Clarifications
There are 140 clarifications for this DPS
87. Hi There
We will submit an application to get onto the Spark DPS framework by this Friday 29th May. We were only made aware of the opportunity last Friday. Given the current environment we will not be able to get a wet signature on our Letter of Confirmation of Works. Please can you confirm if we can provide a wet signature on the Letter of Confirmation of Works at a later date?
Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic CCS are accepting Letters of Confirmation of Work without the "wet" signature of the customer. CCS will issue an email to the customer requesting validation of the letter. Wet signatures are however a requirement and this should be sourced at your earliest convenience.
Kind regards,
CCS
Answered
27/05/2020 11:55
86. Can you please provide a checklist of documents which need returning for this SPARK Framework.
As documents required may change during assessment, please refer to the Read Me First document within the associated Bid Pack. This will include any documentation needed to be returned as well as future documentation which may be needed for further assesment.
Kind regards,
CCS
Answered
28/05/2020 10:41
85. For the avoidance of doubt, please could commissioners confirm that the 1% Management Levy only applies if a provider is successful at securing a contract/income via the DPS. Thank you.
I can confirm your understanding is correct.
Kind regards,
CCS
Answered
28/05/2020 10:51
83. Hi , Completed the CCS questionnaire and guess I have answered a question incorrectly and when going to complete the SPARK questionnaire I am unable to go back and edit the Answers in the general CCS submitted questionaire . Could someone help . We are a new company and doing this for the first time .
NQC have notified CCS they will be in touch directly in regards to your issue.
Kind regards,
CCS
Answered
28/05/2020 10:45
82. DPS Question 52 asks suppliers to fill in "Attachment 1 - Letter of Works Confirmation". Please can the commissioner confirm that it should read "Attachment 8 - Letter of Works Confirmation". Thank you.
We can confirm that this should indeed read as "Attachment 8" as there is no "Attachment 1" for the DPS in question.
Kind regards,
CCS
Answered
28/05/2020 10:25
81. We have almost completed the Selection Questionnaire, but I have a couple of questions about the Cyber Essentials certification.
1) We outsource our IT services to a subcontractor. I assume therefore, it is the subcontractor that needs to have the certification. We ourselves do not manage any of the servers etc.
2) The subcontractor will be applying for certification. Can we, therefore, submit the Selection Questionnaire? I realise we will not be able to bid for any tenders until the subcontractor has the certification.
In reference to point 1, CCS can confirm this is correct. In reference to point 2, CCS can confirm that this is possible.
Answered
09/09/2021 15:20
80. We have almost completed the Selection Questionnaire, but I have a couple of questions about the Cyber Essentials certification.
1) We outsource our IT services to a subcontractor. I assume therefore, it is the subcontractor that needs to have the certification. We ourselves do not manage any of the servers etc.
2) The subcontractor will be applying for certification. Can we, therefore, submit the Selection Questionnaire? I realise we will not be able to bid for any tenders until the subcontractor has the certification.
1) Yes that is correct
2) You can
Answered
28/09/2021 12:28
78. Hello. In the 'Guidance for Contract Example' document, bullet point 2 under 'Compliance Criteria' states 'Example provided must relate to contracts preformed during the past 18 months, from obtaining DPS appointed status to be valid as evidence for this procurement'. Does this mean that we already need to be registered on the DPS framework and have delivered our Contract example since obtaining DPS appointed status? We are registered on G-Cloud and DOS but not DPS as yet. Thank you.
In this instance we require a contract example of works carried out 18 months prior to the submission of your application and not your appointment to any particular DPS.
Kind regards,
CCS
Answered
28/05/2020 10:27
75. We are Independent Testings Services company, We would like to understand if we can apply only for "Testing" only services for the Spark DPS?
As per section 1.2 of the Spark Customer Needs document, contained within the Spark Bid Pack, bidders are required to indicate which categories and services they are able to bid for. It is therefore essential that Bidders select the exact elements relevant to their service offering in order to be invited to the relevant Competitions.
Answered
12/12/2019 08:47
74. In attachment 7 response guidance for contract example, the guidance states that a wet signature is required and that only 1 contract example is required.
Is there a template document for completing the contract example on and where are we to upload this content on the Supplier Registration Portal? Also, is 1 a maximum or can more than one example be provided?
Attachment 8 - Letter of Confirmation of Works - Contract Example is the document that needs to be completed this then should be uploaded in the DPS questionnaire -question 52. You would only be able to upload one Contract Example for your application.
Answered
25/11/2019 11:47
73. With regards to the request for a contract example, if an organisation has no such contract at this stage, but has contracted proof of concept trials in public / private sector, would this be sufficient to meet the requirements?
As per Attachment READ FIRST RM6094 DPS Needs V1.PDF Quality Assessment - Technical & Professional capability (Q133) of the Standard Selection Questionnaire and Question 48 to 50 of the Dynamic Purchasing Questionnaire (DPSQ): 31. You are required to provide one (1) contract example in accordance with the response guidance provided in Attachment 7 - Response Guidance for Contract Example which form part of RM6094 Spark DPS bid pack.
Answered
27/11/2019 11:31
72. Hello CCS,
Please can you confirm if questions 147 and 148 on page 124 of the SQ_DPSQ are correct? Given that the Spark Framework is for innovative and disruptive technologies, it appears somewhat strange that these questions appear to be related to managing supply chains for the deliver of steel. Please can you confirm if these questions are correct?
