News - 2010 archive

Expressions of Interest: Framework agreement for the provision of employment related support services

29 June 2010

DWP is inviting expressions of interest for a framework agreement for the provision of employment related support services, helping people to select, train for, obtain and retain employment suitable for their ages and capacities. This will include the new Work Programme.

• Framework agreement for the provision of employment related support services (88KB)

Delivery Pipeline Consultancy Report and DWP Response

• Delivery Pipeline Consultancy Report (283KB)
• DWP Response (33KB)

DWP launches Supplier Excellence Awards competition

10 March 2010

DWP has the highest expenditure of any civil Government Department on externally provided goods and services, buying everything from complex IT systems through to specialist programmes to help unemployed people obtain work or training. The Department has some excellent suppliers from all sections of the economy, and wishes to reward the best of these by presenting Excellence Awards at its annual Suppliers Conference in June 2010.

The award categories

There are five award categories, as follows:

• Innovation
• Sustainability.
• Value for money
• Customer delivery
• Collaboration

Additionally, the Department will make two specials awards for the best application, in any category, by a small or medium enterprise, and by a ‘Third Sector’ not for profit organisation.

Finally, the supplier submitting the best application or series of applications across all award categories will win the prestigious ‘Supplier of the Year’ award for 2010.

How to apply

Read the Guidance notes and complete the application form provided here.

• Guidance notes: how to participate in the DWP Supplier Excellence Awards scheme 2010 (63KB)
• Entry form for the DWP Supplier Excellence Awards scheme 2010 (850KB)

All applications must be approved and endorsed by the supplier’s contract manager or supplier relationship manager in DWP. Applications should be sent to supplier.awards@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.

The window for applications will be open for two months, from 10 March to 21 May 2010.

Further information

For further information, please either e-mail the dedicated mailbox or contact the Awards Project Manager, David Greensmith, on 0114 2601754 or 07919 014809.

Free public procurement course

23 February 2010

On 25 January 2010, the government launched a free on-line procurement course, “Winning the Contract”. The course is designed to help businesses, in particular small and medium enterprises (SMEs), learn about public procurement and how to bid for public sector contracts.

The course introduces businesses to the key procurement processes, including:

• identifying the advantages and disadvantages of dealing with public bodies
• understanding how different types of contracts are defined, advertised and dealt with
• understanding approved supplier lists and framework agreements
• searching for and finding public sector opportunities
• identifying the key stages in the tendering process

Information about the course can be found on the Businesslink website, while the course itself is being hosted on the Learndirect website.

• Winning the Contract leaflet (189KB)
• Overview of selling to government (Businesslink website)
• Winning the Contract (Learndirect website)