APUC, the public tendering organisation, will be administrating the tender, which was set up by the Scottish government, to make the procurement process more efficient and cost effective.

Both printing and finishing services will be required in the contract, which will be divided into lots based on services offered.

Scotland's 62 participating universities will then be given the opportunity to apply to be involved in the tender.

Items that will need printing include prospectuses, leaflets, PoP and stationery. The contract will last two years, with the possibility of an extension of up to a further two years.

Barbara Monroe, a procurement assistant at APUC, said: "There has been a lot of interest so far. The idea of collaborative procurement is not a new one, but we feel it will be a good way to provide value and will be less maverick than other procurement systems."

The deadline for applications is 7 November. See the Tenders section in this week's PrintWeek for more details.