Social Value - Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Social Enterprises Early Engagement

National Highways would like to engage with Social Enterprises, whose main aim is the social and professional integration of disabled or disadvantaged persons and that meet the 30% threshold stipulated in Regulation 20 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015, as part of its implementation of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). A DPS is unlike a traditional framework for the supply of goods, works or services. A DPS is an electronic system which suppliers can join at any time. As an 'open market' solution, a DPS is designed to give buyers access to a pool of pre-qualified suppliers. For more information on what a DPS is and how they work, please visit the link below. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/560265/Guidance_on_Dynamic_Purchasing_System_-_Oct_16.pdf

The purpose of the DPS is to make it easier for National Highways to purchase goods and services from Social Enterprises, and vice versa. It's also our intention to enable this DPS to allow our supply chain and other government departments to utilise the goods/services it offers. The use of a DPS is to further National Highways' commitment to social value , in support of National Highways Social Value Plan which focuses on the support of social enterprises specifically. A link to the plan can be found below. https://nationalhighways.co.uk/media/tdog2fma/ccs0622297296-003_social-value-strategy-report_final.pdf

This notice is to advise the Social Enterprise community of an early engagement opportunity in which National Highways would like to discuss the appetite of joining a DPS platform and what services they can offer. Our market engagement event is programmed for 14th November 2022, however this date is indicative and may change. Through market research, National Highways have determined 13 categories of goods and service we want to include on the DPS. Please note this list is indicative of the types of goods and services National Highways may wish to call off from the DPS and that any suppliers who wish to join the DPS do not need to be able to provide all of the services or goods listed. Through market engagement, we welcome the opportunity to understand if there are further categories that could be included. The current list of categories include:

If you are a Social Enterprise and are interested in participating in this opportunity and future market engagement events with National Highways or would like further information, please contact the National Highways Procurement Officer at socialenterprisedps@nationalhighways.co.uk as soon as possible.