Scope
Reference
DN807141
Description
Cambridge City Council requires qualified suppliers to provide courier services for the collection and secure delivery of council mail from the Royal Mail sorting office to designated council site/sites.
Service Requirements
The successful supplier will be required to:
• Collect mail daily from Royal Mail Sorting Office - Clifton Road, Cambridge CB1 7QQ
• Deliver securely to Mandela House, Via Downing Place, Cambridge CB2 3EL
• Provide secure handling in compliance with UK GDPR
• Maintain chain of custody documentation
• Ensure contingency arrangements for missed or delayed collections
• Handle parcels and oversized mail as required
Frequency
• Days of operation: Monday to Friday excluding public/bank holidays
• Collection time window: From 8.00am when sorting office opens
• Delivery deadline: 9.30am
Staff Requirements
• Staff must be identity‑checked
• Staff must wear uniform/ID
• Staff must be trained in data protection and secure handling
Service Levels (KPIs / SLAs)
• On‑time delivery rate: 98%
• On -time delivery rate 100% during elections - dates will be communicated
• Incident reporting timeframe: 4 hours
Data Protection
The supplier must comply with:
• Data Protection Act 2018
• UK GDPR
• Council information security policies
Insurance
• Employers' Liability: £1m
• Public Liability: £1m
Authorisation to Collect from Royal Mail
Supplier must secure all necessary permissions for third‑party collection.
The contract duration will be 24 months, with an option to extend for an additional 12 months subject to the agreement of both parties.
Total value (estimated)
- £12,000 excluding VAT
- £14,400 including VAT
Below the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2028
- Possible extension to 31 March 2029
- 3 years
Description of possible extension:
continuation of services
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 64100000 - Post and courier services
Contract locations
- UKH12 - Cambridgeshire CC
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
26 February 2026, 12:00pm
Tender submission deadline
2 March 2026, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Award criteria
Quality - 60%
Price - 40%
Procedure
Procedure type
Below threshold - open competition
Documents
Associated tender documents
RFQ - Courier Services.docx
Technical specifications to be met
https://procontract.due-north.com/RFx/RFxSummary?rfxId=ad4c4829-4b0b-f111-813c-005056b64545&projectId=5c9eb07a-4a0b-f111-813c-005056b64545
Contracting authority
Cambridge City Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PCBT-6819-NDPJ
The Guildhall
Cambridge
CB2 1BY
United Kingdom
Email: procurement@cambridge.gov.uk
Region: UKH12 - Cambridgeshire CC
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government