✓Tender information last checkedLast checked 19 Oct 2026, 17:12.
Opportunity overview
The purpose of this Procurement Process is for The National Archives (TNA) to select a Print Publishing Supplier to deliver its Legislation Print Publishing Contract.
The intention is to award the Contract for an initial period 2 years, with options to extend for three further periods of up to twelve months each (2+1+1+1).
The attached Invitation to Tender document gives an overview of the print publishing requirements and should be read in conjunction with Annexes 1 - 4, which provide more information about what is printed and why. If you require access to them, please contact us at procurement@nationalarchives.gov.uk
We estimate the maximum contract value over the whole contract term (i.e. 5 years) to be circa £4,200,000 (inc. VAT).
The Print Publishing Supplier will operate the print publishing of legislation, associated documents, annual bound volumes of legislation and legislative effects, Chronological Tables and correction slips. The Print Publishing Supplier is responsible for all aspects of print production.
The Print Publishing Supplier will make sure that all printed items are made available for sale and deliver all aspects of order fulfilment and customers services related to the printing and sale of legislation items, including taking payment, handling enquiries and complaints, despatch and record keeping.
Printing legislation is a statutory requirement - the Print Publishing Supplier must provide a print publishing service that meets exacting quality standards and specifications, and that prints legislative items to prescribed and non-negotiable deadlines.
In addition, government departments pay a publishing fee for online publishing. The Print Publishing Supplier is not responsible for online publishing but is responsible for the financial administration of the publishing charges made to government departments. This involves invoicing departments for the correct publishing fees and ensuring that invoices are paid in a timely manner, including chasing where invoices have not been paid. The Print Publishing Supplier then transfers the publishing fees to The National Archives on a quarterly basis. The Print Publishing Supplier needs to inform The National Archives of any overdue outstanding departmental invoices.
Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.
Scope, procedure and submissions
Id
ocds-h6vhtk-077519
Status
active
Procurement Method
open
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
Yes
How to submit
Submissions are to be sent to procurement@nationalarchives.gov.uk
The National Archives' website address is www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Stage 1' Tender submissions will be evaluated applying the criteria specified in paras 8.1 to 8.3 of the attached ITT document.
Once all of those submissions have been evaluated, the top-four-ranked bidders will be issued with a 'Stage 2' ITT document and invited to submit a 'Stage 2' Tender response.
A contract award decision will be made by scoring the 'Stage 2' Tender responses against the criteria specified in para 8.4 of the attached ITT document.
Submission terms
Electronic Submission Policy
allowed
Languages
en
Tender Period
Ends
30 Oct 2026, 17:00
Enquiry period
Ends
8 Oct 2026, 17:00
Expected award period
Ends
22 Jan 2027, 23:59
Amendments
Entry 1
Description
Published clarification questions and answers document.
2 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.
2 VERSIONS
1
088522-2026Tender notice on Find a Tender ·
2
098612-2026Tender notice on Find a Tender ·
PROCURAAXIS ANALYSIS
ProcuraAxis Analysis
Our approved analysis of the opportunity appears below the official tender information.
ANALYSIS PREVIEW
Opportunity intelligence at a glance
The National Archives is seeking a print publishing supplier for legislation and related printed publications. The supplier will manage print production, sales availability, order fulfilment, customer service, payment handling, dispatch, record keeping, and administration of publishing-fee invoices and quarterly transfers to TNA. The initial term is two years with up to three one-year extensions.
Who this may suit
Strong fit for suppliers with established legislation or high-specification print publishing, fulfilment, customer-service and financial-administration capability. Detailed technical and qualification requirements are likely to be in the ITT and annexes.
Key points identified
Print publishing serviceDeliver print publishing for legislation, associated documents, annual bound volumes, legislative effects, Chronological Tables and correction slips.Evidence: “The Print Publishing Supplier will operate the print publishing of legislation, associated documents, annual bound volumes of legislation and legislative effects, Chronological Tables and correction slips.”
Print-production responsibilityResponsible for all aspects of print production.Evidence: “The Print Publishing Supplier is responsible for all aspects of print production.”
Quality and deadline complianceMeet exacting quality standards and specifications and prescribed, non-negotiable deadlines.Evidence: “must provide a print publishing service that meets exacting quality standards and specifications, and that prints legislative items to prescribed and non-negotiable deadlines.”
