Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) became Dynamic Market on 24 February 2025 when the Procurement Act 2023 went live. The mechanics are similar. The terminology changed and the rules tightened. A Dynamic Market is an open list of pre-qualified suppliers. The buyer runs members-only call-offs against the list. Suppliers can join at any time during the market's life, not only at the start.
Old DPS arrangements established under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 continue to run under the old rules until they expire. New ones from February 2025 onwards are Dynamic Markets under Part 3, Chapter 2 of the Procurement Act 2023.
- Dynamic Market = the new name for DPS under the Procurement Act 2023 (Sections 34-39).
- Open list. You can apply any time during the market's life, not only at the start.
- Free to apply via the Central Digital Platform (Find a Tender Service).
- Members-only call-offs. Buyers must admit any supplier that meets the conditions of membership (Section 36).
- Removal is automatic if you go on the debarment list. Discretionary if you become an excluded or excludable supplier (Section 37).
- Watch for Dynamic Market Notices (DMNs) on FTS. That is how authorities establish or amend a Dynamic Market (Section 39).
- Soft FM SMEs should target sector-relevant Dynamic Markets (NHS SBS, ESPO, YPO, CCS) and central-government Dynamic Markets in their geography. Volume is in the call-offs, not the membership list.
A dynamic market is an open list of suppliers who have met specific conditions to be eligible for public contracts through competitive flexible procedures restricted to market members.
Procurement Act 2023, Part 3 Chapter 2
What's in this guide¶
- DPS vs Dynamic Market: what the rename actually changed
- How a Dynamic Market works (open list, members-only call-offs)
- How to apply for membership (CDP, evidence, Section 36)
- Dynamic Market vs Framework Agreement (the two often get confused)
- Soft FM Dynamic Markets and frameworks worth knowing
- Costs, fees, and what membership actually buys you
- When NOT to apply
DPS vs Dynamic Market: what the rename changed¶
| Aspect | DPS (pre-Feb 2025) | Dynamic Market (Feb 2025+) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal source | Public Contracts Regulations 2015, regs 34-37 | Procurement Act 2023, Sections 34-39 |
| Naming on FTS / CDP | DPS notice | Dynamic Market Notice (DMN) |
| Joining | Open during the lifetime of the DPS | Open during the lifetime, but membership criteria can be amended via DMN at any point (Section 35) |
| Membership rule | Authorities must admit any supplier meeting the criteria | Same rule, restated explicitly in Section 36 |
| Removal | On loss of qualification grounds | Mandatory removal if added to the debarment list. Discretionary if otherwise excluded or excludable (Section 37). |
| Fees | Limited to actual administration costs | Permitted fees defined in Section 38; same principle, sharper enforcement |
| Notice obligations on buyer | PCR 2015 schedule | Section 39 Dynamic Market Notice for establishment + every material amendment |
DPS (under PCR 2015) vs Dynamic Market (under Procurement Act 2023).
The substance is similar. The bigger change is that Dynamic Markets sit inside the wider Procurement Act 2023 framework, with the Central Digital Platform as the registration spine and tighter exclusion / debarment rules sitting underneath.
If the wider Procurement Act 2023 framework is new to you, the plain-English Procurement Act 2023 explainer for FM suppliers covers the regime. Dynamic Markets are one piece of the picture; the procedures, exclusion grounds, and transparency rules sit alongside them.
How a Dynamic Market works¶
- An authority publishes a Dynamic Market Notice (DMN) on the Central Digital Platform (Find a Tender Service). The notice sets the scope, the membership conditions, and the duration.
- Suppliers apply for membership. The authority must admit any supplier that meets the conditions (Section 36). No discretionary refusal, no "we already have enough cleaning suppliers".
- The authority then runs members-only competitions for individual contracts (call-offs). The competition is restricted to suppliers on the Dynamic Market.
- Suppliers can apply at any time during the market's lifetime. Apply once, stay in until the market closes or you fail a removal trigger.
- The authority can establish or amend the membership conditions via further DMN. They cannot retrospectively change the conditions for existing members beyond what the original notice allowed.
