Dynamic Markets Procurement Act 2023: 6 SME Steps

By Aoba Works · Published October 28, 2026 · 16 min read

How this guide was made: drafted with AI assistance from the official sources linked below, then passed an automated editorial check before publishing. Our process

Under the Procurement Act 2023, a dynamic market is a list of qualified suppliers who can bid for future public contracts. It replaced the old Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) and the utilities "qualification system". Dynamic markets can be used for goods, services or works, and they must stay open to new members for their whole life. You join by finding the buyer's dynamic market notice, registering on Find a Tender, and meeting the published conditions for membership. Once admitted, you can bid in the competitions that buyers run for members.

Which option is right for you?

Choose your starting point based on how often you bid and what you sell.

Which option is right for you?. Source: Find a Tender and Contracts Finder
Your situation	What to pick first	First page to open
Beginner who has never bid for public work	Register on the Central Digital Platform before you look for any market	Find a Tender (free, per the GOV.UK factsheet)
Bidding every week or month	Join one national dynamic market in your sector, then set up searches for local UK13 notices	GCA dynamic market list on the Supplier Registration Service
Tight budget or sole trader	Use free tools only: Find a Tender plus GCA's free registration	GCA RM6370 page as a worked example
Already on an old DPS	Keep that membership, but plan for it ending by 23 February 2029 at the latest	Transitional guidance
Charity or social enterprise	Check the notice's list of permitted users, then whether your part (category) fits	The UK13 notice itself, plus the dynamic markets guidance
Small works or repairs contractor	Look for housing association and council repair markets split into trade parts	Find a Tender search using "dynamic market" plus your trade

Why each pick: beginners can't apply anywhere without a supplier record. Frequent bidders get the most from staying on a market long term. A tight budget is no barrier, because neither Find a Tender nor GCA dynamic market registration charges suppliers. DPS members have a hard end date. Charities can only use markets that name them as eligible. Works contractors can now use a tool that used to suit them poorly.

What is a dynamic market in procurement?

A dynamic market is the Procurement Act 2023's replacement for the DPS. It is an always-open list of suppliers who have met the conditions for membership. Membership makes you eligible to take part in future procurements.

The official Cabinet Office guidance on dynamic markets (updated 13 July 2026) defines it as "a list of qualified suppliers" eligible for future procurements. It says the Act "replaces dynamic purchasing systems and qualification systems with a single new 'commercial tool' called a dynamic market". The legal rules are in sections 34 to 40 of the Act, which came into force on 24 February 2025 (legislation.gov.uk, section 38).

Five rules matter most to a small supplier:

It covers goods, services and works. The guidance says dynamic markets are available for "all types of purchases of goods, services or works". The one exception is concession contracts, unless the concession is also a utilities contract.
It must stay open. Buyers must "accept applications for membership at any time" and admit suitable suppliers "as soon as reasonably practicable". The Act doesn't let buyers cap the number of members (Tenders Direct on UK13 notices).
It can be split into parts. A market can be divided into categories, called "parts" in the Act. You only bid in the parts you qualified for.
Contracts are awarded through the competitive flexible procedure only. The guidance says "neither the open procedure nor direct award can be used". Our Competitive Flexible Procedure guide explains how those competitions run.
Utilities have their own version. A "utilities dynamic market" is set up only for utilities contracts awarded by utilities (section 35). It replaces the old qualification systems.

One limit catches small suppliers out. The guidance says setting membership conditions is an "assessment of suitability" that section 85(1) prohibits for regulated below-threshold contracts. So don't expect a dynamic market to be used for contracts below the thresholds. Check the current figures in our Procurement Act 2023 thresholds table before deciding whether a market is worth joining.

For example, a two-person cleaning company that mainly wins £15,000 school contracts will find those contracts advertised outside any dynamic market. A larger regional cleaning market may still be worth joining as a second route to work.

What is a dynamic market notice used for?

A dynamic market notice tells suppliers that a buyer plans to set up a market, has set one up, has changed it, or has closed it. The first notice is where you learn the membership conditions and how to apply.

There are four notice types. They are published on Find a Tender and numbered UK13 to UK16 (GCA explainer on Procurement Act notices; Tenders Direct on UK14):

What is a dynamic market notice used for?. Source: Find a Tender and Contracts Finder
Notice	When it appears	What you get from it
UK13: dynamic market intention notice	Before the market is set up (a buyer can't set one up without it)	What can be bought, how the market works, the conditions for membership, how to apply, fees, and which buyers may use it
UK14: dynamic market establishment notice	As soon as reasonably practicable after set-up	The start date, the suppliers admitted, and which parts each supplier joined
UK15: dynamic market modification notice	When the market changes	The date of the change, suppliers added or removed, and a summary of other changes
UK16: dynamic market cessation notice	When the market closes	The closure date and administrative details

The content rules come from regulation 25 of the Procurement Regulations 2024, as summarised in the dynamic markets guidance.

