Royal Mail extends Covid-19 ‘open for business’ scheme

Print Solutions: Positive About Print

The Strategic Mailing Partnership has welcomed a move to significantly expand a new incentive to help organisations hardest hit by the current coronavirus pandemic.

Demand for Royal Mail’s Covid-19 Open for Business Incentive has prompted an increase to the overall volume cap of the incentive from 20 million items to 120 million.

Launched in early May, the incentive will run until the end of December and is designed to help organisations engage directly with customers and supporters, and to reach out to prospective customers.

SMP chair Judith Donovan CBE has described the scheme as a lifeline for businesses that have been decimated by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

‘We are delighted that even more organisations will be able to take advantage of this incentive at a time when it will have the greatest impact,’ she said. ‘It is also excellent news for our members, who have had to draft in new ways of working to enable them to continue to provide their essential services. Hopefully, this increase in volume will enable mailing houses to benefit from an uplift in demand for marketing mail.’

Royal Mail says the changing nature of the Covid-19 situation in the UK means that different segments of the market may look to engage with customers and prospects at different times.

To ensure that charities and businesses are able to receive the support when they most need it, and with an emphasis on supporting shorter term volume to keep the market active, the allocation of the overall incentive volume cap is being increased to:

40 million items for May and June.

60 million items for July to September.

20 million items for October to December.

Since the initiative began on May 6, more than 130 applications have been received. To cope with ongoing demand, volumes may be adjusted further depending on market conditions.

More information can be found on the Covid-19 Open for Business Incentive page of the Royal Mail Wholesale website.

The SMP represents the interests of mailing houses across the UK. Many have introduced various measures to enable them to continue producing essential communications such as bank statements and NHS communications.