Clarifications
There are 160 clarifications for this DPS
175. If subcontracting is used, are there restrictions on the proportion of delivery performed by the subcontractor versus the prime supplier?
Duplicate Question with Question 170
Answered
11/06/2026 12:15
174. Can a supplier apply as part of a Group of Economic Operators where different organisations provide complementary roles, for example technology deployment, domain expertise, innovation delivery and evaluation?
Yes, a supplier can apply to the Spark agreement as part of a Group of Economic Operators.
Answered
11/06/2026 12:15
173. If the supplier's contract example demonstrates successful emerging-technology adoption support, rather than ownership of the technology itself, can that satisfy the technical/professional capability requirement?
Duplicate Question with Question 171
Answered
11/06/2026 12:14
172. Are services such as challenge definition, technology scouting, supplier assessment, pilot design and implementation support in scope where they are directly linked to deploying technologies within Spark's filter categories?
Duplicate question with Question 167
Answered
11/06/2026 12:19
171. Can a supplier qualify for Spark where its role is to support the deployment of third-party emerging technologies, rather than supplying proprietary technology itself?
Yes, a supplier can qualify for Spark where its role is to support the deployment of third-party emerging technologies, and they do not necessarily need to supply their own proprietary technology.
Answered
11/06/2026 12:12
170. If subcontracting is used, does the prime supplier need to deliver the majority of the work?
There is no set percentage of work that needs to be delivered by the prime supplier or the subcontractor.
Answered
11/06/2026 12:12
169. Can a supplier provide advisory support and technology-market scouting without being the technology vendor?
No, a supplier cannot use the Spark agreement to provide purely advisory support and technology-market scouting without also being a technology vendor of a proven innovation or setting up a prime/subcontracting relationship.
Answered
11/06/2026 12:11
168. Which Spark categories would fit drones, robotics, AI, sensors, IoT, lithium-ion fire response and predictive risk analytics?
These are available to select on the filter matrix within the DPS Questionnaire. A downloadable version of the filter matrix is available in the bid pack under Attachment 1.
Answered
11/06/2026 12:10
167. Are challenge definition, global technology scouting, supplier assessment, pilot design and innovation programme delivery in scope?
The specific standalone services of challenge definition, global technology scouting, supplier assessment, pilot design, and innovation programme delivery are not explicitly in scope for the Spark agreement.
Answered
11/06/2026 12:09
166. Can a consultancy / innovation partner join Spark, or is it only for suppliers of specific technologies?
Yes, a consultancy or innovation partner can join the Spark Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), provided you meet the mandatory technology and innovation requirements
Answered
11/06/2026 12:07
165. Hello Thank you for providing an answer to my question (see #164). However, this does not quite answer the question. Am I correct in understanding that it is therefore acceptable for us to answer Yes" to Question 5 of the DPSQ (even though the question refers to Cyber Essentials, and we hold Cyber Essentials Plus)? Thank you. Eve
Answering Yes to Question 5 within the DPSQ would be deemed acceptable. Cyber Essentials is the minimum required to join the agreement. As you hold Cyber Essentials Plus this would be deemed acceptable.
Answered
03/03/2026 12:09
164. Hello, There seems to be an inconsistency between the SSQ and the DPSQ in relation to Cyber Security (Cyber Essentials/Cyber Essentials Plus). We hold a Cyber Essentials PLUS certification. The SSQ asks, at Q.155, if we hold CE; and, at Q.156, if we hold CE+. As we have CE+, we have answered "No" to Q.155 and "Yes" to Q.156. The DPSQ asks, at Q.5, if we agree to have CE before the first contract under Spark. We would propose to answer "Not Applicable", however we are instructed to choose this option only if we have selected "Yes" to Q.155 of the SSQ (we which haven't). We can't answer "No", because we are instructed that this would lead to disqualification. Could you please advise. Thank you. Kind regards, Eve
Cyber Essentials Plus will meet the requirements for Cyber Essentials in Question 5. The certification must be in place on or before the execution of your first contract.
