The Third Sector has been getting a raw deal on printers, copiers and scanners. They’re not the only ones; mis-selling is endemic in the printer and copier industry.

But it is the Third Sector we want to help; after all we’re an asset-locked Community Interest Company (social enterprise) ourselves.

More affordable office equipment leaves more money for critical services.
But, it’s not just about the money; ethical approaches and social justice are the lifeblood of charities and social enterprises.

First, though, the money. Our promise to you – Third Sector organisations – is that you will:

1. Be encouraged to get 3 quotes (‘One in 3’), receive transparent pricing and ongoing usage costs
2. Only ever be offered a machine that is fit for purpose and meets your needs, and you can still upgrade and downgrade as your needs change
3. Never be tied into a contract you cannot escape; we’re the only ones who offer a 3-year contract with a 90-day break clause should your circumstances change
4. Never be auto-renewed. We will let you know when your contract is due to end, an then encourage you to use ‘One in 3’.
5. Have access to an innovative, specialist, short-term in-house rental deal with new machines if you’re financially-constrained. No need to accept punitive rental deals with old, second-hand machines. There are around 40,000 charities in Scotland and 4 out of 10 do not meeting the lending criteria for equipment leasing.

To put this in real money, our charges are around £3,000 less than the industry equivalent over the lifetime of an average contract (£5,000 over five years compared with £8,000).  If 40,000 charities changed their machine every five years, then this could save the Third Sector £2million per month.

Financially, that’s a big win for critical services in the Third Sector. But as we said, it’s not just about the money. Like you, we want to make a difference. Here are some ways in which we do this.

Youth Employability and Apprenticeships for 16-24 year-olds

Youth employability is a priority. We’re one of the few employers that provides apprenticeships for people with little or no educational qualifications with a future target of taking on 30 apprentices a year. We aim to keep 50% of the apprentices into full-time jobs as the business grows and support the rest into employment with partner organisations.
Find out more about our promise to young people.

Environmental Benefits

By working with companies such as Epson on clever inkject technology we dramatically reduce energy consumption (by as much as 85%), have fewer parts that need replacing, less consumables, packaging and delivery – much better for the environment whilst we still need some printing capability. 
Find out more about our promise to the planet.