You don't "respond" to a UK13 the way you would answer a tender. As Tenders Direct explains, you use it to check whether you're eligible and to prepare your evidence. Read these four things in a UK13 before anything else:

The goods, services or works covered, and the list of parts. If none of the parts match what you sell, stop there.
The conditions for membership. These cannot change later, so a condition you can't meet now stays a barrier for the life of the market.
The fee clause. Outside utilities, a fee can only be charged to a supplier that wins a contract, set as "a fixed percentage to be applied to the estimated value of the awarded contract" (section 38). Example only: a 1% fee on a £100,000 contract would be £1,000. Price it into your bid.
The permitted users. The notice must say which buyers may use the market. A national market open to councils, NHS bodies and charities gives you far more chances to bid than one used by a single department.

A UK14 published after the market opens doesn't mean you've missed it. The market stays open, so you can still apply.

How to join a dynamic market as an SME (6 steps)

To join, you find the UK13 notice, register your organisation on Find a Tender, and apply against the conditions for membership. Once admitted, you bid in each competition run for your part of the market.

Step 1: Register on Find a Tender (the Central Digital Platform)

Sign in to Find a Tender with GOV.UK One Login and register your organisation. When you do, the Cabinet Office gives you a PPON (Public Procurement Organisation Number) (Cabinet Office Supplier Registration FAQ). Registration is free. The GOV.UK factsheet says "you should not pay to view opportunities in the public sector". Our Find a Tender registration guide covers each screen.

Fill in your core supplier information. According to the GOV.UK factsheet, that includes:

your basic details (name, address, Companies House and VAT numbers)
financial information (recent accounts)
connected persons who have control or influence over the business
information about any exclusions

Then confirm the information is correct and generate a share code, or download your information as a file. Give the code or file to the buyer in the way the notice or tender documents ask. That is often by pasting it into the buyer's e-tendering system.

Step 3: Find the right UK13 notice

On Find a Tender, search for "dynamic market" plus your trade or service. Then open the notice and check that it is a UK13 or UK14. For national markets, the Cabinet Office's Supplier Registration Service dynamic market list shows live GCA markets. As of October 2026 that includes RM6370 Space Technology Solutions, running 01/07/25 to 30/07/31. Our CPV codes guide shows how to narrow searches by code so relevant notices come up.

Step 4: Read the information pack and choose your parts

For a GCA market, the RM6370 agreement page tells suppliers to download the "Information pack" and read the "About the Dynamic Market" section first. Pick only the parts where you can evidence experience. RM6370, for example, has four main categories, each with sub-parts:

technology delivery
operations and services
data
advisory, consultancy, training and academia

Step 5: Apply against the conditions for membership

On GCA markets, click "Access as a supplier" to log in or register, then apply or update your answers (GCA, RM6370). Local buyers use their own e-tendering portal, which the UK13 names. Conditions can only test legal and financial capacity or technical ability, and they must be proportionate (dynamic markets guidance). Two protections help small firms here. Buyers can't ask for audited accounts from a supplier that isn't required to have them audited under the Companies Act 2006. They also can't require contract insurance to be in place before award.

Step 6: Wait for admission, then bid when competitions come out

The buyer must consider your application "within a reasonable period of time". If you aren't excluded and you meet the conditions, it must admit you "as soon as reasonably practicable" (guidance). After that, each contract is advertised with a tender notice and run under the competitive flexible procedure. Our Selection Questionnaire guide helps with any extra questions at that stage.

Common mistakes and fixes

Common mistakes and fixes. Source: Find a Tender and Contracts Finder
Mistake	Fix
Applying for every part to "keep options open"	Apply only where you can evidence the technical conditions; weak answers in one part can delay your whole application
Supplier information out of date when you share the code	Review the Find a Tender record before generating a new share code for each application
Missing the fee clause	Find it in the UK13 and add the percentage to your pricing model
Assuming a published UK14 means the door is shut	Apply anyway; the market must accept applications at any time
Sending documents by email when the notice names a portal	Follow the submission route in the notice exactly

Dynamic markets vs the old Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)

The biggest differences are that dynamic markets can't change their membership conditions, can charge winning suppliers a percentage fee, and replace the utilities qualification system too. A DPS was not limited to services: it covered "commonly used purchases" of any kind.

