Published
Heart of Worcestershire College advertised for tender for their Drinking Water dispensers.
The college has nine locations, spread over four campuses and the requirements were to cover all sites, including sanitisation and filter changes.
The college had experienced a declining service following a change in supplier and expressed that, due to the low value of the contract (circa £10k), they wanted one who could deliver, particularly post-COVID learnings.
At the start of the project, the college had a mixture of 30 plumbed-in and bottle-fed dispensers stationed across its various sites, which was considered an excessive amount in light of the current financial climate.
The strategy of the tender was to rationalise the number of machines, improve service levels and possibly provide a contactless dispenser solution, while, in turn, returning invaluable cost savings to the college.
A mini competition was used for this tender, with support provided by CPC, developing documents and specification.
Suppliers were invited to carry out site visits and there was an evaluation of suppliers' written and pricing responses.
Ultimately, the contract was successfully awarded to Eden Springs, who scored highest upon evaluation against the agreed criteria.
The college agreed that CPC could remove all the bottled machines (12 units), which not only provided a cost saving, but also an eco-saving, aiding their sustainability goals.
As the college have also removed 13 machines, it has allowed them to absorb the increased tendered cost of the dispensers, as well as a £500 saving on the contract.
It was also possible to negotiate and ensure that the new supplier provided upgraded contactless dispensers, against what had been quoted on the initial price submission.
The college was pleased as the supplier subsequently provided a contactless dispenser, helping the college to keep infection rates down, as well as supporting their sustainability and cost-saving efforts.
I have enjoyed the challenges that this tender has provided, it took much longer than anticipated but being able to achieve the objectives for the college is very satisfying
For the past few years, I have worked hand-in-hand with CPC and used their assistance with numerous tenders. They have never failed me and the latest, for water cooler provision, was no exception. CPC brings good expertise in targeting the right clientele and always completes the tender work in a timely fashion. “With regards to the watercooler tender, CPC suggested streamlining and making changes to our provision that would reduce costs. I took these suggestions on board and am happy with the way the tender progressed, resulting in a new supplier, who is working out well so far.