- Removal is mandatory if you are placed on the UK debarment list (mandatory exclusion ground). Removal is discretionary if you become otherwise excluded or excludable.
How to apply for membership¶
All Dynamic Market applications go through the Central Digital Platform, which is integrated into Find a Tender Service. You register your business once, store the core data the platform reuses across applications, and apply to each market with the membership-condition evidence the buyer asks for.
Typical evidence you'll need on file:
- Last two years of statutory accounts (if available; new businesses have a different evidence pathway)
- Details of connected persons and persons with significant control (PSC register)
- Standard Selection Questionnaire data: Companies House number, insurance certificates, accreditation certificates, two case studies in the right sector and value band
- Information on any past criminal convictions or relevant exclusion-ground offences
- SSIP-recognised health and safety pre-qualification certificate
- ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental) where the buyer requires them
- Sector-relevant accreditations: BICSc for cleaning, SIA ACS for security, BS EN 13485 for catering / dietary work
If you have not built a master Standard Selection Questionnaire yet, the SQ section-by-section walkthrough covers what evidence to collect once and reuse forever. The same evidence pack supports Dynamic Market applications, framework applications, and individual tender bids.
Dynamic Market vs Framework Agreement¶
Suppliers and buyers often confuse the two. The mechanics are different and the difference matters when you are deciding where to invest application time.
| Aspect | Dynamic Market | Framework Agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Joining | Open during the market's life. Apply any time. | Closed for a set period (usually 4 years). Apply during the OJEU window only. |
| Member count | Unlimited. Anyone meeting the conditions joins. | Capped at the number the buyer set in the framework competition. |
| Lifecycle | Continuous. Authorities can extend by DMN. | Fixed term. Re-procurement required at the end. |
| Use case | Pipeline of repeating call-offs of varying scope. NHS SBS soft FM. ESPO regional councils. | Bulk frameworks where the authority commits to using the framework for a category of spend over a defined period. |
| Risk if you miss the application window | None. Apply later. You miss only the call-offs that ran while you were absent. | Significant. You wait 4 years for the next opportunity. |
Dynamic Market vs Framework Agreement under the Procurement Act 2023.
Soft FM Dynamic Markets and frameworks worth knowing¶
These are the high-volume sources of soft FM call-offs in 2026. Membership in the right one or two replaces dozens of individual tenders.
| Provider | Coverage | Type |
|---|---|---|
| NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) | NHS Trusts across England. Cleaning, catering, grounds, waste lots within combined FM frameworks. | Mostly Framework Agreements; some Dynamic Markets |
| ESPO (Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation) | Local authorities and education sector across the East Midlands and beyond. Soft FM lots split by category. | Both Frameworks and Dynamic Purchasing Systems / Markets |
| YPO (Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation) | Public sector across Yorkshire, plus national reach. Cleaning, catering, grounds. | Frameworks and Dynamic Markets |
| Crown Commercial Service (CCS) | Central government. National Workplace Services framework covers cleaning, catering, security, grounds. | Framework Agreements primarily |
| Procurement for Housing (PfH) | Housing associations across England, Wales, Scotland. Soft FM lots. | Frameworks |
| London Universities Purchasing Consortium (LUPC) | London-area universities. Cleaning and security lots. | Frameworks |
Soft FM Dynamic Markets and frameworks SMEs typically apply to in the UK.
If you are a regional cleaning SME, ESPO and YPO usually deliver more relevant call-offs than CCS. If you operate in healthcare, NHS SBS is essential. If you are nationwide, CCS is the gateway. Most established soft FM SMEs hold three to five memberships.
When NOT to apply¶
- Geography mismatch. Joining ESPO when you have no operations east of Birmingham wastes the application time. Call-offs require regional delivery capability.
- Scale mismatch. CCS national framework call-offs run from £200k to £20m. A 3-van cleaning operation will not score on technical capacity.
