Scope
Description
Denbighshire County Council (The Authority) are looking to engage with the market in relation to a cost effective, flexible, high quality and value for money hybrid mail and digital communication service. This is primarily for the Revenues and Benefits service but will also encompass some smaller additional teams, namely Sundry Debt, Court of Protection Team, Financial Assessment Team and Tackling Poverty Campaigns. Additional Council services may also wish to join the contract during its duration.
In addition, whilst contractual details are not yet agreed we include in this notice the following. The Authority are considering broader corporate hybrid mail needs and suppliers are invited to provide details of how Corporate requirements could also be met. (See details below entitled 'Corporate - Additional Key requirements)
Aims of Engagement
The purpose is to:
- Understand supplier capabilities and the very latest technologies and solutions available in the market
- Identify opportunities for innovation and best practice
- Test assumptions on costs, timescales, and implementation approaches
- Understand options available to the Authority, allowing for robust and comprehensive bilingual (Welsh and English) communications and alternative formats such as large print and Braille
Revenues & Benefits - Key requirements
- A hybrid mail delivery solution, 'print and post' for letters and correspondence where data and/or electronic information is converted to a physical mail item off site
- Ability to provide a service across a range of volumes, from an individual item to bulk mailings. Bulk mailing to include annual billing of Council Tax and Business Rates
- E-delivery functionalities including SMS, email communications and secure web-based communications
- The ability to process text only data streams in differing formats and merge with Authority supplied document templates
- The ability to process formatted data streams in differing formats eg pdfs
- The ability to merge data streams based on selection criteria e.g. Council Tax bills and Benefit notifications where reference, customer name and address match
- Sending ad hoc emails/SMS to customers without then signing up to the service permanently and ability to opt out completely from email/SMS delivery
- Functionality to send e-comms by email or SMS (ie multifactor authentication using email and SMS not a pre-requisite)
- Default to paper option, where if an e-communication is not delivered, is unopened or unread by the recipient, a paper mail item to be issued
- Ability to upload pdf documents for each notification type. The provider would need to be able to split the documents by new addressee and combined in envelopes where there are postal matches
- Provision of management reports for digital delivery
- Provision of management information split into different cost centres for the differing Authority teams using the service
- Capability to generate reconciliation reports that enable the authority to align daily document volumes with internal reconciliation records
Corporate - Additional key requirements
- Return to Sender reporting for non-deliverable physical items
- Same day processing for all mail classes
- Document tracking for all users and Administrators
- Ability to pause send and retract document from queue (within a specific time frame)
- In-built document library
- Group, team and user management
- Global and group level administrators for document tracking
- Provision of management reports across all delivery types
- Default and custom mailing profiles, including restrictions
- Upload and direct print options
- GDPR Compliant
- Thin client support
Total value (estimated)
- £1 excluding VAT
- £1 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2028
- Possible extension to 31 August 2033
- 7 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
Contract locations
- UKL13 - Conwy and Denbighshire
Engagement
Engagement deadline
31 December 2025
Engagement process description
We are seeking to understand what is currently available in the market in relation to the above requirements. We are inviting suppliers to provide a breakdown of the key features and functions their system provides and are particularly interested in latest technologies and any innovative approaches to postal and electronic communications.
We also intend to invite suppliers to provide system demos, ideally over MS Teams. This is likely to be week commencing 8th December 2025.
We are seeking a fully functional, out of the box solution that requires minimal configuration to meet our operational needs and deliver an excellent user experience. We are not looking for a development partner. We are particularly interested in suppliers who have a proven track record of working successfully with Revenue and Benefit teams in other Local Authorities.
We do not guarantee that this exercise will result in a procurement exercise.
If your organisation can provide a solution that meets the requirements of this notice, please email procurement@denbighshire.gov.uk with a brief overview of your solution no later than 12 noon on Monday 24th November 2025
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
2 February 2026
Contracting authority
Denbighshire County Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PTPG-8659-JMCD
Wynnstay Road
Ruthin
LL15 1YN
United Kingdom
Contact name: Lisa Rainford
Email: procurement@denbighshire.gov.uk
Website: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk
Region: UKL13 - Conwy and Denbighshire
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government
Devolved regulations that apply: Wales