CCCB18A01 Provision of Press Office Services

It is necessary to retain press support that is independent of government and our sponsoring department (Cabinet Office) as the three bodies supported either regulate or interpret government policy. At times it is necessary to publically voice concerns about those policies or to disagree with the government and/or civil service.

There is an on-going need for press office support to either one or more of the bodies, however time demand varies week to week including out of hours cover. Specialist media handling skills are crucial and this service has historically been provided under Contract. It is not feasible to employ a senior part-time press officer on the basis of 24/7 cover where hours worked in any period are not regular or consistent. Similarly the provision of holiday/absence cover would require a second suitably qualified member of staff, which would be unaffordable.

The inability to respond effectively to media requests or emerging stories would risk damage to the reputation of the relevant body and lay the government open to criticism on some key proprietary and standards safeguards.

Additional information: How to apply Instructions to Potential Providers: Potential Providers must first be registered on the Crown Commercial Service e-Sourcing Suite in order to respond to the Procurement. If you have not yet registered on the e-Sourcing Suite, this can be done online at https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk by following the link 'Register for CCS e-Sourcing'. Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so at the Invitation to Tender stage. Potential Providers should note that it could take up to 10 working days to obtain a DUNS number. Full instructions for registration and use of the system can be found at: http://gps.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/i-am-supplier/respond-tender Once you have registered on the e-Sourcing Suite, you will need to express your interest by emailing [email protected]. The dead line for expressing an interest in the Request for Information event is Friday 13th April 2018 at 11:00 Your email must clearly state:  the name/reference of this procurement  the name of the registered supplier; and  the name and contact details Crown Commercial Service will then process your registration and assign your organisation to the opportunity. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done. It is advised however that Potential Providers register as soon as practically possible in order to receive the Invitation to Tender and have a sufficient amount of time to respond. Crown Commercial Service is not able to offer any extensions to the advertised procurement timetable. For technical assistance on use of the e-Sourcing Suite please contact the Helpdesk: Freephone: 0345 010 3503 Email: [email protected]