Buying office supplies
Learn about the All-of-Government (AoG) office supplies contract. The contract covers low waste key office supplies, cleaning and hygiene consumables, ICT consumables, educational supplies, health and safety products and milk and milk alternatives.
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Recommended
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AoG contracts are optional for schools to join.
- Benefits of joining this AoG contract
- How to join the AoG office supplies contract
- Key office supplies considerations
- Further information
Benefits of joining this AoG contract
Joining a collaborative contract is likely to save a school both time and money, while also reducing risk.
Learn more about All of Government contracts.
This AoG contract offers the following benefits to schools.
- Schools receive competitive pricing without having to commit to bulk amounts. This generates savings of between 20% and 35% (depending on the products and suppliers chosen).
- Competitive prices for sustainable products, such as carbon neutral paper, are offered to schools.
- Schools can access any special price offered to the public, whenever that price is lower than the AoG price.
- All schools across the country can be serviced by these suppliers.
How to join the AoG office supplies contract
The process for joining the office supplies contract is similar to that for other AoG contracts.
| Step | Action |
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| 1 |
Before you begin
If your school hasn’t signed up to an AoG contract before, you will need to complete the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) available on the New Zealand Government Procurement website.(external link)
You can contact school.buying@education.govt.nz to find out if your school has already completed an NDA.
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| 2 |
Read about the contract and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Log in to the New Zealand Government Procurement website to access more information on the contract. You will need to be using your school-linked RealMe account, as you will gain access to commercially sensitive information.
Learn more about linking a RealMe account to a school.
Read the MoU for the office supplies contract in the ‘Contract documents’ section on the New Zealand Government Procurement webpage(external link). The MoU sets out the obligations of the schools participating in the contract.
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Determine your requirements
Determine your school’s requirements and decide which product categories you will be signing up for.
You might choose to prepare a list of the products currently purchased by your school, their quantity and their price.
This will help you to compare your school’s current expenditure to your projected expenditure under the AoG contract and establish what savings might be achieved through the AoG contract.
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Engage with supplier(s)
Research each suppliers’ product range, pricing and customer service. Your school might consider other factors such as the supplier’s environmental policies and if they are New Zealand based.
You can compare the suppliers’ pricing using New Zealand Government Procurement’s price comparison calculator for schools, which includes the products most commonly bought by schools. This can be found on the page below.
You might alternatively seek quotes based on the list of products that you currently purchase, for your own comparison. Supplier contact details can be found below.
Office supplies suppliers | New Zealand Government Procurement and Property(external link)
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Complete a Form of Accession (FoA)
Once you have identified your preferred supplier for each of the categories that you wish to sign up to, join the contract by completing the Form of Accession (FoA) online. This can be found on the page below.
Completing the online FoA confirms that your school agrees to the terms set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). It serves the same purpose as a Letter of Accession (LoA) which is used for other AoG contracts.
Your school may choose to use a LoA instead of the online FoA. You can download a copy of the LoA from the 'Joining' page on the NZGP website. Email the completed LoA back to NZGP upon completion.
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Delivery of office supplies goods
After New Zealand Government Procurement receives your completed FoA (or LoA), they will inform your chosen supplier(s) that you are entitled to buy from them under the updated AoG terms and prices from July 18 onwards.
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Key office supplies considerations
Categories of goods
Schools have the option to sign up for any one, or combination of, the seven product categories covered by this AoG contract.
| Category | Examples of what’s included |
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Low-waste key office supplies
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Education supplies
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Cleaning and hygiene
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Washroom consumables
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ICT consumables
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Health and safety products
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Milk and milk alternatives
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See more information on the scope of the contract, including what’s not covered, on the New Zealand Government Procurement website(external link).
Suppliers
There are nine suppliers on the AoG panel, each offering a differing range of products.
| Supplier/s | Product categories offered |
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National Express Products (NXP)
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The Warehouse Group
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New Zealand Safety Blackwoods
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Qizzle
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Alsco New Zealand
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Burns and Ferrall
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Play’n’Learn
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Schools will select one supplier for each of the product categories signed up for.
Schools can choose a different supplier for each category. However, suppliers might offer a consolidation benefit if a school buys from them in multiple categories.
Once signed up to a supplier for a product category, schools should buy all the products within the scope of that product category from the supplier.
Schools can change supplier an unlimited amount of times over the duration of the contract, for each category. To do so, contact New Zealand Government Procurement at procurement@mbie.govt.nz.
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