What We Buy

This section covers a range of programmes and initiatives, aimed at providing support to find and retain work, that are delivered through contracts. These include:

• services delivered to working age customers who are unemployed or require support while in work, and
• a wide range of products, goods and services to meet the needs of the 100,000+ DWP personnel employed in delivering services to the public.

The primary categories of products, goods and services sourced are as follows:

• Welfare to Work services
  Currently these include programmes such as the New Deals, Employment Zones, Pathways to Work and a range of support for disabled people in employment. Included are opportunities to tender and frequently asked questions.
• Information Systems/Information Technology
  The procurement of IT products and related services is undertaken by Corporate IT's Strategic Sourcing Directorate (SSD).
• Professional and Technical Services
  DWP operates a number of framework contracts for the supply of consultancy and professional services, including: Business, IS/IT and Communications Consultancy, Legal, Financial, Human Resources (HR) and Learning and Development Services, and a broad range of contractor resources including IT, HR, Finance, Communications specialists, and HR services.
• Estates and Facilities Management
  The DWP occupies approximately 1,150 properties across the U.K. The vast majority of these are occupied under the terms of the PRIME (Private Sector Resource Initiative for Management of the Estate) contract which took effect in April 1998 and runs for 20 years. The contract is held by Telereal Trillium.
• General Goods and Services
  The range of services that the Department sources from external suppliers includes:
  • Document handling
  • Office services
  • Print, marketing and communications services
  • Business travel services
  • Occupational Health Services
• Learning and Development
  An Office of Government Commerce Buying Solutions (OGCbs) Catalist Framework covering L&D and E-Learning is currently being let to commence from November 2008 as a pan-Government resource. DWP will use the OGCbs Framework as the sourcing route for DWP external L&D requirements with effect from November 2008.
• Marketing and publicity
  DWP operates a number of framework agreements for the supply of marketing and communications services.

The links to the left will take you to more information about the categories that interest your organisation.

Additional website links will take you directly to those business units that specify their own requirements and carry out their own sourcing.

Any enquiries or feedback on this section can be provided by completing the Feedback Form, or by sending an e-mail to the Supplier Relationship Management team on quarryhouse.supplyingdwpqh@dwp.gsi.gov.uk. All emails sent to this address will be given to the person most able to deal with your query. However, we cannot guarantee that general queries made by telephone will reach the right person, so please use this email address for all general queries to the Supplier Relationship Management Team.