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NEPO425 - Volume Cut Sized Copier Paper and Production Specialist Paper

THE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH EAST COUNCILS LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

20 Oct 2026 at 14:58

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Association of North East Councils Limited, trading as the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO), plans to establish a multi-supplier framework for supplying and distributing volume cut-sized copier paper and specialist production paper. The range covers paper for copying, printing and writing, including carbonless, perforated, embossed, gummed and self-adhesive paper. Supplies are intended for delivery to contracting authority establishments across the UK, for NEPO member authorities and associate members to use. NEPO is acting as a central purchasing organisation on behalf of public bodies. Organisations wishing to use the resulting agreement will need to register as a NEPO Associate Member. The intended users include current and future associate members and other contracting authorities permitted to use the agreement.

This procurement is at the planning stage: NEPO has set out an intention to buy, but has not invited tenders. It expects to publish a future procurement notice by 25 February 2027. The buyer plans a preliminary market engagement questionnaire, accessible from 20 October 2026, with responses due by 12 noon on 30 October 2026. Optional online consultation sessions are planned between 2 and 13 November 2026; suppliers can register to attend by 12 noon on 30 October. The expected route is a multi-supplier framework, with one lot and a contract period running from 1 September 2027 to 31 August 2031. Estimated value is £12 million excluding VAT (£14.4 million including VAT).

The planned framework is relevant to suppliers able to source, supply and distribute a broad range of copier and production papers to public-sector sites across the UK. The product scope includes standard cut-sized copier paper as well as specialist grades and formats, including carbonless, perforated, embossed, gummed and self-adhesive paper. Suppliers with the operational capacity to serve multiple public authorities and deliver across a geographically broad customer base are likely to be well placed. NEPO is using early market engagement to understand supplier interest and obtain input on how the future provision should be shaped. Businesses can use the questionnaire and optional consultation sessions to contribute to that planning; participation is not a tender bid and does not confer an advantage in the later procurement. No particular accreditation or technical qualification is set out at this stage.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

NEPO425 - Volume Cut Sized Copier Paper and Production Specialist Paper

Notice Description

The Association of North East Councils, trading as the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO), is seeking to establish a multi-supplier, Framework for the provision of Volume Cut Sized Copier Paper and Production Specialist Paper, for a contract period of 48 months. The Framework will provide for the supply and distribution of Volume Cut Sized Copier Paper and Production Specialist Paper products to a variety of Contracting Authority establishments on behalf of NEPO Member Authorities and NEPO Associate Members. NEPO is a Centralised Procurement Authority as defined in the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23), providing central purchasing activity on behalf of Contracting Authorities. The agreement will be available to NEPO Member Authorities and all current and future Associate Members. Current Associate Members are listed in the Associate Member section of the NEPO website at: https://www.nepo.org/associate-membership NEPO intends to make the agreement available for use by all Contracting Authorities throughout all administrative regions of the UK (as defined by the Procurement Act 2023). A list of permissible users available at: http://www.nepo.org/associate-membership/permissible-users Organisations wishing to access the NEPO agreement will be required to register as a NEPO Associate Member in the first instance. Further information can be found at: www.nepo.org Further and full information regarding Contracting Authorities that may use the agreement can be found in the Procurement Documents.

Planning Information

NEPO intend to publish a preliminary market engagement questionnaire via Open eTendering system (www.open-uk.org). The questionnaire responses will help NEPO design the framework by providing the level of market interest and provide insight from suppliers on the shaping of the future provision. The questionnaire will be made accessible via the Open eTendering system on 20 October 2026 with a submission deadline of 12 noon Friday 30 October 2026. Suppliers wishing to access and complete the questionnaire must first register on the Open eTendering system using the following link https://www.open-uk.org. For guidance on how to create an account or submit your questionnaire response through Open, please visit https://www.open-hub.org/training to access the available Training Guides. If you need technical assistance from the Open Support team, this can be requested via open.support@nepo.org. PLEASE NOTE: Open is accessible 24/7 however, technical support is available Monday to Thursday 08:30 - 17:00 and Friday 08:30 - 16:30. NEPO also intends to hold virtual market consultation sessions for interested suppliers between 2 November 2026 and 13 November 2026. These sessions will include a presentation and provide an opportunity for suppliers to ask questions. Suppliers wishing to register attendance should access Microsoft Bookings via the link provided within the market engagement questionnaire on Open, by 12:00 noon on Friday 30 October. Attendance at the Microsoft Teams meetings is optional and does not provide suppliers with an advantage in any future related procurement. Presentations and Q&A from the session will be published as part of the procurement process. Attendance also does not constitute as an intention to tender for any future related procurement. Please note the above information may be subject to change.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078c08
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099086-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

22 - Printed matter and related products

30 - Office and computing machinery, equipment and supplies except furniture and software packages

CPV Codes

22990000 - Newsprint, handmade paper and other uncoated paper or paperboard for graphic purposes

30197610 - Composite paper and paperboard

30197620 - Writing paper

30197630 - Printing paper

30197640 - Self-copy or other copy paper

30197642 - Photocopier paper and xerographic paper

30197643 - Photocopier paper

30197644 - Xerographic paper

30199100 - Carbon paper, self-copy paper, paper duplicator stencils and carbonless paper

30199110 - Carbon paper

30199120 - Self-copy paper

30199130 - Carbonless paper

30199300 - Embossed or perforated paper

30199310 - Embossed or perforated printing paper

30199320 - Embossed or perforated writing paper

30199400 - Gummed or adhesive paper

30199410 - Self-adhesive paper

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£12,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
25 Feb 20275 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Sep 2027 - 31 Aug 2031 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH EAST COUNCILS LIMITED
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
GATESHEAD
Postcode
NE8 3DF
Postcode Area
Newcastle upon Tyne
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC43 Tyneside
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Gateshead
Electoral Ward
Bridges
Westminster Constituency
Gateshead Central and Whickham

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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