To approve an exemption from the Council’s Procurement Procedure Rules and authorise entering into an agreement with Quadient for the licensing of the Quadient Impress software solution for a 12-month period.

(Contract period: 16 December 2025 – 16 December 2026)

The current contract with Quadient is due to expire. The new agreement will ensure the continuation of an established Extract, Transform and Load (ETL), templating, and mailing software solution that supports bulk email and print communications. This solution enables the Council to meet its printing and postal obligations across key service areas, including Revenue and Benefits, Environmental Services, and Corporate Solutions.

An exemption from the Council’s Procurement Procedure Rules is sought due to the absence of a comparable integrated solution in the marketplace and the significant operational impact and cost that would result from transitioning to an external provider.

IT Services and the Customer Contact Manager were unable to identify a like-for-like integrated software solution currently available that meets the Council’s corporate requirements. Tendring approached CFH (an existing supplier) for a quote and to confirm whether they offer an integrated solution similar to Quadient. CFH confirmed they do not provide a licensed internal platform but offered a quote for outsourcing the entire process. Transitioning to an external solution would require significant resource time and incur additional costs. Based on the above, Quadient Impress is considered the most suitable solution.