Printing Industry Bidding: Government Guidance Proves Highly Effective

What is different about the 2013 centralized procurement of printing for central government agencies from previous years is that for projects with a printing value of 200,000 to 1.2 million yuan (including 1.2 million yuan), purchasing units must select three or more designated printing enterprises (including three) to submit sealed quotations. Of these, at least one enterprise must be randomly generated from among the designated enterprises through the Central Government Procurement Network.

The author learned from the contract-award ceremony and working meeting for 2013 central government agency designated printing suppliers held recently that, compared with previous years, competition in the new round of designated printing tendering is fiercer; digital printing has been introduced; and support is given to green and environmentally friendly businesses, small and micro enterprises and welfare enterprises, giving full play to the policy-guiding role of government procurement.

According to Zhang Lihui, director of the Second Procurement Division of the Central Government Procurement Center (hereinafter referred to as the 'National Procurement Center'), as an important item in government procurement, designated printing has become an important part of the procurement of service projects. In 2012, the amount of centralized printing procurement for central government agencies reached 440.3944 million yuan, a growth rate of more than 20%. The National Procurement Center has always attached great importance to designated printing work and has continuously explored scientific and reasonable operating procedures that can both meet procurement needs, adopting different procurement methods according to differences in the category and amount of printed matter. On this basis, to strengthen competition, the National Procurement Center this year made practical innovations to the operating procedures for designated printing. For example, for a printing value of 200,000 to 1.2 million yuan (including 1.2 million yuan), purchasing units must select three or more designated printing enterprises (including three) to submit sealed quotations, and at least one enterprise must be randomly generated from among the designated enterprises through the Central Government Procurement Network.

'Obtaining designated procurement qualification is only the beginning of competition; it does not mean that a contract will be won afterwards, nor does it mean once and for all,' one enterprise representative said with feeling. The meeting revealed that in this designated printing tender, about 140 suppliers took part in bidding and only 75 enterprises finally obtained designated printing qualification, with a shortlisting elimination rate of 50%.

'All shortlisted designated printing enterprises must adhere to the principle of honesty and trustworthiness, strictly observe the various operating procedures of government procurement, engage in orderly competition, and in particular improve their ability to perform contracts later on, winning government procurement contracts by strength.' At the meeting Zhang Lihui stressed that, in order to maintain the sound development of designated procurement, the National Procurement Center will take the 2013 central government agency designated printing working meeting as a mark to further strengthen the later-stage contract performance management of designated procurement suppliers. In accordance with the requirements of the '2013 Central Government Agency Designated Printing Service Contract', within the valid service period, designated enterprises will provide printing services to all units and provide targeted services according to the characteristics of central government agencies.

On this basis, to ensure that the product quality of designated printing enterprises conforms to the relevant national standards and to protect the lawful rights and interests of purchasing units, the National Procurement Center will, in accordance with the requirements of the 'Central Government Agency Designated Printing Service Contract', conduct routine assessments and spot checks on designated printing enterprises using a deduction-and-bonus point system. For example, 5 points will be deducted for failing to fill in acceptance forms in time or falsifying statistical reports; printing enterprises will be spot-checked every quarter, and 10 points will be deducted if a spot-checked enterprise's quotation is 40% higher than the price of its peers; and contracts will be terminated once 40 points have been accumulated, and so on. At the same time, the National Procurement Center will conduct user satisfaction surveys, and 10 points will be deducted if a supplier is complained about by users.

The results of purchasing units' evaluation of suppliers will also become an important part of the National Procurement Center's contract performance management of suppliers.

In addition, while strengthening later-stage contract performance management, the National Procurement Center treats printing enterprises as service recipients, strengthens communication and contact with them, optimizes the procurement process, cancels bid bonds and reduces performance bonds, thereby lowering suppliers' bidding costs.

—This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn); original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-361966.html