Answered
03/03/2026 09:26
163. As a supplier participating in the Spark Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), please confirm that we are required to provide three project references involving the use of Spark technology in the past 3 years, if we are declaring "Contracts for supplies or services", or in the past 5 years if we are declaring "Works contracts", and the references could be either ongoing or completed during the past 3 or 5 years.
Please refer to the 'Read First: DPS Needs' guidance in the bid pack and questions that are not applicable.
Answered
26/02/2026 14:11
162. We would like to request clarification regarding questions 138-139. We are not a UK‑based business, however, we are defined by Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 ("the Act"). There is a reference on our website, but our most recently published Modern Slavery Statement dates from 2022. Please confirm us if we should answer "YES" and provide it as an explanation.
All relevant commercial organisations as defined by Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act must publish an annual statement and provide evidence of compliance with the act.
Answered
24/02/2026 17:02
161. As a European-based company, we are unable to complete the Questionnaire because it requires a UK postcode. When we enter our own postcode, it is marked as invalid since it is not a UK postcode. Could you please advise how we should complete this section of the Questionnaire?
If you are not based in the UK, you can use the Royal Mail postcode EC1A 1AA as a generic postcode and the 8 digit number "00000000" as a dummy number for the UK Companies House Registration number if required.
Answered
20/02/2026 13:53
160. Hello, We have nearly completed the SSQ, after which we will start working on the DPS Questionnaire. Once we submit the SSQ (before starting the DPSQ), can we go back into it to change our answers (providing we have not submitted our DPS Questionnaire)? Thank you.
Once the SSQ is submitted it is locked so you wouldn't be able to change the answers in the SSQ. If you need to change answers such as the name of the company then this would require a reapplication. The DPSQ contains contact information which can be amended at any stage.
Answered
23/01/2026 15:42
159. Hello We have contacted one of our customers to seek permission to mention them as our contract example (Question 133 of the Standard Selection Questionnaire). The customer is happy to do so, but wants to know what this entails - what details will be made publicly available, and to whom? How will they be contacted by CCS? And what question will they be asked by CCS? We have carefully read the Clarification Q&As published so far; however we appreciate that some of the answers are from several years back and might be obsolete; for example, the reference of the customer having to fill out/sign "ATTACHMENT 8 - LETTER OF CONFIRMATION OF WORKS", which is no longer part of the bid pack. Will the customer have to sign anything, and if so can you please provide the template of this document? Thank you. Kind regards Eve
The details of any contract examples are not shared publicly. The information is use by CCS to ascertain whether you are able to operate within the scope of the agreement.
They may be contacted by CCS's procurement operations team to confirm that they were the customer but they will be limited questions around the details that are provided.
As for the confirmation of works document this is now obsolete and was removed as a requirement for the agreement when it was last extended. As such the customer no longer needs to sign anything.
Kind Regards
Answered
20/01/2026 14:32
158. I am a buyer advertising a requirement from this DPS. Do you have a editable version of Attachment 6 Order Form & Contract Terms that we may get ready
An editable version of the Order Form and Contract Terms can be found on the CCS webpage for this agreement - https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6094
Answered
21/07/2025 11:10
157. Before starting the Selection Questionnaire we are asked to accept various terms, including the DPS Terms and Conditions. Could you please confirm which document(s) in the Bid Pack this refers to? The Bid Pack includes Attachment 7 - Part 2, Attachment 7a - Part 3, and Attachment 7b - Part 4, but no Part 1. Could you also please confirm whether there should be a Part 1?
This question was confirmed as being for another DPS agreement.
All terms and conditions for the Spark agreement can be found in both the DPS Agreement form and the Contract Order Form.
Answered
29/07/2025 08:56
156. Dear Team, We're looking for clarification on how best to approach the Letter of Confirmation of Works for an ongoing project. As the work is still in progress, it cannot yet be confirmed as 'satisfactorily completed'. Could you please advise whether the form is still required in this case, or if there is an alternative version or wording suitable for ongoing works? Many thanks!
CCS can accept a Statement of Work that is signed and
dated by the customer" (clarification 153)
Answered
17/06/2025 09:13
