Printing and mailing services and smallscale ad-hoc mailing and stationery services

Description

UK Biobank is a large-scale biomedical database and research resource containing genetic, lifestyle and health information from half a million UK participants. UK Biobank’s database, which includes blood samples, heart and brain scans and genetic data of the 500,000 volunteer participants, is globally accessible to approved researchers who are undertaking health-related research that’s in the public interest. UK Biobank recruited 500,000 people aged between 40-69 years in 2006-2010 from across the UK. With their consent, they provided detailed information about their lifestyle, physical measures and had blood, urine and saliva sample collected and stored for future analysis. UK Biobank’s research resource is a major contributor in the advancement of modern medicine and treatment, enabling better understanding of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of serious and life-threatening illnesses – including cancer, heart diseases and stroke. UK Biobank requires the provision of printing and mailing services and small-scale ad-hoc mailing and stationery services to support its activities. Further detail in relation to the services are set out in the specification issued as part of the procurement documents. Lot 1: UK Biobank issues its annual participant newsletter (“Newsletter”) by email to 300,000+ participants each year. UK Biobank requires the successful supplier to print and send a coloured copy of its Newsletter by post to approximately 130,000 of its participants in the UK each year of the contract, the postal distribution to commence on or around the same time as UK Biobank commences its email distribution of the Newsletter unless UK Biobank specifies otherwise. The Newsletters can be posted via Royal Mail or any other appropriate carrier arranged by the supplier, provided that the carrier meets the requirements above. The Newsletter is an 8-page, A4, 4-colour newsletter, and the successful supplier will also need to produce (to accompany the Newsletter) a covering letter personalised to each recipient on the UK Biobank letterhead (to be provided by UK Biobank). Other material may also need to be printed and included for distribution, such as 2-sided flyers, and any such material will be provided to the supplier by UK Biobank for printing and distributing. UK Biobank also requires the successful supplier to provide (i) ad-hoc mailing and printing services other than in relation to the Newsletter; and (ii) the provision of stationery in order to deliver these ad-hoc mailing and printing services. (i) might comprise printing and mailing of letters to UK Biobank participants for specific studies. For example, UK Biobank’s imaging study requires a letter and supporting literature to be sent to each participant that agrees to take part. Imaging study letters are currently mailed once a week and it is anticipated that a total of 5,000 letters per imaging centre will need to be sent each year. UK Biobank has 4 imaging centres operational. The successful supplier may also be required to supply to UK Biobank stationery, such as outer window envelopes, printed maps and leaflets, for in-house activities. There may also be a requirement to print reports and other literature associated with the UK Biobank study, as and when required. Further details are set out in the Specification.