- Sector mismatch. Joining a hard FM Dynamic Market because the cleaning category was bundled in. The hard FM lots will not feed your business and the application work was wasted.
- Your pipeline is already at capacity. If you cannot bid the call-offs because you are at margin capacity, joining the market just generates email noise.
What to do this week¶
- Map your existing pipeline against the soft FM Dynamic Markets and frameworks above. Pick three that match your geography and sector.
- Build a master Standard Selection Questionnaire (insurance, accounts, case studies, accreditations) once and reuse it across all three applications.
- Apply to your top-priority Dynamic Market this month. The CDP registration is once-only, the membership application is per-market.
- Set a saved search on Find a Tender Service for "Dynamic Market Notice" plus your sector keywords. New markets establish through DMNs.
- When you become a member, treat call-off competitions like fast-cycle bids. Members-only competitions are usually faster and lighter than open-procedure tenders.
Sources
- Procurement Act 2023, Part 3 Chapter 2 (Sections 34-39) · Statutory framework for Dynamic Markets; live for new procurements from 24 February 2025
- Find a Tender Service / Central Digital Platform · Where Dynamic Market Notices (DMNs) are published and SME registration happens
- Transforming Public Procurement (Cabinet Office) · Buyer + supplier guidance on the new regime including Dynamic Markets
- NHS Shared Business Services Frameworks · Soft FM lots for NHS Trusts
- ESPO Frameworks and DPS · Local authority and education-sector buying organisation
- YPO · Public-sector procurement consortium (Yorkshire-led, national reach)
- Crown Commercial Service · Central government framework agreements including National Workplace Services
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
- DPS (Dynamic Purchasing System) was the term used under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. From 24 February 2025, when the Procurement Act 2023 went live, new arrangements are called Dynamic Markets and are governed by Part 3, Chapter 2 of the Act (Sections 34-39). The mechanics are similar: an open list of pre-qualified suppliers with members-only call-offs. The substantive changes are the integration into the Central Digital Platform, sharper rules on fees (Section 38), explicit membership-admission obligations (Section 36), and tighter removal rules tied to the new debarment list (Section 37). DPS arrangements established under the old PCR 2015 rules continue under the old rules until they expire.
- Yes. That is the defining feature of a Dynamic Market. Unlike Framework Agreements (which are closed for a set period, usually four years), Dynamic Markets are open lists. Suppliers can apply at any point during the market's lifetime, and the contracting authority must admit any supplier that meets the published conditions of membership (Section 36 of the Procurement Act 2023). Apply once via the Central Digital Platform on Find a Tender Service. Membership lasts until the market closes or until you trigger a removal rule.
- Two paths. First, monitor Find a Tender Service for Dynamic Market Notices (DMNs) in your sector. Authorities are required to publish a DMN under Section 39 when establishing or materially amending a Dynamic Market. Second, target the established public-sector buying organisations: NHS Shared Business Services (NHS Trusts), ESPO (East Midlands and beyond), YPO (Yorkshire and national), Crown Commercial Service (central government), Procurement for Housing (housing associations), and LUPC (London universities). Most established soft FM SMEs hold three to five memberships across these.
- Section 38 of the Procurement Act 2023 limits permitted fees to actual administration costs, not commercial revenue for the buyer. In practice, most central-government and NHS Dynamic Markets are free to apply to. Some buying-organisation frameworks charge an annual member fee in the £100-£1,000 range, justified as administration cost. Always check the fees clause in the original Dynamic Market Notice before you apply. Free use of the Find a Tender Service and Central Digital Platform itself is unconditional.
- Joining and lifecycle. Frameworks are closed lists with a fixed term (typically four years) and a capped supplier count. You can only join during the original framework competition. Dynamic Markets are open lists with no supplier cap. You can join at any time during the market's life. Frameworks are the right structure when an authority wants to commit to a defined panel of suppliers for repeat purchasing. Dynamic Markets are the right structure when the authority wants a continuously-refreshed pool. For SMEs, missing a framework window means a four-year wait. Missing a Dynamic Market window costs nothing because you can apply tomorrow.