Defra, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has awarded a single-source print contract to Communisis worth around £20m over its four-year life.

Communisis beat two other shortlisted firms to win the Defra tender, which was launched last August and replaces a print framework agreement administered by the department’s three print procurement staff.

At the time of the tender’s launch, the annual value was estimated to be £4m, although it was stated that this could rise to as much as £48m per year should other government departments choose to use Communisis’ services.

A Defra spokesperson said that all government departments were encouraged to make their contracts available to others, but added: “No other government department has signed up to use this contract.”

The spokesperson said that Communisis, which is in the process of revamping its PM strategy under new chief executive Steve Vaughan, had been chosen for its “innovative and creative” technology and a focus on reducing costs.

Glasgow City Council, meanwhile, has awarded a deal worth £8m to Ricoh Document Management under which it will procure and produce a range of print, including business cards, calendars, leaflets and posters for the next three years.

In a smaller part of the same tender worth £900,000, Bicester-based print management firm Webmart will run production of two magazines for the council.

Allander Print in Edin­burgh also won a £90,000 lot to produce specialist litho work and Miller Repro­graphics in Glasgow will produce digital print worth around £300,000.