A core part of the new prison education reforms is the introduction of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) that will sit alongside the Prison Education Framework (PEF – that is currently being procured) and provide a route for prisons to commission smaller and more bespoke education services. This will be a key enabler of the governor or his learning and skill representative to make the commissioning decisions and choose the best supplier to meet the population needs. The DPS will give the prisons greater control over the specific services that are delivered and the chance to maximise the opportunities that this can bring by encouraging as many suppliers as possible to sign up. In particular, the DPS is a great opportunity for more local or third sector suppliers into the market delivering prison education as well as the larger providers.
For more information please see this leaflet about the benefits the DPS could bring and how to sign up to the procurement portal. Also, please see the slides that HMPPS have used for an introductory webinar with suppliers last month which gives an idea of how the DPS is likely to work and examples of what might be provided through it. Any questions please email Prison_Education@justice.gov.uk