Clarifications
There are 149 clarifications for this DPS
157. On Research and Insights DPS, is it still a requirement to upload a blank "nil" return spreadsheet monthly? It seems a complete waste of time. Please identify the source of any change to this requirement so we can confirm it.
Thank you for your message. Please be advised that as part of your obligation to operate on this DPS, it is a requirement to submit MI reports regardless of their status.
Answered
18/07/2025 09:37
156. Please could you advise as of 2025 how new competition notices are issued. Are there specific platforms or email channels we should be aware of? Thank you.
From 2025, clients may publish notices on Contracts Finder. CCS actively collaborates with clients through a working group focused on building a pipeline, which is communicated to suppliers via the newsletter. ITT notices will be issued through either the CCS e-sourcing tool or the clients' own systems. Additionally, CCS recommends that clients utilise our e-sourcing tool for further competitions, as suppliers are already preloaded into the system.
Answered
18/07/2025 09:42
155. I will use 4 subcontractors, all of whom are freelancers. They are sole traders and do not have registered companies. Unfortunately, the system requires me to add a company number and N/A does not work. How do I add these people to the list of subcontractors, if they do not have a company registration number?
To resolve this, you can enter "000000," which should fix the issue.
Answered
18/07/2025 10:06
154. In your supplier registration process, we are being asked about our sub contractors, some of them are from abroad. For this reason, it seems that your system won't recognise as valid some of the formats I enter (i.e. postcode, vat number)
To resolve this, you can enter "000000," which should fix the issue.
Answered
18/07/2025 10:06
152. Hello. We are a supplier and partner of Gambling Commission and were requested by our contact Imogen Morris (cc'ed here) to sign up for the Research and Insights DPS to continue to provide services to them for research insights/ foresights. Our team has been working on the DPS for a couple of weeks now, and I think we are nearing the end of the questionnaire, but have some outstanding questions that are precluding us from submitting.
1. When we click on the Research and Insight DPS, it defaults to this view, which seems to be putting us in to a DPS specific to our client VisitBritain, not Gambling Commission who we are working on this request for today. I could not find any way to change this, and the original team member who had done this for VisitBritain has left the business.
So I would like to ask, is "VisitBritain Latest" just a name that we had internally assigned to this process because we were working on that client's request at the time? If we submit this form, will it go to the right client's file on your end?
2. Does the existing registration that we have for our client VisitBritain carry over to new clients/ do we need to do the process over again at all?
3. Also, regarding these questions below (92 - 93 for example), does this refer to the type of clients we serve or survey participants we can procure for our clients?
4. We are planning to submit a contract example from Gambling Commission themselves as the example that is requested in Questions 55-56. Our original signatory on their side has now left the business I believe; should we list their details in Q56, or our current contact, who was not the original signatory?
1) Yes your name will go to the correct client as it will be the company name in the search.
2) You are at stage 2 of the registration process. The information supplied for registration is used to be accepted onto the dps. You do not need to repeat this process for each new client.
3.Questions 92-93 subcontractors please provide your subcontractors details
4) Original signatory was Daanish Alam
Answered
09/05/2025 11:31
151. Can you please advise on how to answer a series of questions that are part of the application for the DPS RM6126 - where we need to indicate which specific areas that our organisation can provide services for. There are several sectors and sub sectors e.g. one of those is shown below as an example for Culture, Media and Sport .
My question is about interpreting the question with regards to our services relevant to the subject areas. We supply several research services to government and other organisationssuch as in Discovery or Alpha evaluative phases. The DPS is therefore relevant for us.
Our skills apply to many topic areas and domains. For instance, just within the Culture, Media and Sport area, we have conducted over 15 projects for relevant government and private sector clients -all of which are in that broad category.
Therefore I plan to tick the box against all those subsectors since we can deliver our services for those areas. However, we do not deliver the Culture, Media and Sport services ourselves - i.e. we are not a broadcaster, media organisation or entertainment company.
My question - Can you please advise on how to answer these questions since our core skills / services can be and indeed have been applied across many of these of individual topic areas. So I assume we should tick the boxes against these. Please clarify if possible.
Please tick all boxes that apply to the areas you can cover
Answered
09/05/2025 11:33
150. We have started the process of registering as a supplier at supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk but in trying to fill out the SQ we are being asked about CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary) codes? We are interested in the RM6126 Dynamic Purchasing System Agreement. Can you advise as to the correct CPV codes please.
There doesn't seem to be a question regarding CPV codes on the Selection Questionnaire for Research and Insights, please note you would need to apply for this DPS by selecting the 'access as a supplier' button at https://supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/dps/RM6126
Answered
25/03/2025 11:24
149. Please could you clarify what is mean here on question 129 of the SQ:
Do you meet the minimum level of economic and financial standing and/or minimum financial threshold Selection Questionnaire?
Thanks so much,
Jane Cunningham
Please refer to the DPS Needs document (which forms part of the RM6126 bid pack), paragraph 51, page 15 'Economic and Financial Standing' section.
Also see Attachment 4 Financial Assessment Template (which forms part of the RM6126 bid pack), this shows the template CCS Commercial Finance team utilise.
Answered
27/02/2025 11:39
148. Please can you confirm whether questions Q51 & Q52 of the DPS questionnaire regarding Carbon Net Zero is Pass/Fail?
In accordance with the Guidance on adopting and applying PPN 06/21, CCS can confirm that should a bidder not provide a Carbon Reduction Plan, their bid will fail unless the reason that the bidder is unable to provide a Carbon Reduction Plan is that the bidders organisation is less than 12 months old.
