---
title: "Provision of Physical Audio Books to the Libraries West Consortium"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-84f80b34-61c9-4dc6-9c76-882edd4a4837"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-84f80b34-61c9-4dc6-9c76-882edd4a4837"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-84f80b34-61c9-4dc6-9c76-882edd4a4837.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-84f80b34-61c9-4dc6-9c76-882edd4a4837.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SOMERSET COUNTY COUNCIL"
published: "2021-06-22"
---

# Provision of Physical Audio Books to the Libraries West Consortium

Buyer: SOMERSET COUNTY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-84f80b34-61c9-4dc6-9c76-882edd4a4837

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-84f80b34-61c9-4dc6-9c76-882edd4a4837)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-84f80b34-61c9-4dc6-9c76-882edd4a4837.json)

## Summary

Somerset County Council is seeking suppliers for the provision of physical audiobooks to the Libraries West Consortium through a direct award process. This procurement falls under the goods category, specifically library books (CPV code 22113000). The contract was awarded on 31 March 2021, with a total value of £130,000, and the contract period extends from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2023. The purchasing location is in the South West region of England.

This tender provides an opportunity for businesses specialising in the production and distribution of physical audiobooks. Given the specific nature of the contract, suppliers who hold publishing rights for audio titles would be particularly well-suited to compete. The unique direct award process indicates that the market for physical audiobooks is limited, which could favour smaller and medium-sized enterprises looking to expand their reach within this niche area.

## Notice

Suppliers buy the publishing rights to produce physical audiobooks and each supplier has the sole supply of the items for which they have purchased the publishing rights. If a supplier holds the rights for a title that we wish to purchase, we can only buy it from this supplier. Purchasing library editions of physical audiobooks ensures we are not breaking the law by lending titles that are only for personal use. Physical audiobooks were previously included as part of past tenders for audio visual supply. However, since 2013, no suppliers within the market have submitted a bid for this format of stock through a competitive process of which LibrariesWest has been part. Suppliers of this format know that customers who wish to buy physical audiobook titles are limited to the suppliers with publishing rights. There is no advantage to suppliers in taking part in competitive tenders.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dfccf999-f43a-4ed7-a6cf-d204442e8a4b |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Other - Direct Award to Multiple Suppliers |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 22 Jun 2021 |
| Submission deadline | 31 Mar 2021 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 30 Mar 2021 |
| Contract period | 31 Mar 2021 - 31 Mar 2023 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £130,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £130,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SOMERSET COUNTY COUNCIL |
| Locality | TAUNTON |
| Post town | Taunton |
| Postcode | TA1 4DY |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset |
| ITL 3 | TLK62 Somerset |
| Local authority | Somerset |
| Electoral ward | Bishop's Hull & Taunton West |
| Westminster constituency | Taunton and Wellington |
| Delivery location | TLK South West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 3 |
| Supplier names | BOLINDA; ULVERSCROFT LARGE PRINT BOOKS; W F HOWES |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 22 - Printed matter and related products

### Codes

- 22113000 - Library books

## Release History

- 22 Jun 2021 at 11:14 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dfccf999-f43a-4ed7-a6cf-d204442e8a4b

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dfccf999-f43a-4ed7-a6cf-d204442e8a4b
  22nd June 2021 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-84f80b34-61c9-4dc6-9c76-882edd4a4837. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-84f80b34-61c9-4dc6-9c76-882edd4a4837.json.