93% approved-analysis confidence6 supplier criteria identified3 risks or unknowns
ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.
The National Archives is seeking a print publishing supplier for legislation and related printed publications. The supplier will manage print production, sales availability, order fulfilment, customer service, payment handling, dispatch, record keeping, and administration of publishing-fee invoices and quarterly transfers to TNA. The initial term is two years with up to three one-year extensions.
Who this may suit
Strong fit for suppliers with established legislation or high-specification print publishing, fulfilment, customer-service and financial-administration capability. Detailed technical and qualification requirements are likely to be in the ITT and annexes.
Key deliverables
Print production of legislation and associated publications
Sale availability and order fulfilment for printed items
Customer service, payments, enquiries, complaints, dispatch and record keeping
Publishing-fee invoicing, debt follow-up and quarterly transfers to TNA
SUPPLIER REQUIREMENTS
6 criteria identified
Print publishing service
99% confidence
Deliver print publishing for legislation, associated documents, annual bound volumes, legislative effects, Chronological Tables and correction slips.
View supporting evidence
“The Print Publishing Supplier will operate the print publishing of legislation, associated documents, annual bound volumes of legislation and legislative effects, Chronological Tables and correction slips.”
Print-production responsibility
99% confidence
Responsible for all aspects of print production.
View supporting evidence
“The Print Publishing Supplier is responsible for all aspects of print production.”
Quality and deadline compliance
98% confidence
Meet exacting quality standards and specifications and prescribed, non-negotiable deadlines.
View supporting evidence
“must provide a print publishing service that meets exacting quality standards and specifications, and that prints legislative items to prescribed and non-negotiable deadlines.”
Order fulfilment and customer service
98% confidence
Provide sales availability, payment handling, enquiries, complaints, dispatch and record keeping related to printed legislation sales.
View supporting evidence
“make sure that all printed items are made available for sale and deliver all aspects of order fulfilment and customers services... including taking payment, handling enquiries and complaints, despatch and record keeping.”
Publishing-fee administration
98% confidence
Invoice government departments, pursue unpaid invoices, transfer fees quarterly to TNA and report overdue departmental invoices.
View supporting evidence
“responsible for the financial administration of the publishing charges... invoicing departments... chasing... transfers the publishing fees to The National Archives on a quarterly basis... inform The National Archives of any overdue outstanding departmental invoices.”
Eligibility requirements
97% confidence
Unknown from supplied notice extract; consult the Stage 1 ITT and annexes.
View supporting evidence
The description states that the ITT and Annexes 1–4 provide further information, but no eligibility criteria are included in the supplied extract.
COMMERCIAL AND DELIVERY
Contract intelligence
Commercial
Estimated maximum value in description
98% confidence
Circa £4,200,000 including VAT over the whole potential five-year term.
View supporting evidence
“We estimate the maximum contract value over the whole contract term (i.e. 5 years) to be circa £4,200,000 (inc. VAT).”
Opportunity and Lot 1 field: submission_deadline = “2026-10-30T17:00:00Z”.
Procurement documents
99% confidence
Stage 1 ITT and clarification Q&A document are listed.
View supporting evidence
Documents include “Stage 1 ITT document” and “Clarification Questions & Answers Document”.
RISKS AND UNKNOWNS
Points requiring attention
Conflicting contract-value evidence
99% confidence
The narrative estimates circa £4.2m including VAT over five years, while the structured opportunity and active lot values state £3.5m. The supplied evidence does not reconcile the difference.
Technical specifications, printed-content detail and potentially qualification requirements are referred to in the ITT and Annexes 1–4 but are not supplied as text.
View supporting evidence
“The attached Invitation to Tender document gives an overview... and should be read in conjunction with Annexes 1 - 4”.
Operational deadline exposure
98% confidence
Legislation printing has statutory context and non-negotiable production deadlines, creating material service-continuity and scheduling risk.
View supporting evidence
“Printing legislation is a statutory requirement” and “prescribed and non-negotiable deadlines.”
ProcuraAxis analysis supplements, but does not replace, the original notice and tender documents. Always verify eligibility, deadlines and commercial terms with the issuing authority.
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