If a bidding organisation is less than 12 months old and can confirm their commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050 and that they will publish a Carbon Reduction Plan as soon as possible (providing details as to when it will be published), then under these circumstances, their bid will not fail.
In all other circumstances, a bidder must provide a Carbon Reduction Plan in order to be appointed to the DPSQ.
For clarity, the question applies to all bidders to the DPS, regardless of the size of the bidder, because there is potential for contracts to meet the threshold of £5m annual value. The Carbon Reduction plan must include the bidder's current carbon footprint and its commitment to reducing emissions to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050.
If you would like assistance with creating your Carbon Reduction Plan, Crown Commercial Service will be holding a series of online training sessions on producing Carbon Reduction Plans, to help suppliers meet compliance of procurement policy, PPN 06/21.
You are able to sign up for the training, free of charge, at this link.
SME bidders may find the list of potential resources & tools at the end of the FAQ document useful in establishing their footprint to begin developing their plan. The FAQs can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0621-taking-account-of-carbon-reduction-plans-in-the-procurement-of-major-government-contracts
Answered
31/01/2025 11:46
147. I am trying to get access to the SQ for this DPS but every time I press "access as supplier" it just redirects me to the dashboard? Have other users experienced this before?
Please contact our portal providers NQC at support@nqc.com who will be able to advise.
Answered
31/01/2025 11:56
146. Hi there - question as a buyer. We have filtered to our specific needs on this DPS agreement - however there is still a great number of suppliers on there. Would it be possible to run a capability assessment to the filtered suppliers? So that we can reduce the number of suppliers even further. Also would you have a Capability template doc sheet that we can populate?
This buyer clarification has been dealt with directly by the team.
Answered
09/01/2025 15:31
144. This question is in relation to the requirement to provide a Carbon Reduction Plan. Our organisation can confirm we have signed a commitment letter with the SBTi - the Science Based Targets Initiative. Signing the commitment letter means that we are publicly listed on the SBTi website as having committed to set targets. Until we get our targets approved and validated by the SBTi we are not able to submit an official public Carbon Reduction plan.
We have referred to the DPS Needs document and can see that it states that we may be rejected from the bid if we are unable to provide a link to our most "recently published Carbon Reduction Plan" however it does also state "or do not provide sufficient evidence that remedial action has taken place". Is there any opportunities to showcase our commitments to carbon reduction outside of an official plan i.e. through sharing our SBTi signed commitments letter?
The Science Based Targets Initiative is not acceptable for RM6126, we would need the Carbon Reduction Plan
Answered
14/01/2025 12:01
143. Once service filters have been updated can the organisation view all live opportunities linked to the new service filters?
You would not be able to view live opportunities linked to your new service filters as the invitation for these opportunities would have already been issued.
Answered
14/01/2025 12:00
142. Please supply an up to date process for applying updates to service filters
Suppliers can update, amend or change their service offering at any time throughout the life of the DPS agreement. The supplier will need to log back into the system - and they will see that they can go in and amend their offering by ticking more or less of the services listed, please be aware though that when they do, it will push their status back into 'assessing' (just while the DPS team check it) before going back into appointed.
Answered
14/01/2025 12:00
141. What shall we select if questions 85,90,91,94,95 do not apply to us?
The options can be left blank if not relevant, however please be aware buyers will search for suppliers who can provide these services to create a shortlist to be used for their tender.
Answered
18/10/2024 12:10
140. I am registering our non-profit company on the RM6124 Communications Marketplace DPS, and wanted to clarify the cyber security requirements. We have extremely strong cyber security measures in place but don't yet have Cyber Essentials. We are now working towards it and would expect to obtain certification within 6-8 weeks. Are we able to respond to a RFP with certification pending?
This query is under the Research and Insights clarification section - you are required to have the Cyber Essentials (basic) certification OR ISO 270001 in place already in order to be appointed to this agreement.
Answered
02/10/2024 11:08
139. Can you please advise what the capitalised terms 'Security Policy, 'ICT Policy' and 'Security Management Plan' in Call-Off Schedule 9 (Security) specifically refer to? I have had multiple requests from bidders for copies of these documents and I am unclear what they refer to and what to send the bidders?
This is a query from a buyer and has been addresses directly.
Answered
02/10/2024 11:10
138. What is the management levy applicable to the Research & Insights DPS?
Per Section 13 of the RM6126 DPS Appointment Form in the bid pack 'The Supplier will pay, excluding VAT, 1% of all the Charges for the Deliverables invoiced to the Buyer under all Order Contracts.
Answered
05/07/2024 10:48
137. All our clients are NHS or local authority so are not registered companies at companies' house - the Letter of Confirmation of Works template you provide asks for the company number. Can you advise on what I add instead please?
CCS is happy for this document, the Letter of Confirmation to be amended in order to change section 2 to reflect the organisation correctly and to best suit the contracting authority who is supporting your application by confirming the work you undertook - please be reassured that these documents are not contractual (despite the look and feel of them)
Answered
11/04/2024 12:51
135. Q162 of the standard selection questionnaire, asks which CESG cyber certifications our organisation currently holds. Is it necessary to hold one/all of these to be accepted?
At minimum you need to hold either current Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus or ISO27001 certification before being appointed onto the DPS.
Answered
21/03/2024 12:29