There are questions in the Selection Questionnaire that are not applicable for this RM6094 - Spark DPS procurement.
Part 3: (Supply Chain Management) - Q147 - Q149 are listed within the 'READ FIRST RM6094 DPS Needs v1' document within the Bid Pack as non applicable questions therefore you would not need to provide a response to those questions.
Answered
11/11/2019 11:57
71. Can CCS clarify how the contract example will be assessed?
Your contract example needs to relate to at least one of the technologies listed in the Customer Needs document, pages 10 to 24.The contract example will also be assessed to determine that it is an example of innovation that was delivered within the last 18 months and that it falls within the scope of the DPS and shows a supplier's ability to deliver either radical or disruptive innovation. The contract example must demonstrate the novelty, delivery, impact and control. Please see Attachment 7 of the Spark DPS Bid Pack - Response Guidance for Contract Example.
Answered
19/11/2019 09:09
70. Hi - we asked a follow up clarification question to our one of 08:58 this morning - is this being answered please?
For this agreement we are interested in the secondary exploitation of the innovation and unfortunately we do need both a contract example and supporting letter of confirmation of works from someone (it doesn't matter who) saying that they have worked with your company on the relevant technology/technologies. The size of the contract does not matter and it can be public or private sector, as long as you can demonstrate how it will be beneficial to the public sector in future.
Answered
19/11/2019 09:08
69. Can CCS confirm whether a case study is necessary for this. we have a number of clients with new technology that is being looked at by gov but don't have case studies at the moment.
As per Attachment READ FIRST RM6094 DPS Needs V1.PDF Quality Assessment - Technical & Professional capability (Q133) of the Standard Selection Questionnaire and Question 48 to 50 of the Dynamic Purchasing Questionnaire (DPSQ): 31. You are required to provide one (1) contract example in accordance with the response guidance provided in Attachment 7 - Response Guidance for Contract Example which form part of RM6094 Spark DPS bid pack
Thanks for answering the above. In the RM6095 GB Connectivity DPS Framework suppliers (especially start ups) are allowed to provide details of their service rather than a contract example. Why is RM6094 different when its clearly for more innovative tech?
For this agreement we are interested in the secondary exploitation of the innovation and unfortunately we do need both a contract example and supporting letter of confirmation of works from someone (it doesn't matter who) saying that they have worked with your company on the relevant technology/technologies. The size of the contract does not matter and it can be public or private sector, as long as you can demonstrate how it will be beneficial to the public sector in future.
Answered
19/11/2019 09:08
68. Can CCS confirm whether a case study is necessary for this. we have a number of clients with new technology that is being looked at by gov but don't have case studies at the moment.
As per Attachment READ FIRST RM6094 DPS Needs V1.PDF Quality Assessment - Technical & Professional capability (Q133) of the Standard Selection Questionnaire and Question 48 to 50 of the Dynamic Purchasing Questionnaire (DPSQ): 31. You are required to provide one (1) contract example in accordance with the response guidance provided in Attachment 7 - Response Guidance for Contract Example which form part of RM6094 Spark DPS bid pack.
Answered
15/10/2019 08:58
67. You clarified that - 'You must then describe the contract example at question number 133 of the Standard Selection Questionnaire OR at question 50 of the Dynamic Purchasing System section of the Selection Questionnaire. If you choose to complete question number 133, your response will automatically transpose to question 50'. Therefore the contract example you used at Q133 of the standard Selection Questionnaire has pulled through to Q50 of the DPSQ.
But in my case, I had to fill all the contract example details again for Q50.
This sounds like a platform related issue. If you are having technical issues, please contact NQC who should be able to answer any queries. Their contact number is 0845 299 2994.
Answered
19/08/2019 16:35
66. You clarified that -CCS can confirm that there is a character count limit on Q51 of the DPSQ, the contract example. The character limit is 4,000 characters.
But while answering the Contract Example Description for Selection Questionnaire "137. If you cannot provide at least one example customer contract, in no more
than 500 words please" so this means the description should be 500 words.
correct, the word limit is 500 words.
Answered
19/08/2019 16:39
65. How is a principal contract for goods and/or services defined (Q180)
Question 150 (Q180) of the standard SQ does NOT require a response from the supplier as stated in the DPS Needs document as para 38.
These questions are not applicable as the standard SQ is for use across all government departments and these questions do not require a response as we ask for a contract example as part of the DPSQ.
Answered
22/08/2019 09:50
64. To whom it may concern,
PPN 14/15 clearly states: "Do not" Use selection criteria requiring a bidder to have a general policy on apprenticeships in order to participate in the competition. Selection criteria addressing apprenticeship policy should instead invite bidders to demonstrate how their current skills policy, including any policy on apprenticeships, would support developing and maintaining skills required under the contract."
With this in mind, please would the Authority consider replacing the yes/no question 146 with a text box that will enable us to provide a more nuanced answer to the question of skills development?
Yours sincerely,
CCS can confirm that question 146 of the Standard Selection Questionnaire cannot be replaced for a text box to be included. However, bidders can provide evidence to support their responses to question 146 in the evidence section of the selection questionnaire by uploading evidence at question numbers 177 and 178, if required.
Answered
19/08/2019 16:36
