Clarifications

Yes as per 'Attachment 7 - Response Guidance for Contract Example', which can be found in the Bid pack, the third bullet point in the compliance criteria states that CCS may wish to contact the Customer in order to validate the contract example.

CCS can confirm you input the expected end date of the contract (ie a date in advance).

The US is fine as its a GPA country.

CCS can confirm that there is no maximum word count or number of pages for the Suppliers Case Study as this will not be uploaded onto the SRS system, which has limits on the numbers of characters in the response boxes.

It's just whoever has more than the 25% stake in the company.

CCS can confirm that there is a character count limit on Q51 of the DPSQ, the contract eample. The character limit is 4,000 characters.

The website should allow you to do this. However, if you are having technical issues please contact NQC who should be able to answer any queries. Their contact number is 0845 299 2994.

Bidders are only required to provide one contract example with a Letter of Confirmation of Works.

Bidders are only required to provide one contract example.

CCS can see that you have started to complete the standard Selection Questionnaire, but this has not yet been completed, once this is completed and submitted you will then be presented with the DPSQ (the DPS specific Selection Questionnaire) were you will then be presented with the service offerings available, which you will select all the services that you can deliver. For clarity, the services are not shown as questions in the standard Selection Questionnaire, but this (the Standard SQ) must be completed before you are presented with the DPSQ questions, which will include questions on the service offering.

No a word version is not available but a non watermarked pdf version will be made available on you being successfully appointed as a Supplier on the DPS. This version will be presented when your application is placed in the 'Agreeing' stage (this is the stage were you will electronically agree to the DPS Terms and Conditions), as a DPS is a wholly electronic process you will be presented with a non watermarked version of the DPS Agreement at this stage, and this should be downloaded by the Supplier and will be your DPS Agreement.

The website should allow you to continue your application without answering Part 1 however if you have any problems please contact NCQ who should be able to answer any queries. Their contact number is 0845 299 2994.

CCS can confirm that you are not required to complete a separate Selection Questionnaire for each service offering.

In order to appoint a supplier to this (or any other) DPS the contracting authority doesn't assess forward looking 'award' criteria, this includes price. All pricing will be set during a customers call-off.

As stated in the document entitled ' READ FIRST RM6094 DPS Needs' of the Bid pack, if you feel that a particular clarification question should not be published, you must tell us why when you ask the question. We will then decide whether or not to publish the question and the response or return a response to you confidentially via the DPS Marketplace.

CCS can confirm with reference to the Selection Questionnaire question numbers 166 to 185 these relate to evidence requests which align to responses provided earlier in the standard Selection Questionnaire. Suppliers can submit evidence at any time where applicable and you can therefore disregard these questions. Regarding the contract example, as stated in the DPS Needs document at paragraph 31 to 34, when completing the contract example you can either complete question 133 of the Standard Selection Questionnaire, as you have done, or you can complete question 50 of the DPSQ Questionnaire. As you have already completed Question 133 you should find that your contract example has pulled through and is populated in Question 50 of the DPSQ. We will accept the information detailed in Question 133 of your Selection Questionnaire. Regarding the Letter of Confirmation of Works, this is a mandatory requirement and is detailed in the DPS Need document at paragraph 35 to 37, and the template for the Letter of Confirmation of Work can be found at Attachment 8 of the Bid Pack. On the final point the DPS Needs document contains details of how to submit a compliant tender for the Spark DPS, and will make reference to other Attachments that Suppliers must read and complete.

CCS can confirm that by responding Yes to Question 156 - Cyber Essential Plus, that this does meet our selection criteria. Cyber Essentials, as a minimum, is required to join this DPS, therefore by having Cyber Essential Plus you meet this requirement.

1) Yes your contract example needs to relate to at least one of the technologies listed in the Customer Needs document, pages 10 to 24. 2) The filter system is used to match customers to suppliers who can meet their needs, you will be invited to tenders for filters combinations that match those of your organisation, you should choose the filters that accurately match your own skills and capabilities. You can update your filters at a later date as your capabilities change. Customers can use just one or multiple filters, this includes combinations of problem area, technologies and locations.

CCS can confirm that Attachment 1 is for information only, providing bidders with details of the services filter options within this DPS, which bidders will be presented with as part of their supplier journey.

You do not need to be certified but we expect work under any call-off to carried out in line with the standards listed.