If you are a public health training provider, or you deliver mental health awareness training, wellbeing sessions or similar programmes to workplaces and communities, this guide is for you. The Sunderland public health training DPS is narrow in subject and in area, but for the right trainer it is one of the easier public sector routes to keep open.
This guide covers who runs the Sunderland public health 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 buyer is Sunderland City Council. Its full name for the arrangement is the Dynamic Purchasing System for the Provision of Training for the Sunderland Public Health Capacity Building Programme. The council first advertised it in 2022 for five years. A notice published in March 2025 extended it to February 2029 and confirmed that providers already on it do not need to reapply.
It buys public health training delivered in Sunderland. It is not split into lots, so there is one list of approved providers rather than a set of categories. The kind of work it suits includes mental health awareness sessions for local employers, training for community organisations, and courses that build public health knowledge among frontline staff and volunteers.
Who it suits
On our frameworks page we describe it as for public health and mental health awareness trainers with DBS-checked staff. It is Sunderland only and narrow in subject, but open to applications throughout its term.
If your training is broader, such as leadership or compliance training, this is not the right route on its own. If public health is your core subject, it is worth a look wherever you are based, provided you can deliver in Sunderland.
How you apply
You apply in your own name by submitting a participation request, which includes a selection questionnaire and supporting documents. The council's notice says you can do this at any time while the DPS runs, and that the number of providers admitted is not limited. You are not competing for a fixed number of places.
The council runs its procurement through Open, the e-procurement platform built by NEPO for North East councils. Registration is free. The DPS was first advertised on an earlier portal, so search Open for the current listing.
What entry typically involves
The council's documents on Open set the actual requirements. In general terms, entry typically involves:
- safeguarding arrangements, and DBS checks for the staff who will deliver
- evidence of relevant delivery experience, ideally training delivered to the public, communities or workplaces
- insurance at the levels the council sets
- a completed selection questionnaire covering your organisation and policies
Because the training reaches members of the public, safeguarding and DBS checks carry real weight here. If your trainers are freelancers, make sure their checks are current and that you can evidence them. Our insurance, ICO and DBS checklist covers what to have ready.
What being on it does and doesn't mean
Admission makes you eligible to compete. The notice says the DPS operates solely by competition: each time the council needs training, it invites the admitted providers to bid, and the best response wins. Being on the list without bidding brings nothing, and every bid is judged on its own merits.
Where it fits with the others
Of the six frameworks on our frameworks page, Sunderland is the specialist route for public health trainers. The Hull learning and training DPS has a public health, public services and care category too, and is worth joining alongside it if you can deliver in that region. For NHS work, see the EEAST training framework.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sunderland public health training DPS?
It is Sunderland City Council's dynamic purchasing system for buying training for its Public Health Capacity Building Programme. It runs to February 2029 and admits any provider that meets the selection criteria.
Can I apply to join now?
The council's notice says providers can submit a participation request at any time while the DPS runs. Applications go through the council's Open e-procurement portal.
Do my trainers need DBS checks?
Expect so. The training reaches members of the public, and safeguarding and DBS arrangements are a typical part of entry. The council's own documents set the exact requirement.
Do I need to be based in Sunderland?
The notice does not say you must be based there, but the training is delivered in Sunderland. You need to be able to deliver there, usually in person.
Sources
- Find a Tender — Sunderland City Council, DPS for the Provision of Training for the Sunderland Public Health Capacity Building Programme (notice, March 2025)
- Find a Tender — Sunderland City Council, original contract notice (2022)
- NEPO — Open, the e-procurement platform
- GOV.UK — Disclosure and Barring Service