Published
By Ashley Cox
While Dynamic Purchasing Systems will fade from the public procurement landscape, post-Procurement Act, CPC's Estates & Professional Services DPS still has much to offer institutions - including the continued option for new supplier additions.
Despite the DPS model being replaced by 'Dynamic Markets' under the new Procurement Act, established Dynamic Purchasing Systems (like frameworks) can continue with Public Contract Regulations 2015 in place. This means our Estates & Professional Services DPS will remain both usable and governed by the same rules, right through to 7th January 2028, its original end date.
With this in mind, CPC members looking to procure Estates & Professional Services can reap the benefits of a compliant and fluid purchasing resource, another in our catalogue recommended to schools and academies by the Department of Education.
But what exactly are the key benefits or differences of a DPS, as opposed to a typical or more common purchasing framework?
The DPS is more flexible than a framework, in that it permits new suppliers to join across its lifespan.
As well as no fixed application window, there are no restrictions on the number of possible suppliers.
With a framework, pricing is fixed at point of tender, but a DPS sees it determined at contract stage.
No minimum (or indeed maximum) project values are imposed using a Dynamic Purchasing System.
A DPS cannot offer Direct Awards, focusing instead on competition across its platform of providers.
The CPC Estates & Professional Services DPS provides a compliant route to market for UK education institutions, supporting projects such as new builds, demolitions, refurbishments, extensions, conservations and preservations of existing structures. It can also facilitate bid application support, with its first lot able to connect CPC members with bid and grant funding specialists.
In total, no fewer than 14 different lots comprise this DPS, with consultancy procurable for everything from land acquisition to project management to sustainability and decarbonisation. At the time of writing, our architectural services lot had the highest number of suppliers, with some 48 of them allowing CPC members to benefit from healthy competition, innovation and choice.
Prospective users of the Estates & Professional Services DPS can be reassured that CPC has undertaken due diligence on each of the contractors accepted onto its Dynamic Purchasing System, with this assessment encompassing checks on environmental and quality management, plus health and safety records and process, as well as financial stability. As such, this DPS presents a reliable resource, one consistent with CPC's proud placing as a dependable procurement partner for the UK's education sector.
Estates & Professional Services and the Condition Improvement Fund
Many readers will be aware how central government makes grant funding available through its Condition Improvement Fund. The purpose of this annual pot is to address condition issues with public sector buildings. CPC encourages its members to get involved and apply for this important funding, while highlighting how the window of application for such opportunities can be a particularly short one. Institutions are likewise advised that the Estates & Professional Services DPS can help them get ready for the forthcoming CIF application round, with users able to book a survey through this DPS to aid their preparation process.
Simply put... by getting your house in order, you will be better positioned to make a successful funding bid in the CIF window.
Further information on our active Estates & Professional Services DPS, including its wealth of contacted suppliers, lot divisions, user support, further scope and extra benefits, can be found by visiting its own dedicated webpage, while the Department for Education's section of this Dynamic Purchasing System as a recommended resource for schools and academies underscores its quality and suitability for procurement use by such institutions, as CPC continues to power purchasing projects for our sector.
Watch this space for an informative Added Value webinar on CPC's estates-based DPS/framework offerings this April, with more details available from Customer Engagement Manager, Jack Horton and Senior Procurement Officer, Natalia Piecyk.