ADD325 MasterCard maps for Visitor Welcome programme

In the summer of 2012, the GLA delivered a successful Team London Ambassadors programme in support of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 7,000 highly trained and motivated volunteers were deployed in pods across 43 locations in the summer of 2012. The role of the programme was to enhance the visitor welcome to the capital and ensure that London maximised the potential benefits from the 2012 Games.

In 2013 and 2014 ambassador volunteers were again deployed at locations in London, providing a visitor welcome to London’s tourists. The response from tourists to the ambassadors was overwhelmingly supportive, with 97% of visitors asked commenting positively on the helpfulness of volunteers. Team London will be deploying Team London Ambassadors again in the Summer of 2015 and a key requirement of this deployment is that Team London Ambassadors have all the necessary information to maximise their ability to assist visitors and tourist to London, the maps required form a key component of this aspect of the programme.

250,000 maps were supplied to Team London for the Visitor Welcome programme last Summer. After reviewing the remaining maps at the end of the deployment this amount was found to be optimal for the number of Ambassadors and locations and the number of maps handed out across Summer 2014.

Anyone who requests a map from Team London Ambassadors will be eligible to receive one and will also be eligible for the MasterCard priceless cities promotions within them. The maps are also printed to readability standards.

The risk of not having this contract in place would mean that Team London would have very little time to procure another supplier of these maps in time for the Summer 2015 deployment of Team London Ambassadors.

The effect of not having these maps in time for deployment would negatively impact Team London Ambassadors as it would adversely impact their ability to provide an informative and accurate service to visitors to London.

5.1 The GLA will not incur any direct costs associated with this value in kind arrangement with MasterCard Europe. The Team London Unit has estimated that this arrangement has resulted in a cash saving of approximately £25,000; the estimated value of the GLA directly procuring the proposed goods and services that MasterCard are supplying.

5.2 It should be noted, however in return for the partnership deliverables being provided to the GLA, MasterCard Europe are reaping the benefits of publicity and marketing as detailed within the contract; thus essentially meaning the GLA is making a supply for VAT purposes. So in principle, both the GLA and the Partner should issue invoices that net off to nil for the value of the services (the benefits and the deliverables) that they will receive and provide. If the Partner provides its VAT number to the GLA, under special rules relating to EU customers (the partner is based in Belgium), no UK VAT will be chargeable and therefore a VAT cost will not arise for the GLA by entering into this agreement.

5.3 The Team London Unit within the Communities & Intelligence Directorate will be responsible for managing this project and for ensuring that all associated activities comply with the Authority’s Financial Regulations and Contracts & Funding Code.