Dynamic Purchasing System for the Provision of Work Focused Activities

This is a Prior Information Notice (PIN) for social and specific services in accordance with Directive 2014/24/EU Article 24. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) intends to establish a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to procure Work Focused Activities in the Jobcentre Plus Districts in England, Scotland and Wales. The DPS is for the procurement of social and other services referred to in Regulation 74 of the Public Contracts Regulations (2015) and as such, the intention is to use a light touch regime, rather than the full regime described in Regulation 34 (Dynamic Purchasing System).

This national DPS is intended to replace the current DPS for Work Focused Activities in DWP Central England Group, also known as the Proof of Concept (PoC). Operating a DPS offers a number of commercial and operational advantages for both the buyer and for the potential Suppliers, compared to traditional contracting methods. The DPS will be a more effective and responsive tool, with the potential to create administrative savings and allow the buyer to respond to individual requirements more swiftly. It will simplify and reduce the time and cost involved for those Suppliers on the DPS in bringing their services to market, for example by reducing the duplication of effort created by participation in multiple, separate procurement competitions. Consequently it is anticipated that the DPS will, over time, be extended to procure other categories of service spend. This National DPS is for the sole use of the DWP. The anticipated period of the DPS will run from the date of signing of the earliest DPS Agreement (likely to be 25 July 2016), for four years.

Estimated funding for Work Focused Activities for 2016-2017, excluding VAT, will be up to £35m. Thereafter funding for DPS procurement will be annually agreed (amounts to be confirmed), and may include monies from other funding streams.

Additional information: All information will be issued to potential suppliers via the BravoSolution e-Procurement platform. The contract(s) will be awarded without publication of a contract notice.

Subject to decisions, the anticipated duration for this new programme is from the date that DWP signs the first DPS Agreement, for 48 months.

Operation of this type of DPS allows potential suppliers to subsequently apply and be accepted for inclusion onto the DPS. In addition, it allows (and encourages) existing DPS members to revise their offerings throughout the period of operation of the DPS. Suppliers who are successful in securing a place on the DPS will be entered onto a Directory of Services which the buyers from Jobcentre Plus will access to source provision that meets their local business requirements. Potential suppliers should note that the Contracting Authority reserves the right to cancel this procurement at any stage and not to award a DPS Agreement. If the Contracting Authority decides to enter into a DPS this does not mean that there is any guarantee of subsequent contracts being awarded. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is, accordingly, a matter solely for the commercial judgement of potential suppliers. Any order placed under this DPS will form a separate contract under the scope of this DPS between the supplier and the specific requesting contracting body. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to use any electronic portal during the life of the agreement.

In addition, all potential suppliers are strongly advised to review comprehensively the Department’s Security policy for contractors: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/392775/guide-for-dwp-contractors-bpss.pdf and its Off-shoring Policy: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508996/guide-for-dwp-contractors-offshoring-policy.pdf.

As further information becomes available, we will undertake to provide more information about the DPS via the e-procurement system, Bravo. https://dwp.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.shtml

This notice is for information only, and the Department reserves the right not to enter into a formal procurement process and not to award a contract(s). The information contained in this notice, including information relating to the nature and scope of the Authority’s requirements, the service classification of this requirement or the list of CPV codes, is only indicative of the Authority’s current thinking and is neither exhaustive nor binding. The Authority reserves the right and its absolute discretion to amend it at the time of issue of any further notices or at any other time. Other categories of spend are anticipated to come on stream, over time, as decided by future budgetary and commissioning decisions.