Supply of Western European Books

This framework is for the supply of Western European monographs including monographs in series on standing order and a number of multi-volume works to the British Library. In addition to the material the Library is seeking associated services such as approval plans, notification services, bibliographic data, EDI and process efficiencies.

While the supplier’s speed of service and response are very important, the fulfilment rate and, where specified, the ability to provide approval plans, notification services and/or selection tools fully adequate to the Library’s needs are of especial importance. Suppliers who do not have the capacity to provide approval plans, but do have the capacity to provide notifications should not be discouraged from submitting a bid.

Quality of service provided by the supplier in terms of invoicing, response to orders, response claims as well as efficiency of transaction through the use of automation are also important.

The Library’s total annual expenditure on the material covered by this specification is anticipated to be in the region of £674,000, but, the British Library cannot guarantee to maintain expenditure at any particular level.

For the purposes of this specification Western Europe excludes the United Kingdom and Ireland. The contracts if awarded will provide the suppliers with a mix of business including both straightforward and harder-to-obtain items. Items in non-print formats may also be ordered. The British Library is seeking a high-quality and cost-effective service for all categories of material.

There are 6 Lots, suppliers may tender for one, multiple lots or the business as a whole.

Lot 1a German-speaking countries - monographs

Lot 1b German-speaking countries - standing orders

Lot 2 Dutch & Flemish monographs and standing orders

Lot 3 French-speaking countries monographs and standing orders Lot 4 Italian & Italian-speaking countries monographs and standing orders Lot 5 Spain & Andorra monographs and standing orders

Additional information: Suppliers Instructions How to Express Interest in this Tender: 1. Register your company on the eSourcing portal (this is only required once): https://bl.bravosolution.co.uk and click the link to register - Accept the terms and conditions and click ‘I agree’ - Enter your correct business and user details - Note the username you chose and click ‘Save’ when complete - You will shortly receive an email with your unique password (please keep this secure) 2. Express an Interest in the tender - Login to the portal with the username/password - Click the ‘PQQs / ITTs Open To All Suppliers’ link. (These are Pre-Qualification Questionnaires or Invitations to Tender open to any registered supplier) - Click on the relevant PQQ/ ITT to access the content. - Click the ‘Express Interest’ button at the top of the page. - This will move the PQQ /ITT into your ‘My PQQs/ My ITTs’ page. (This is a secure area reserved for your projects only) -You can now access any attachments by clicking ‘Buyer Attachments’ in the ‘PQQ/ ITT Details’ box 3. Responding to the tender - Click ‘My Response’ under ‘PQQ/ ITT Details’, you can choose to ‘Create Response’ or to ‘Decline to Respond’ (please give a reason if declining) - You can now use the ‘Messages’ function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification - Note the deadline for completion, then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the PQQ/ ITT - There may be a mixture of online and offline actions for you to perform (there is detailed online help available) You must then submit your reply using the ‘Submit Response’ button at the top of the page. If you require any further assistance please consult the online help, or contact the eTendering help desk