Partnering with Epson, Gateshead-based SOS Group has now been appointed to the National Education Print Agreement (NEPA) Framework on a four-year contract
Designed to maximise third party expenditure within the higher education sector, the NEPA agreement means SOS Group is compliant to provide print equipment and management solutions, primarily to universities and higher educational institutions, but also to publicly funded primary and secondary schools, further education, and the wider public sector.
It is an important step forward for the award-winning office technology company, which facilitates business requirements across all sectors and specialises in providing copy, print, scan solutions.
George Young, a Director at SOS Group, explains: “We’re proud to have been chosen by Epson as their NEPA partner for the North East region.
“To achieve the NEPA approved supplier status has required the fulfilment of a very comprehensive set of service and quality criteria both for us and Epson.
“It recognises the range of print services required and the distinct needs of user groups within Higher Education, as well as the commitment to deliver efficiencies and value for money for students, government and the wider public.”
The SOS Group team is fully Epson trained and accredited, giving all clients the opportunity to achieve significant environmental, productivity and financial benefits by replacing their printers and photocopiers with heat-free business inkjet devices.
Epson’s heat-free technology offers significant cost-saving and environmental benefits by consuming dramatically less energy than equivalent laser printers, using fewer consumables, producing lower CO2 emissions and requiring less intervention from engineers.
George adds: “Working with Epson, we’re looking forward to playing our part nationally and improving services within the education sector and wider Public Sector, helping to reduce costs and inefficiencies.
“Securing the contract is not only testament to the strength of our company credentials, but also our quality of service and our genuine understanding of our customers’ business needs.”
The NEPA contract is expected to run until 2029 and the new Framework has been designed with input from the University Print Managers Association, as well as experts from both members and consortia, to ensure that it fulfils member’s print requirements and their strategic planning needs.
George adds: “It has been a hugely positive few months for all of us at SOS Group.
“In addition to the NEPA contract win, we successfully transitioned our ISO 27001 accreditation to 27001:2022, updating the highly prized IT security accreditation we first attained in 2020 and reflecting an increased a focus on countering cyber threats.
“In successfully achieving and maintaining this accreditation, we’re clearly demonstrating how securely we treat client data and information, and our expertise to support clients to do the same.
“Cyber security is one of the biggest threats to every business in today’s world, including the education sector, and the move to remote working and change in practice by many organisations has heightened risks still further.”
Established in 2002 and based on the Team Valley, SOS Group counts multinationals within its established client base and the company helps deliver internationally significant sporting and political events.
It has a centralised office on the Team Valley and staff, including specialist engineers servicing accounts nationally from six regional hubs in London, Scotland, the North West, Midlands, South Yorkshire, South West and North East.
For more information, please visit: www.sosgroup-ltd.co.uk