Print Room and Software Provision at Lancaster University - AWARD

Lancaster University wish to procure the services of a Multifunctional Device supplier to undertake the supply, delivery and installation of equipment for the University Print Room. All suppliers on Lot 1 of the Multifunctional Devices and Associated Print Services and Suppliers Framework, ref: CPC/DU/MFD/02A have been invited to submit a bid in accordance with the enclosed specification and scope of requirements.

Lancaster University print room sits within the commercial services section of the Facilities division. It is an established dynamic print room and is run on a commercial footing along with a photography, design, and video service.

We offer digital and wide format printing to a mainly internal customer base in both colour and mono on a wide variety of media. We offer a range of online and offline finishing options including ring and thermal binding as well as booklet making.

In this tender we are looking to expand our off line finishing options to ensure specialist colour printing is retained in house wherever possible. Our peak workflows occur in Sept/Oct and Dec/Jan and our core product during those periods are course readers and workbooks, however due to digitisation the demand for these products is declining.

We currently utilise a cloud hosted EFI DSF web to print as part of our customer interface, and this is a popular method of job submission. We would like to develop and improve this interface by having different storefronts for different customers.

Our mono volume in the print room is in the region of 4,000,000 mono impressions and 850,000 colour impressions. Colour volumes are growing and mono volumes are falling which is typical in the HE sector.

We currently own a Xerox J75 and a Konica Bizhub 1052 which are used as backup devices. We also have on our current contract a further colour 70ppm engine and two 130 ppm mono engines.

Contracted finishing equipment currently includes a Morgana BM500 booklet maker and an EBR5560 guillotine. The contract for all these items ends on the 29th Feb 2020.

Our wide format printing devices include an HP Latex2600 and an HPZ2100, both of which need to be replaced. We are looking at options for a Flatbed UV printer given that the current university spend on signage is in the region of £80,000 pa.

We are also looking at options to support our School of Architecture students with devices which will sit on Papercut. We our looking for a lease contract lasting 5 years.