Robust, compliant DPS for apprenticeship training providers is available

LPP’s Apprenticeship Training Providers DPS ensures quality of suppliers and a robust process in full compliance with the Public Contract Regulations (PCR) 2015.

The LPP Apprenticeship Training Providers Dynamic Purchasing System supports all public sector organisations to procure training providers under the new apprenticeship levy rules, in full compliance with procurement regulations, and ensures the quality of suppliers by requiring a minimum threshold of previous service provision.

In April 2017 the way the government funds apprenticeships in England changed - employers with a pay bill over £3 million per annum are required to contribute to an apprenticeship levy every month. Since 1st May 2017, employers have been able to use their levy funds to cover the costs of apprenticeship training, assessment and certification.

However, public sector organisations, including the NHS, will need to comply with the Public Contract Regulations 2015 when selecting a provider/assessment organisation, as well as adhere to their own organisational Standing Financial Instructions.

LPP has established a Dynamic Purchasing System instead of a traditional framework for a number of reasons, not least because it enables the selection of suppliers to be aligned with the Education and Skills Funding Agency register (RoATP), which would not be possible under a traditional framework.

As LPP's Professional Services Senior Category Manager Laura Whitworth explains, “Mandatory criteria to be met by would-be suppliers will be registration on the RoATP, which opens to new applicants every three months. In addition, to add to the robustness of our process, in certain fields only suppliers meeting minimum previous success rates (such as the percentage of apprentices successfully completing a particular qualification, or percentage achieving by an agreed completion date) will be awarded entry onto the DPS.

 "A DPS is different to a traditional procurement framework – it is a completely electronic system which enables a public sector organisation to purchase goods, works or services through an ‘open market’ of potential suppliers, and new potential suppliers can join at any time.”

Public sector organisations accessing the framework undertake, with full LPP support, mini competitions to find the provider or providers from the DPS best suited to their needs. “The requirement for mini competition is essential for running a robust, compliant process and ensuring quality of supplier. The framework is also split into different categories of apprenticeship schemes and 13 regions, giving organisations easy access to appropriate local providers and flexibility in how they approach the market."

Since it was launched, more than 100 suppliers have already won places on the DPS, and more than 60 organisations have accessed it to find appropriate suppliers.  

Contact Laura Whitworth for further details: Laura Whitworth (laura.whitworth@lpp.nhs.uk)