Community college saves £17,000 on photocopiers
The Crown Commercial Service agreement for photocopiers has helped Sir Thomas Wharton Community College save £17,000.
The customer requirement
Schools and colleges have often experienced difficulties in getting good value photocopier contracts, and it has been highly publicised in the past when things have gone wrong.
With this in mind, Sir Thomas Wharton Community College was keen to ensure that their leasing arrangements complied with procurement regulations and, hopefully, also saved them money.
The college’s governing body was nervous about entering into a contract because of the past media interest around issues with being locked into poor contracts. This meant the college wanted to ensure they could demonstrate a robust buying process that would give the governing body peace of mind.
The solution
The college decided to look at the Crown Commercial Service agreement for photocopiers (RM1599), as framework agreements take all the hard work out of selection. This is because all the suppliers on the agreement have been through an evaluation process and must work to standard pre-agreed terms and conditions. And it also means the leasing arrangements under the agreement are fully compliant with procurement regulations.
What’s more, the agreement has a buying option that has been designed specifically with schools and colleges in mind. Knowing the agreement had been put in place by a government agency also gave the governing body confidence that it was the right buying solution to use and that they would have support if they experienced any issues with the supplier.
The results
The college now leases 1 colour and 2 black and white photocopiers through the agreement and has saved £17,000.
Their existing supplier had quoted a cost of £57,000 over 3 years, but under the agreement Xerox was able to provide the same services at a cost of £40,000 - giving the college confidence that they were also achieving best value.
“These savings ensure we do not have to cut staff. The resource that makes a difference to the students is the human resource of a teacher. All schools should be using frameworks where they can. It is easy and frees up your time for other areas that need your attention.”
Sir Thomas Wharton Community College
Get involved
To learn more about how the Crown Commercial Service can support schools and colleges view our dedicated education web page
You can also email the team at education@crowncommercial.gov.uk or call us on 0345 410 2222.