Economic Development and Communities Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) and Economic Development and Communities Dynamic Grant Process (DGP)
Nottingham City Council has developed a DPS and DGP to facilitate working with suppliers delivering across a range of activities commonly purchased.
There are four lots, which suppliers can choose to join. They are:
Lot 1: Bid development and delivery (split into two): (a) supporting bid writing, and (b) building partnerships to both bid and deliver projects).
Lot 2: Community and cultural development (promoting community cohesion, supporting cultural activities, building social capital strengthening the social fabric, reducing deprivation, improving social mobility, engaging and co-designing programmes with communities, integrating refugees and people seeking asylum).
Lot 3: Supporting organisations and businesses in the private, public and VCS sectors (enabling start up, growth, and prospering, including external investment and new entrants to the City).
Lot 4: Supporting employability and skills development (helping people not working ~ especially those from disadvantaged communities and/or with health issues ~ to get jobs and skills and supporting people in work to get on at work with better qualifications and training, meeting the skill needs of the City).
To apply we ask you for details of how you deliver the lot(s) you wish to join, in addition we ask applicants to tell us where you work across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire. Although most of our work is in Nottingham there may be occasions when we contract to work across a wider geography. If you do work in a wider geography please explain how.
The DPS and DGP both consist of a pre-selected list of suppliers registered on each lot. When Nottingham City Council gains external funding that is better delivered by external suppliers, a straightforward call-off competition will be held for those on the relevant lot. The winning supplier(s) will move quickly to signing agreements/contracts and work can start quickly.
Both the DPS and DGP are free to join.
A DPS is a formal system within the Procurement Regulations (2015). It is similar to a Framework in that a contracting body (in this case Nottingham City Council) advertises for suppliers to join a list where the council can then select which is best placed to deliver that work for it.
The DPS is open to new applicants until it closes, closing on 31 March 2028. To apply you need to register on East Midlands Tenders and then look up opportunities with Nottingham City Council, looking to register for "CPU“ 7057 Supplies in the Economic Development and Communities Dynamic Purchasing System”
The strength of a DPS is that should an applicant try once (or more than once ) to join and not be successful they can apply again. Thus the council gets a broader base of suppliers to choose from, and suppliers get better opportunities to bid for work with the council.
A DPS issues contract for services.
This DPS has a maximum spend of £10 Million pounds against it.
This is a novel solution mirroring the DPS.
- It has the same lots and covers the same geography.
- Suppliers can join it at any time until 31 March 2028
- If you do not get on the first time you can try (and try) again
- Final contracting is through call-off competitions.
The main differences are
- The DGP is for giving funding through Grant Agreements, which are less formal than contracts for services
- It works through email dgpanddps@nottinghamcity,gov.uk
- It has a maximum spend of £30 Million against it
How do I join the DGP?
If you want to join the DGP there are two routes;
- If you are a supplier on the DPS please email dgpanddps@nottinghamcity.gov.uk and ask to join the DGP. You will be automatically put on the list for the same lots as the DPS.
- If you are not on the DPS, or want to add additional lots, complete the Application Form below and submit it along with your accounts for the last two years (or other financial documents) to dgpanddps@nottinghamcity.gov.uk This is a much less formal process that the DPS
If you join the DGP and then decide you wish to join the DPS you will need to complete both processes.
Note
Before completing the Application Form you will need to read the Invitation to Tender and review the proposed Grant Agreement we will use once call-off competitions have been held.
Questions
To raise a question please email dgpanddps@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Some general points
- Entry on either or both of the DPS and DGP does not guarantee you any work from them.
- At the moment (July 2025) Nottingham City Council has three funding pots totalling about £2M to list. These will only be going on the DPS or DGP.
- If you are not successful first time round please look at the feedback and try again. Most are failing through leaving out some small but critical detail. We want you on the list.
- For any questions please email dgpanddps@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Information
Please click the following to download and read documents.
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