Many guides say the DPS was services-only. It wasn't. The old Regulation 34 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 allowed a DPS for "commonly used purchases the characteristics of which, as generally available on the market, meet their requirements". That wording kept bespoke works and complex services out in practice. Here is how the two compare:

Dynamic markets vs the old Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). Source: Find a Tender and Contracts Finder
Feature	Old DPS (PCR 2015 reg 34)	Dynamic market (Procurement Act 2023)
Scope	"Commonly used purchases"	Goods, services or works (not concessions, unless also utilities contracts)
Utilities	Separate qualification systems (UCR 2016)	Utilities dynamic markets under the same Act
Joining	Open throughout validity	Open at any time, with no cap on members
Timescales	Minimum 30 days for first requests; evaluation in 10 working days (up to 15); minimum 10 days to tender	No fixed numbers: buyers must consider applications "within a reasonable period"
Fees to suppliers	"No charges may be billed" to suppliers	Fixed percentage of contract value, charged only to winners; utilities may charge membership fees (s.38)
Award procedure	Based on the restricted procedure	Competitive flexible procedure only; no direct award
Changing entry criteria	Not addressed in the regulation summary	Conditions for membership cannot be modified during the market's life
Notices	Contract notice and changes on the UK e-notification service	UK13 to UK16

Sources: Regulation 34 (version as at 1 January 2025); dynamic markets guidance.

What happens to a DPS you're already on? The transitional guidance says any DPS set up under the old rules must end on the date set when it was established, or by 23 February 2029, whichever is earlier. Extensions were only allowed in the first 12 months after the Act came into force, and never beyond 23 February 2029. Contracts you win under an old DPS keep running under the old rules until they end, even after the DPS itself has closed. Our Dynamic Purchasing System guide covers bidding on those legacy systems.

Examples of dynamic markets for SMEs and VCSEs

National GCA dynamic markets and sector markets run by local buyers, such as housing repairs, are the clearest live examples. The national ones are open to charities as users as well as government buyers.

Each of these is a real, published market or one announced by the buyer:

RM6370 Space Technology Solutions (GCA). This is a dynamic market set up under the Procurement Act 2023. It runs 01/07/2025 to 30/07/2031, with an optional two-year extension. It can be used by central government, the NHS, local authorities, police and charities. As of October 2026 it lists 140 appointed suppliers (GCA RM6370). Despite the name, it includes advisory, training and data services, not just hardware.
RM6419 Innovation Marketplace (GCA). This dynamic market is being developed with the Department for Business and Trade. GCA says it will "provide startups, SMEs and academia a clearer route into government". As of October 2026, pre-market engagement runs August to October 2026 and launch is planned for late March 2027 (GCA RM6419). If you sell digital or novel technology, read its documents when they're published, from late 2026.
Home Group Housing Repairs and Maintenance Dynamic Market. This housing association market was advertised on Find a Tender (notice 039092-2026). Repairs markets like this show works contracts coming into the tool, which suits trades firms.
National Grid, Outsourced Functional Services. A notice about establishing a dynamic market was published on Find a Tender (053666-2025). This is the utilities side of the regime.

For a charity, two questions decide whether a market is worth the effort:

Does the notice list buyers that commission what you deliver, such as care, support or advice services?
Can you meet the technical conditions with your own record of delivery?

For example, a VCSE running employability programmes would look for a council or combined authority market with a "skills and employment" part, not a national technology market. If you want to stand out once you're bidding, social value usually carries weight; see our social value guide.

How do dynamic markets adapt to change once live?

A live dynamic market changes by admitting new suppliers, removing ineligible ones and publishing UK15 notices. Its conditions for membership stay fixed.

The guidance says plainly that "conditions for membership of a dynamic market cannot be modified during the life of the dynamic market" (dynamic markets guidance). Some other guides suggest buyers can "update conditions"; under the Act they can't. Here is what does change:

New members join continuously. Applications are accepted at any time. If you apply while a competition is already running, the buyer must consider your application before rejecting your bid because you're not a member. The exception is when the procurement is so complex that, in exceptional circumstances, there isn't time before the deadline.
Members are removed. Removal is mandatory if a supplier becomes an "excluded supplier". It is discretionary if a supplier no longer meets the conditions, becomes excludable, or was excludable when admitted. The buyer must tell the supplier its reasons before removing it.
The market's details are updated in public. A UK15 records the change date, suppliers added or removed, and a summary of other changes (Tenders Direct).
The market closes. A UK16 cessation notice marks the end.

