Procurement - civil engineering dynamic purchasing system – projects up to £5M: buyer's guide

Using the DPS for tenders

The DPS provides a list of pre-qualified suppliers that have met the minimum entry criteria. Whenever a buying organisation issues a call for competition/Invitation To Tender (ITT) under the DPS, they must invite to bid all suppliers within the relevant categories. There is no “direct award” process available via a DPS.

Accessing the DPS supporting documents on knowledge hub

All the DPS supporting documents are available on Knowledge Hub in the following folder:

Library - Scottish Procurement: Procurement Information Network - Knowledge Hub

The folder includes: 

• buyer’s guide
• DPS quick guide for buyers
• supplier selection tool
• PCS-T DPS user guide
• the terms and conditions templates to be used for call-off contracts:
• NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC)
• NEC4 Term Service Contract (TSC)
• NEC4 Engineering and Construction Short Contract (ECSC)
• NEC4 Term Service Short Contract (TSSC)
• FAQs and additional information for buyers
• DPS core terms
• DPS documents (used by suppliers to request to join the DPS)

Registering on knowledge hub

Public sector organisations can access all relevant documentation and terms for the DPS on Knowledge Hub. If you are not registered to access this site and are eligible to use the DPS please complete this template and send to CCT_SPPD@gov.scot 

Please note that any information obtained via the Knowledge Hub site must be treated as commercially confidential and must not be shared with anyone outside your organisation without the prior approval of SPPD.

Identifying DPS suppliers relevant to a requirement

In order to identify the DPS suppliers relevant to a specific requirement, buyers must use the latest version of the Supplier Selection Tool, available on Knowledge Hub.

Once a buyer opens the Supplier Selection Tool, they will be able to select the Lot, Region and Value Band relevant to their requirement and generate the list of suppliers they will have to invite to bid.

Informing the DPS management team

Buyers must contact CCT CCT_SPPD@gov.scot to ensure they have early sight of any new project and to obtain a project number from them. Detail of any pre-market engagement/pipeline requirements will help the team understand Works passing through the DPS.

Conducting pre-market engagement

Buyers can electronically engage with all the suppliers on the Lot, Region and Value Band relevant to their requirement. For example, they may wish to issue a project summary document highlighting the key aspects of their requirement or to seek some feedback on it before the full call for competition/ITT documentation is issued.