The Public Contracts Regulations 2015

Dynamic purchasing systems

General features

34.—(1) Contracting authorities may use a dynamic purchasing system for commonly used purchases the characteristics of which, as generally available on the market, meet their requirements.

(2) The dynamic purchasing system shall be operated as a completely electronic process, and shall be open throughout the period of validity of the purchasing system to any economic operator that satisfies the selection criteria.

(3) The dynamic purchasing system may be divided into categories of products, works or services that are objectively defined on the basis of characteristics of the procurement to be undertaken under the category concerned.

(4) Such characteristics may include reference to the maximum allowable size of the subsequent specific contracts or to a specific geographic area in which subsequent specific contracts will be performed.

(5) In order to procure under a dynamic purchasing system, contracting authorities shall follow the rules of the restricted procedure, subject to the following provisions of this regulation.

(6) All the candidates satisfying the selection criteria shall be admitted to the system, and the number of candidates to be admitted to the system shall not be limited in accordance with regulations 28(4) and 65.

(7) Where contracting authorities have divided the system into categories of products, works or services in accordance with paragraph (3), they shall specify the applicable selection criteria for each category.

Time limits

(8) The following provisions about time limits shall apply instead of those provided for in regulation 28(2) and (5) to (10).

(9) The minimum time limit for receipt of requests to participate shall be 30 days from the date on which—

(a) the contract notice is sent, or

(b) where a prior information notice is used as a means of calling for competition, the invitation to confirm interest is sent.

(10) No further time limits for receipt of requests to participate shall apply once the invitation to tender for the first specific procurement under the dynamic purchasing system has been sent.

(11) The minimum time limit for receipt of tenders shall, subject to paragraph (12), be at least 10 days from the date on which the invitation to tender is sent.

(12) Sub-central contracting authorities may set the time limit for the receipt of tenders by mutual agreement between the contracting authority and all selected candidates, provided that all selected candidates have the same time to prepare and submit their tenders.

Requirement to use electronic communication

(13) All communications in the context of a dynamic purchasing system shall only be made by electronic means in accordance with regulation 22(1) to (7) and (11) to (20).

The call for competition etc

(14) For the purposes of awarding contracts under a dynamic purchasing system, contracting authorities shall—

(a) publish a call for competition making it clear that a dynamic purchasing system is involved;

(b) indicate in the procurement documents at least the nature and estimated quantity of the purchases envisaged, as well as all the necessary information concerning the dynamic purchasing system, including how the dynamic purchasing system operates, the electronic equipment used and the technical connection arrangements and specifications;

(c) indicate in the procurement documents any division into categories of products, works or services and the characteristics defining them;

(d) offer unrestricted and full direct access, as long as the system is valid, to the procurement documents in accordance with regulation 53.

Requests to participate and their evaluation

(15) Contracting authorities shall give any economic operator, throughout the entire period of validity of the dynamic purchasing system, the possibility of requesting to participate in the system under the conditions referred to in paragraphs (5) to (12).

(16) Contracting authorities shall finalise their evaluation of such requests in accordance with the selection criteria within 10 working days following their receipt.

(17) That period may be prolonged to 15 working days in individual cases where justified, in particular because of the need to examine additional documentation or to otherwise verify whether the selection criteria are met.

(18) Despite paragraphs (16) and (17), as long as the invitation to tender for the first specific procurement under the dynamic purchasing system has not been sent, contracting authorities may extend the evaluation period provided that no invitation to tender is issued during the extended evaluation period.

(19) Where contracting authorities intend to extend the evaluation period in accordance with paragraph (18), they shall indicate in the procurement documents the length of the extended period that they intend to apply.

(20) Contracting authorities shall inform the economic operator concerned at the earliest possible opportunity of whether or not it has been admitted to the dynamic purchasing system.

Tendering and the award of the contract

(21) Contracting authorities shall invite all admitted participants to submit a tender for each specific procurement under the dynamic purchasing system, in accordance with regulation 54.

(22) Where the dynamic purchasing system has been divided into categories of works, products or services, contracting authorities shall invite all participants having been admitted to the category corresponding to the specific procurement concerned to submit a tender.

(23) Contracting authorities shall award the contract to the tenderer that submitted the best tender on the basis of the award criteria set out in the contract notice for the dynamic purchasing system or in the invitation to confirm interest.

(24) Those criteria may, where appropriate, be formulated more precisely in the invitation to tender.

Means of proof

(25) Contracting authorities may, at any time during the period of validity of the dynamic purchasing system, require admitted participants to submit a renewed ESPD within 5 working days from the date on which that request is transmitted.

(26) Regulation 59(8) to (11) shall apply throughout the entire period of validity of the dynamic purchasing system.

Period of validity of the system

(27) Contracting authorities shall indicate the period of validity of the dynamic purchasing system in the call for competition.

(28) Contracting authorities shall notify the Commission of any change in the period of validity, using the following standard forms:—

(a) where the period of validity is changed without terminating the system, the form used initially for the call for competition for the dynamic purchasing system;

(b) where the system is terminated, a contract award notice under regulation 50.

Charges

(29) No charges may be billed, prior to or during the period of validity of the dynamic purchasing system, to the economic operators which are interested in or party to the dynamic purchasing system.