DST had been working with Bupa for a number of years on the company’s direct mail, but the new contract adds transactional print, customer literature and pack order and distribution services for its 280 care homes and 80 dental and health centres.

PrintWeek understands that the Bupa work has been transitioned from previous incumbent RR Donnelley GDS over the past three months following a tender process managed by Blue Buffalo Consulting that initially started in 2012.

While DST Output UK chief executive Jeremy Walters declined to reveal the value of the deal, he said it was significant and would make Bupa one of the firm’s top 10 clients.

The contract covers all of Bupa’s print requirements and the bulk of the work will be produced in-house by DST using its 'lead supply’ model. However, it will also manage the outsourcing of certain publication-type work to its roster of preferred suppliers.

“Having direct access to the people that manage their work on a daily basis will help Bupa with clarity of communication and the building of trusted relationships,” said Walters.

“Bupa is very proactive as a client partner and is very receptive to the innovation we’ve been investing in, such as the new Prosper, and like all clients they see it [white paper solution] as a migration journey they want us to help them on.”

Walters said he hoped the £140m-turnover business would complement the Bupa win with a number of other “significant wins” by the end of the year.