Two habits keep you safe once you're on a market:

If something changes in your business, update your Find a Tender record straight away. That covers new owners, a director change, or anything relevant to the exclusion grounds. Outdated records cause most avoidable problems.
Check which parts you're listed in on the latest UK14 or UK15. If you're missing from a part you applied for, ask the buyer through the portal.

Pitfalls SMEs should avoid when applying

Most rejections and missed chances come from three things: applying under the old DPS assumptions, leaving supplier information incomplete, and ignoring the details in the notice.

Assuming DPS rules still apply. Don't expect the old 10-working-day evaluation clock or a ban on supplier fees. Dynamic markets use "a reasonable period" and may charge winners a fixed percentage (s.38).
Expecting below-threshold work through the market. The guidance treats membership conditions as a suitability assessment that section 85(1) prohibits for regulated below-threshold contracts.
Gaps in your Find a Tender supplier information. Connected persons and exclusions sections that are blank or wrong are where small firms usually get stuck. Fill them in before you generate a share code.
Applying to the wrong part. Example: a groundworks firm applying for a "mechanical and electrical" part because the parts sounded close. Read the descriptions of each part in the information pack.
Over-supplying financial evidence, or not knowing your rights. If your company doesn't need an audit, you can't be required to provide audited accounts. You also can't be required to hold contract insurance before award (guidance). Provide what the notice asks for in the form your business actually produces.
Treating membership as a win. Membership only makes you eligible to bid. Each contract is still a competition, scored on the award criteria; see our Most Advantageous Tender guide.
Leaving a legacy DPS too late. If your main income comes through an old DPS, find out its end date now. No DPS runs past 23 February 2029 (transitional guidance).

Next steps

You can start today with free official tools. A paid alert service only helps if you bid regularly.

Things to do today:

Sign in to Find a Tender with GOV.UK One Login, finish your supplier information and generate a share code.
Search Find a Tender for "dynamic market" plus your trade. Shortlist two UK13 or UK14 notices where the permitted buyers and parts match what you sell.
Open the GCA dynamic market list. Download the "Information pack" for any relevant market and check its conditions against your evidence.

If you'd rather not do it all yourself:

Free official help. GOV.UK's Information and guidance for suppliers collection has how-to videos and guides. It suits first-time bidders. It won't review or write your application.
Paid tracking and bid tools. Stotles offers a Free plan (£0), a Basic Sales Studio plan from £75/month, and Bid Studio Growth from £990/month, as of October 2026 (Stotles pricing; check the official page). It suits firms bidding several times a month that want buyer intelligence and alerts. It isn't worth it for a sole trader applying to one or two markets a year. Find a Tender already lists every notice for free, and no tool can meet your membership conditions for you.
A freelance bid writer can draft the technical answers for a single application. Ask for a fixed quote, and check they know how the Procurement Act 2023 works rather than the old DPS rules.

Related guides on this site:

FAQ

What is a dynamic market in business?

In general business studies, including GCSE and A level, a dynamic market is one where demand, technology, competition or customer tastes change quickly, so firms have to adapt fast. In UK public procurement, the term has a narrower legal meaning: a supplier list under the Procurement Act 2023 that stays open to join. If you're bidding for contracts, the procurement meaning is the one that matters.

What can dynamic markets be used for?

Public bodies can use dynamic markets to buy goods, services or works through competitions open only to members. Concession contracts are excluded unless they're also utilities contracts (guidance). Contracts are awarded only through the competitive flexible procedure, never by direct award.

How do dynamic markets grow?

A procurement dynamic market grows as new suppliers are admitted, because buyers must accept applications at any time and can't cap the number of members. GCA's RM6370, for example, listed 140 appointed suppliers as of October 2026 (GCA). In the general business sense, a market grows when customer demand or the number of buyers increases.

Market share is the percentage of a market's total sales that one firm holds. "Dynamic" market share means tracking how that percentage changes over time, which is common in fast-changing markets. It's a business-studies idea and has nothing to do with procurement dynamic markets.

Sources

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A few things to check before publishing:

Find a Tender pages I couldn't open: the Home Group (039092-2026) and National Grid (053666-2025) notices blocked access. Their descriptions come from search results only, so check them.
Find a Tender screen labels: I couldn't read Find a Tender's own button names because its supplier user guide PDF wouldn't open. The exact button labels in the steps are GCA's, checked on its own pages.
Gaps: the article has no cost figure for a freelance bid writer because I found no sourced number. It doesn't say whether contract tender notices go on Find a Tender or only to market members, because the guidance doesn't specify.

Spotted something out of date or wrong? Tell us at shigoto.ai.note@gmail.com. Guides are re-checked against official sources on a rolling schedule.