Public sector fleets are putting a massive £1.3 billion fuel cards and services contract out to tender as part of a major review that will drive efficiency savings in their fleets.

The massive contract will cover two areas focused on providing fuel card solutions, and also fuel management and associated services.

The contract will include provision of advice and recommendations for improvement, cost control or reduction, analysis of usage patterns and “innovative approaches to fuel cost management associated with fuel card or equivalent usage”.

The contract, which will go live in August 2009, is being managed through OGCbuying.solutions on behalf of a wide range of public sector fleets.

It is an executive agency of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in the Treasury providing a professional procurement service to the public sector to deliver improved value for money in their commercial activities.

It sources products through a rigorous procurement process to avoid the need for competitive tendering.

By combining the collective buying power of the public sector with highly skilled procurement expertise, it aims to provide a fast, efficient and convenient service together with substantial efficiency savings.

Its services provide access to more than 500,000 products and services; each sourced through a EU compliant procurement process that all public sector fleets must follow.

The current fuel cards framework agreement offers a number of fuel card programmes with BP, Esso and Arval.

According to the latest figures, the annual fuel spend through the contract for 2007/2008 was £280,676,095, up from £224,057,300 the previous year.

The number of cards in circulation had grown from 165,695 to 187,326 over the same period.

The contract is initially for a two year period, with an option to extend for a further two years in one year increments.

The £1.3billion is the estimated amount of fuel purchased at fuel retailers using the fuel card for payment, over a four-year period.

Among the largest fleets buying through the current framework major departments within central civil government, local government, health and the police and ambulance service.

For details log onto www.ogcbs.bravosolution.com

Participants must express interest and submit completed Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQs) using the OGCbuying.solutions eSourcing portal at the same address or contact the helpdesk operated by BravoSolution on Freephone 0800 011 2470 or email help@bravosolution.co.uk