Why Dynamic Markets Are Changing Estates Procurement

A plain-speaking guide for school business managers, estate managers and MAT finance leads.

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about "Dynamic Markets" lately; you're not alone. Since the Procurement Act 2023 came into force in February 2025, the way public sector organisations, including schools, academies, and multi-academy trusts, can source goods, services, and works has shifted purposefully.

This isn't about removing what worked before. Traditional frameworks remain a legitimate and efficient route. What the new legislation has done is open up an alternative, one that's designed to be more flexible, more inclusive of local suppliers, and better suited to the way estates work actually happens in schools.

Here's what you need to know.

First, a bit of context: what changed with the Procurement Act 2023?

The Procurement Act 2023 introduced a new procurement route called the Dynamic Market. It replaces the previous Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). The new model is considerably broader in scope; it can be used for any type of goods, services, or works, including complex, bespoke projects like capital builds and regulations compliance contracts.

So what is a Dynamic Market?

At its core, a Dynamic Market is an approved list of suppliers who have demonstrated they have the legal, financial, and technical capability to deliver public-sector contracts. What makes it "dynamic" is that, unlike a traditional closed framework, it stays open to new suppliers throughout its entire lifetime. There's no annual window and no cut-off date, so suppliers can apply to join at any point, and there's no cap on how many can be on the list.

As the Government Commercial Agency puts it, this approach "encourages innovation and allows the supplier base to keep pace with rapidly evolving markets." For schools managing estates, that means the supplier pool is always current; you're not restricted to whoever made the list when the market was initially launched.

When you need to award a contract under a Dynamic Market, you run a competitive flexible procedure, a straightforward competitive process within the platform that creates a clear, auditable record of how you made your decision.

How is this different from a traditional framework?

Traditional frameworks continue to serve public sector procurement well. They work particularly well where the supplier base is stable, where you're buying goods and standard services at volume, or where you need the option to award without running a full competition each time.

A Dynamic Market works differently, and here is how.

The supplier list is always live.

On a closed framework, you're selecting from whoever was awarded a place when it was set up. A Dynamic Market lets new suppliers to apply to join at any time, including the local builder you've worked with for years, or a specialist contractor who's newer to the market.

It covers complex works.

Our Estates Work and Capital Projects Dynamic Market, hosted by Embark Federation, can handle everything from routine compliance maintenance to multi-million-pound capital projects, meaning one compliant route for a much wider range of estates activity.

SMEs get a fairer chance.

The entry requirements for Dynamic Markets are designed to be proportionate. Dukefield Procurement conducts relevant checks and assesses the capability of suppliers, large and small,  against stringent Dynamic Market conditions and compliance, including: Financial standing, Insurance coverage, compliance with exclusion grounds under PA23 Standards, Accreditations, Certifications and licences, relevant to each category. Suppliers must meet the Dynamic Market conditions to be approved and can only participate in the categories (parts) to which they qualify and have been approved. This means those using the DM can access trustworthy suppliers large and small, national or local.

Every contract is awarded competitively.

This means you always have a documented, auditable process behind each decision. This is useful for financial audits, ESFA enquiries, or simply demonstrating good stewardship of public funds.

Speed.

Through the use of the e-tendering portal; a Dynamic Market can deliver at speed on an urgent project.

What the Dynamic Market means in practice for schools and MATs

You have a roofing project that needs to be managed. Under a traditional framework, you'd select from a pre-approved list, which is fine if the right suppliers are on it. In a Dynamic Market, you can invite your preferred local contractor (assuming they've been through the approval process) to compete alongside all other approved suppliers, and run a straightforward competition. You can then choose who to award based on speed, quality and value, and have a complete audit trail to show for it.

A note on compliance

Dynamic Markets are designed with compliance at the forefront. Every step of a procurement contract through the platform is logged. You have a choice of two terms and conditions: either the DM Standard Call of T&Cs or the JCT Minor Work Contract 2024 . 

And because the Dynamic Market has been established under the Procurement Act 2023, you can be confident that following the process correctly means you're on solid ground.

The Cabinet Office guidance is clear: Dynamic Markets must accept applications at any time, assess them within a reasonable period, and inform suppliers of outcomes with reasons. Transparency and fairness are built into the structure, not added on afterwards.

Is a Dynamic Market right for every procurement?

Our honest answer: not necessarily. 

For some categories of spend, a traditional framework remains the more straightforward option, particularly if you're buying goods or standard services at regular intervals and the supplier pool is well-established. The GCA guidance is clear that the choice of agreement type depends on the nature of the market, how much the supplier base is likely to change, and whether innovation in the products or services matters.

For estates works, where projects vary enormously in size and complexity, where local knowledge matters, and where supplier quality can genuinely differ, the Dynamic Market model is a strong fit.

Where Dukefield comes in

Dukefield Procurement manages the Estates Works and Capital Projects Dynamic Market, hosted by Embark Federation. It covers 46 categories of estates and capital works, and it's free to access for participating organisations.

We're not in the business of making procurement feel more complicated than it needs to be. If you'd like to understand whether the Dynamic Market is the right route for a specific project, or if you just want to get your head around using the platform, we're happy to have that conversation.

Email: ewp@dukefieldprocurement.co.uk

Call: 01204 374 156