Definition
Dynamic Market
The Procurement Act's open supplier list replacing dynamic purchasing systems.
A dynamic market is the Procurement Act 2023's replacement for the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), an electronic, continuously open list of pre-approved suppliers that a contracting authority can use to run repeat purchases in a category of goods, works or services, from procurements run under the Act from February 2025 onwards.
What carries over from the DPS
Like a DPS, a dynamic market stays open for new suppliers to join throughout its life, rather than closing membership at set-up as a traditional framework does. Suppliers apply against published suitability criteria and, once admitted, become eligible to bid in future call-off competitions run through the market.
This ongoing-entry feature makes dynamic markets attractive for categories with a changing supplier base or long-running need, such as temporary labour, care provision, or categories of works and supplies procured repeatedly over several years.
What is different under the Procurement Act 2023
The Act gives dynamic markets a firmer legal footing and slightly different terminology and mechanics compared with the DPS under PCR 2015, including how multiple buyers can share access to the same market and how it is set up and managed under the Act's transparency requirements.
For suppliers, the practical experience is similar: monitor Find a Tender for dynamic market notices in your sector, apply against the published suitability criteria, and watch for call-off opportunities once admitted.
- Successor to the DPS for procurements run under the Procurement Act 2023
- Remains open to new supplier applications throughout its life
- Can be used by multiple contracting authorities, depending on how it is set up
- Call-offs made through further competitions among admitted suppliers
Frequently asked questions
- Is a dynamic market the same as a Dynamic Purchasing System?
- They work in a very similar way — both are continuously open lists of pre-approved suppliers. A DPS operates under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, while a dynamic market is the equivalent structure under the Procurement Act 2023 for procurements run from February 2025 onwards.
- Can I apply to join a dynamic market at any time?
- Yes, that is the defining feature. Unlike a closed framework with fixed membership, a dynamic market remains open to new supplier applications throughout its operation, so you can apply whenever you meet the published suitability criteria, even long after it was first set up.
- How do I find live dynamic markets to apply to?
- Dynamic markets must be advertised, so check Find a Tender and relevant buyer or framework provider websites for notices establishing a dynamic market in your sector, then follow the published process to submit your suitability application.
Related terms