Providing precise electoral expertise and a proactive, hands-on approach to collaboration, CFH partners with London Borough of Hounslow to deliver secure, accurate and dependable electoral communications for an electorate of over 200,000 voters.
Hounslow Council is a busy London authority delivering a wide range of electoral services, from local elections and by-elections to national polls. The Elections Team is responsible for maintaining the electoral register year-round and ensuring residents can participate confidently in the democratic process.
With a high volume of personalised and statutory printed and posted communications to issue to residents, the electoral team manages complex requirements, including ballot papers, poll cards, postal vote packs and canvass mailings, often within tight timeframes.
When the service was retendered in 2025, one of the areas Hounslow was focused on was appointing a responsive and experienced electoral print provider that could understand the pressures of election delivery rather than simply fulfilling a print specification. CFH was successful in being awarded the tender, with the contract formally agreed in March 2025 – establishing a long-term partnership built around secure delivery, electoral expertise and dependable year-round support.
Hounslow’s decision was based on the full tender submission, including security accreditations, capacity to print at volume, extensive experience handling electoral print requirements, and a proactive approach to developing innovative ideas and solutions, demonstrating a strong commitment to delivering continuous improvements and added value.
The procurement process crucially gave the council assurance that the necessary security requirements had been verified. CFH holds ISO 27001:2022, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus, among other crucial accreditations.
Every authority and electoral team operates differently; however, Hounslow are committed to organising election activity as early as possible. CFH’s approach immediately complemented this. Rather than imposing a rigid process, CFH shaped their support around Hounslow’s preferred way of working, adapting to the council’s planning style and ensuring alignment from the outset.
Hounslow describes the two parties as being “absolutely on the same page” when it comes to preparation and forward planning. Both teams were keen to discuss requirements and begin preparations well ahead of key deadlines, aware this could reduce pressure once an election enters its most time-critical stages.
Alongside managed election production of everything from ballot papers and poll cards to postal vote packs and canvass mailings, CFH proposed Docmail, the flagship hybrid mail solution designed for smaller, routine and ad hoc communications. As a secure and efficient online method for producing, managing and sending personalised documents at the click of a mouse, Docmail enables Hounslow to upload a document and data set, after which CFH manages the printing, enclosing and dispatch.
Access to both managed production and Docmail gives Hounslow one trusted supplier capable of supporting everything from large-volume, time-critical electoral communications to smaller, one-off mailings. This year-round flexibility reflects what Hounslow values most from a supplier – a single relationship that can scale to major election events.
A particularly important factor for Hounslow is that CFH’s team are not simply print specialists. They understand elections, electoral processes and the pressures electoral teams face, creating a more collaborative and efficient working relationship.
Hounslow is supported by a dedicated Account Manager, with continuity maintained through both previous and current account management relationships. CFH’s in-house electoral experts also remain highly accessible, readily picking up the phone or responding to emails whenever needed. Hounslow feel there is consistently someone available who understands their account, knows the electoral environment and can provide accurate answers quickly.
Hounslow’s Head of Electoral Services and Deputy Electoral Services Manager comment that conversations with the CFH team are friendly and familiar, often beginning with a general catch-up before moving onto the work itself. This immediate access to individuals on the team becomes particularly important when requirements change at short notice.
For the May 2026 local elections, members of CFH’s election team welcomed Hounslow to CFH’s Windsor site for manual checking and proofing of postal vote packs. CFH actively encourages clients to attend the site during this critical stage, creating a transparent and collaborative process where both teams can work together directly. In this way, the relationship feels more like an extension of Hounslow’s electoral team.
Since the partnership was formalised in 2025, CFH has supported Hounslow across a wide range of electoral activity – from by‑elections through to the May 2026 local elections. During this period, production volumes rose sharply, increasing from just under 20,000 items in the initial phase to almost 380,000. Despite this uplift, the council reported that the surge in mailing volumes had little impact on their workload, crediting CFH’s "hands-on", highly involved approach for keeping operations smooth, accurate and stress-free.
The partnership extends well beyond major election periods. Through Docmail, Hounslow has a simple, secure route for routine and ad hoc resident communications, meaning one trusted supplier supports both high-volume electoral production and everyday mailings. With the all-important GLA elections on the horizon, alongside annual household canvass activity and ongoing statutory updates, there are multiple ways CFH continues to support Hounslow’s busy electoral team.
Looking ahead, Hounslow are keen for the relationship to continue and strengthen, building on a way of working that has proved highly effective – particularly during the recent local election period.
CFH gives us real reassurance with our electoral communications. The team understand the pressures we face, they are accessible, and they manage complexity behind the scenes. Even when volumes increase and there are additional election demands, CFH have calmly delivered for us – allowing us to focus on the rest of our election work.
Deputy Electoral Services Manager,
London Borough of Hounslow