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Dynamic Acquisition System (DAS)

A Dynamic Purchasing System (DAS) is an innovative and flexible way for a contracting authority to procure a product or service. SURF's DAS offers Dutch education and research institutions a route to procure software and hardware. Suppliers who sign up within the DAS are given the opportunity to offer their product or service to SURF's members.

What is a Dynamic Procurement System?

A DAS is an electronic marketplace where a contracting authority can issue a call for tender and where market participants can then bid. The contract goes to the best tender. The system is flexible and transparent, designed to respond quickly and efficiently to changing needs and market conditions.

Current DAS product categories

SURF has set up a DAS for the product categories online collaboration tools, video software, compliance services and SURFcumulus. We will add the reference software product category in December 2024.

Online collaboration tools

SURF has set up an umbrella marketplace for the procurement of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solutions with three subcategories:

  • Online whiteboarding tools - Software solutions delivered as apps or browser-based tools. For educational purposes or to support teams to collaborate in real-time visually over distance.
  • Project, task & work(place) management tools- Software to coordinate plans, projects and processes across the organisation. A digital tool that allows you to plan, track, organise and assess both projects and non-project tasks to improve business and team performance.
  • Online polling & survey tools - User-friendly survey software for classroom questions, presentations, customer satisfaction, employee feedback, market research and other online questionnaires.

The DAS has been set up in Mercell's new and more user-friendly platform. Templates for the questions have been prepared by SURF for each category.

Supplier
Would you like to participate as a supplier? Register via Mercell | DAS online collaboration tools

Video software

SURF started a DAS for the product category 'video software' because of the need for flexibility among our members. This was prompted by the increased use of various software solutions to enable distance education.

Supplier
Would you like to participate as a supplier? Sign up via Mercell | DAS video software

Compliance Services

In the event of a personal data breach, your institution faces the risk of fines, reputational damage and liability claims. It is therefore necessary to check with suppliers how they process your institution's data. Clear agreements must be made about this. The Compliance Services procurement process therefore provides for the acquisition of - temporary - privacy and security expertise. This allows your institution to start a compliance process and to test and/or take care of compliance issues.
Please note: your institution can only request predefined project assignments; no hiring processes based on hourly billing.

Coherence participation DAS - SURF Vendor Compliance services
SURF Vendor Compliance performs similar services for institutions. What is the added value of participating in the DAS? To summarise:

  • By participating in the DAS, your institution can further complete the pathways that SURF Vendor Compliance has implemented.
  • Your institution can launch its own privacy and security services that are not on SURF Vendor Compliance's agenda. - For more information, read the document Coherence participation DAS - SURF Vendor Compliance services.

Supplier
Would you like to participate as a supplier? Register via Mercell | Compliance Services

SURFcumulus

SURFcumulus offers institutions the opportunity to make lawful use of cloud services via a DAS. Additional services are also offered to make the step to the cloud, its use and management easier. For more information, see the SURFcumulus | SURF.nl webpage.

Reference software

Reference software allows you to consistently collect, manage and use information.

  • Create your own library of references.
  • Easily integrate references and cross-references in a text, according to a certain citation style.
  • Insert notes in Word documents.
  • Compile reading lists.

In December 2024, this DAS will become operational and your institution will be able to issue queries via a mini-competition.

Support services on Microsoft solutions

Several institutions have indicated a need for support services on Microsoft products, similar to Premier & Unified Support. SURF has investigated what possibilities the market has to provide this service. This shows that both Microsoft and Microsoft partners can provide it.

By setting up the DAS, we promote competition among these market parties. Institutions that have an agreement with Microsoft can participate in the DAS by completing the participation statement. For questions and guidance on running a mini-competition, contact inkoop@surf.nl.

Benefits of the DAS through SURF

The benefits of the Dynamic Acquisition System in outline:

  • The DAS is flexible: institutions can individually decide throughout the lifetime of the DAS whether, and when, to step in and make a call for tenders. For example, after an already existing contract expires.
  • (New) suppliers can also enter during the duration of the DAS.
  • Institutions can enter on an individual basis, but also in a group with several institutions (buyer groups) in order to negotiate a more competitive price through volume bundling. Both individual purchase and purchase through buyer groups are possible above (and below) the tender limit.
  • It is low-threshold, as suppliers are only admitted after meeting the pre-set admission criteria.
  • Your institution does not have to carry out a complex tendering process, but simply calls for tenders.
  • A short lead time, with a minimum of 10 days between placing the order and receiving quotes.
  • A diversity of suppliers within this marketplace allowing you to solicit competitive quotes.
  • You have the ability to ask for the specific needs of your own institution.

How does SURF's DAS work?

In the DAS, we distinguish the following process steps and division of roles

1. Institution phase and entry
SURF sets up a DAS by making an announcement via Tenderned. Suppliers wishing to participate register via Mercell. In doing so, they demonstrate that they meet the set requirements. These requirements may vary depending on the subject and the specific needs of SURF's members.

2. Continuous joining of suppliers
Unlike other procedures, new suppliers can join throughout the duration of the DAS. This ensures that the offering is always up-to-date with the latest technologies and services.

3. Preparing and placing calls for tender
When an education or research institution has a specific need, they can place a call for tender via the DAS. For each dynamic procurement system, SURF provides templates that can be used as a basis for preparing your own request for proposal.

4. Suppliers submit bids
All admitted suppliers automatically receive an invitation to respond to the call for tenders. The conditions and specifications for the contract are clearly described, enabling suppliers to submit targeted tenders.

5. Award of contracts
Based on the submitted bids, the contract is awarded to the supplier that best meets the set criteria. This may, for example, be the lowest price. But quality, service or other factors may also play a role. Using clear and objective award criteria ensures transparency and fairness in the process.

For more information, read the document with an overview of DAS process and allocation of roles SURF - Institution - Supplier

When can you use the DAS?

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

To make use of the DAS, we ask you to agree a number of arrangements with SURF. These agreements are set out in the participation statement and relate to facilitating the DAS, executing the offer (request for registration), ordering the products and services via My SURF and supplier and contract management.

To make the DAS attractive to the admitted suppliers, we also ask you to indicate when you wish to use the DAS and give an estimate of the budget you need to purchase the products and services. Before you are admitted to the DAS, you will receive the necessary information from SURF in the form of tutorials, webinars and documents so that you can make an offer in the DAS with a quick start.

For more information on the DAS, check out this Q&A.

For questions about the DAS, contact procurement department by emailing inkoop@surf.nl.

The Dynamic Acquisition System (DAS)