopefully still on topic! Is this service tied to educational institutions because we are a charity and although we work within schools, we wouldn't qualify as a school.

Its for schools and colleges only I'm afraid. There's something on their how to join page about if you provide education services you could ask them if you are eligible though.

[k-strider]

we have used CCS contracts too LOT1 3 years. So now we are with Canon and Canon before that for the last lot and Xerox before that.... our school was fleaced before we went onto the CCS LOT frameworks.

 

Xerox picked up the business cause they told me about the framework... and we ran a tender with other companies at the time and no one came anything like close to the framework pricing.

[MatthewL]

Don't pay for up front copies just pay for what you use.

 

Also an extras like IT Support that are not engineering calls maybe charged at extra so get these costs, plus the likes of any software maintenance i.e. PaperCut and card readers.

 

Also if you don't need a colour device in an area don't let them sell you a colour one, they won't like it as not making as much money but don't let them force you into stuff you don't want. Check the machine can handle what you want to put through it aa month and a bit more, so they cannot say that the machine is been overused and try and charge you when there are issues that are costing them.

 

They will sell you the best as that is where they are making the commission on them, I've seen guys walk away with thousands in commission before from copiers.

[mikeprice]

I know this sounds stupid but check the quotes - even check their adding up

 

When I did this several years ago I got quotes from 5 local companies - 2 of them had columns of numbers with a total at the bottom that was not the sum of the number above.

 

I also found that the quote I got from the current supplier (who had been great) dropped a lot compared to the roll-over deal they had offered us 6 months before

 

So basically assume nothing and check everything

 

and, in my opinion, don;t get into a thing where they ask what the lowest quote was and ask to requote - I've seen people go down that rabbit hole and it wasn't nice

[howartp]

I know this sounds stupid but check the quotes - even check their adding up

 

When I did this several years ago I got quotes from 5 local companies - 2 of them had columns of numbers with a total at the bottom that was not the sum of the number above.

 

I also found that the quote I got from the current supplier (who had been great) dropped a lot compared to the roll-over deal they had offered us 6 months before

 

So basically assume nothing and check everything

 

and, in my opinion, don;t get into a thing where they ask what the lowest quote was and ask to requote - I've seen people go down that rabbit hole and it wasn't nice

 

That’s one of the reasons I do the template attached above.

 

Their price will be £x for 3 years but I ask for it quarterly; that ends up in decimal pounds & pence which doesn’t add up on a sheet that only shows pence.

[mikeprice]

When I did it I didn;t use a template but I was specific about what I wanted on the quote

 

 

Let's just say some of the people replying may not have read the requirements in detail!!

 

I couldn;t just elinate them because then I wouldn;t have had enough quotes!

 

The other thing is that you need to allow suppliers to come up with different things just in case they have an option that may suit you better

 

e.g. we ended up agreeing to a system where we had a 'free' (i.e. prepaid at a lower rate) for the whole 5 year term rather than it applying per year

which is great as the first few years would have no extra charges for going over the 'free' amount and going into the more expensive extra prints rate

but it does leave a bear trap waiting for the last 2 years if the numbers increase

 

But this was fine for us as the Head was determined to reduce the number of prints and had a strategy to do it

 

Of course a year or so after that teh Head left - and then me a term later - so $deity knows how it went

but I did warn them - in detail - so some else's problem!