A Perth non-profit organisation has won a $1.5m two-year contract to print for the WA Education Department, without the commercial industry being aware of the restricted tender’s existence.

Westcare, an accredited Australian Disability Enterprise, won the contract under the WA Government’s Exemption Initiative Process, which allows seven organisations that employ and support people with disabilities, to receive government work without the requirement to undertake an open tender process – though they still have to cost the work at fair market vaule.

The organisations, which are focused on supplying goods and services to state and local government and private business, have so far secured $15m in government contracts since the December 2009 amendments to the State Supply Commission’s Open and Effective Competition Policy.

Westcare chief executive John Mitchell says: “Winning the Education Department contract is one of the most important events for Westcare this year. We are able to continue supporting and employing people with a disability with meaningful employment,” he says.

“We will be able to employ more people with a disability within our print department and look at upgrading our printing equipment and in particular a new digital press.”

[Related: Other printers getting government work]

The contract, which began last month, sees Westcare produce selected print jobs for the department, including school publications such as newsletters, yearbooks, journals, and curriculum programs; corporate communications and marketing material such as glossy magazines, and presentation folders; general printed stationery such as tags and labels, letterheads, business cards, and compliment slips; finishing services such as binding and collating of catalogues and manuals; and design services related to the print work required.

Paul Meloncelli, director of WA commercial print firm Advance Press, says employing people with disabilities is a worthy cause and something the government should definitely be addressing, but questions why the industry was not even made aware of the tender, much less consulted.

“Contracts like these have an impact on commercial printers in WA. It’s a hard market to do business in and a government department closing its doors to us makes it harder as it reduces the size of the pie we are all competing for,” he says.

“It’s a lot of money, so I would like to have seen more consultation between government and the industry. I’m sure we could work out a solution that benefits everyone.

“I think a lot of printers would be very happy to employ more disabled people under some kind of government initiative. We’re all looking at how we can help the community.”

Westcare’s print division has operated for more than 50 years, employing some 66 staff, including 40 people with disabilities working in binding and finishing, and led by a Komori Lithrone 528 five colour A2 Press bought last year and the latest Kodak prepress equipment. It also attained ISO 9001:2008 Quality Accreditation.

Print division general manager Andrew Larter says under the terms of the tender, the organisation was ‘still required to answer all elements of the tender in a clear and concise manner and provide value for money in its pricing’. 

“We are like all other commercial businesses out there, we just happen to hire people with a disability,” he says.

 “We have the same expectations of our staff just like any other commercial business, we have to be commercially viable to survive.”

Westcare has won open competitive tenders in the past. In 2012 it was awarded a contract with Health Corporate Network to produce confidential medical record covers and dividers to Western Australian Public Health Care Units.

It has also printed for the Health Department for more than 20 years and been involved in print and distribution of more than 1600 critical medical forms and other printed materials (business stationery, files and labels) to seven major WA state hospitals and associated medical departments.

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.  

Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter