If you are a training provider working in Hull, East Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire or North Yorkshire, or willing to deliver there, this guide is for you. The Hull learning and training DPS is one of the more approachable public sector routes for a smaller or newer training business, and it takes applications all the time rather than in rare windows.
This guide sets out who runs the Hull learning and training DPS, what it buys, how you apply and what entry typically involves, using public information only.
Who runs it and what it buys
The DPS is run by Hull City Council (formally Kingston upon Hull City Council). It went live in 2022 and its contract notice gives an end date of May 2030. The notice also says other public bodies in East Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire may buy through it, so the Hull City Council DPS is not only about Hull.
It is a dynamic purchasing system for learning and training, split into 18 categories. They include public health, public services and care; education and training; business, administration, finance and law; health and safety; preparation for life and work; and a category for bespoke and niche training. Buyers can use it for standard off-the-shelf courses and for programmes designed around their needs, such as safeguarding training for care staff or a management programme for team leaders.
Who it suits
On our frameworks page we describe it as a lighter entry route for newer providers, covering Hull and the surrounding area across a broad set of learning and training categories, and staying open to new applications through its term.
That makes it a sensible first public sector route for leadership, health and safety, business and administration, public services and specialist trainers, especially those close enough to deliver in the region.
How you apply
You apply in your own name. The DPS is run through YORtender, the council's e-tendering portal on the Mercell platform. Registration is free and needs only an email address. Once registered, you complete the selection questionnaire for the DPS and choose the categories you want to be considered for.
The contract notice says suppliers can apply to join at any point during the DPS's lifetime. You do not have to wait for a round to open, which is the main practical difference between a DPS and a framework. Our guide to the dynamic purchasing system explains that difference in more detail.
What entry typically involves
The council's documents on YORtender set the actual requirements. In general terms, entry typically involves:
- a completed selection questionnaire covering your organisation, policies and capability
- a financial standing check
- insurance in place by the time work starts
- naming the staff who will deliver and their professional qualifications, which the notice asks for
None of this needs a long public sector track record, but it does need your paperwork in order. Our insurance, ICO and DBS checklist covers the common gaps.
What being on it does and doesn't mean
Admission makes you eligible, not busy. When a council service needs training, it invites the providers admitted to that category to a further competition, and each bid is judged on quality and price. If you do not bid, or your bids miss the brief, a place brings nothing. Our guides to writing a tender response and how bids are scored help with that part.
Where it fits with the others
Of the six frameworks on our frameworks page, Hull has the lightest entry route. If you deliver public health or mental health awareness training, compare it with the Sunderland public health training DPS. If you already have public sector clients, the YPO training framework offers UK-wide reach.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hull learning and training DPS?
It is Hull City Council's dynamic purchasing system for buying learning and training services, split into 18 categories. Other public bodies in East Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire may also buy through it.
Can I apply to the Hull City Council DPS at any time?
Yes. The contract notice says suppliers can apply to join at any point during the DPS's lifetime, which runs to May 2030. You apply through the YORtender portal.
Do I need to be based in Hull to join?
The notice does not say you must be based in Hull, but the work is delivered in Hull and the surrounding region. Being able to deliver there in person matters for most of the training it buys.
Does joining the DPS guarantee work?
No. Admission lets you bid in further competitions for your categories. Each piece of work is still won on quality and price against the other admitted providers.
Sources
- Find a Tender — Hull City Council, Learning and Training DPS (contract notice, May 2022)
- Hull City Council — Tendering for contracts