Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)

What is a Dynamic Purchase System?

For defined product categories, SURF will launch a call for tenders to set up a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). We assess whether the suppliers that bid for this tender will be admitted to the DPS. Your institution independently places a functional request for a product category in the system and receives quotations from the suppliers within this product category. Subsequently, your institution evaluates these quotations itself and determines with which supplier you enter into an agreement. The assessment is done on the basis of a predetermined assessment system. The ordering of the product or service takes place via My SURFmarket, as does the invoicing.

When can you use the DPS?

The use of the DPS does not depend on the contract value. You can use the DPS with products and services that are available on the market as standard.

Advantages of the DPS via SURF

• Accessible;
• Your institution does not need to carry out its own tendering process;
• A short turnaround time, the period between placing the order and receiving quotations is standard 10 days;
• A diversity of suppliers that issue quotes in a competitive market;
• The DPS offers the possibility for the specific needs of your own institution.

When can you use the DPS?

The use of the DPS does not depend on the contract value. You can use the DPS for products and services that are available as standard on the market (i.e. not products with complex implementations but Commercial Off The Shelf solutions).

In order to make use of the DPS, we ask you to agree on a number of arrangements with SURF. Those agreements are set out in the Participation Statement and relate to facilitating the DPS, carrying out the tender (registration request), ordering the products and services via My SURFmarket, and supplier and contract management.

In order to make the DPS attractive for the approved suppliers, we also ask you to indicate when you want to make use of the DPS and to provide an estimate of the budget you will need for purchasing the products and services. Before you are admitted to the DPS, you will receive the necessary information from SURF in the form of tutorials, webinars, and documents so that you can quickly make an offer in the DPS. 

For more information on the DPS, see this Q&A document (in Dutch). 

Current DPS product categories

• Reference Software: to gain experience with the DPS, SURF previously launched a pilot for the 'reference software' product category. This included the vendors of DISC Endnote and RefWorks. The pilot has been completed and experiences from the pilot have been adopted for new DPS projects. SURF will continue to offer this product category through the DPS. 
• Video software: given its members' need for greater flexibility within procurement projects, SURF has started a DPS for the product category 'video software'. The reason for this is the increased use of various software solutions to make distance education possible. View all options and providers here. 
• Online proctoring: with online proctoring software, students can take their exams anywhere (e.g. at home) under fraud-proof conditions. It is therefore necessary to be compliant and good supplier agreements are and remain important. View all providers here.
• SURFcumulus: SURFcumulus offers institutions the opportunity to make lawful use of cloud services via a DAS. It also offers supplementary services to make the transition to the cloud, and its use and management, easier. Read more about SURFcumulus here. 

For questions about the DPS, please contact the Purchasing Department, inkoop@surf.nl.