Housebuilders will soon find it easier than ever to access Homes
England land, following a revamp in the Government’s delivery
agency’s approach to land disposals.
On 1 September Homes England will launch its new Delivery Partner
Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), marking a significant shift in
the way the agency procures housebuilders, as well as increasing
flexibility and accessibility.
For the first time, housebuilders will be able to join the
agency’s list of preferred developers whenever they choose. The
Delivery Partner DPS is replacing the existing Delivery Partner
Panel (DPP3), which housebuilders and developers are currently
only able to join when it is renewed, once every four years.
The Delivery Partner DPS will also be available to our public
sector partners to help them procure a developer or contractor to
build homes on sites they own.
Stephen Kinsella, Chief Land and Development Officer at Homes
England, said:
This new digital system marks a huge step forward, making it
much easier for developers to bid for our land. I’d encourage
our current partners, as well as those we haven’t worked with
before, to get their applications in so we can work together to
create great places to live. We are one of the largest vendors
of residential land with sites for tens of thousands of homes
being disposed over the next 3 years being channeled through
this new approach.
Applications are being sought from housebuilders who share Homes
England’s ambitions to build more sustainably, and for
high-quality design and placemaking. By switching from a
framework to a DPS, Homes England is also simplifying access for
smaller developers and new entrants, helping to further diversify
the market.
The application process will also take the size of the developer
into account. For example, SMEs bidding to deliver smaller sites
will benefit from simpler entry criteria whereas the entry
criteria for developers bidding to deliver larger strategic sites
will be proportionately more testing.
Today marks the opening of the application phase for this new
Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). This initial
application phase will run from 24 May 2021 to 25 June 2021 and
the official launch of the new system will follow shortly
afterward on 1 September 2021.
Successful applicants will become members of the DPS when it
launches on 1 September 2021 and applications will then re-open
on an ongoing basis enabling new market entrants to join at any
time.
Notes to editors
More information about the application process and requirements
to join will be listed on a guidance page on gov.uk and linked to
the gov.uk press release once live.
Developers are encouraged to monitor Homes England’s Land Hub, its
interactive tool to advertise sites that are coming to market,
and apply to join the Delivery Partner DPS as and when they see
sites that are of interest.
The Delivery Partner DPS will introduce different categories of
membership to meet different partner needs – e.g. simpler
criteria for SME developers.
Housebuilders will be able to tailor their membership to express
interest in specific locations or types of development to give
the agency the ability to more effectively target
opportunities to interested parties.
The Delivery Partner DPS will also be available to other public
sector bodies, including local authorities and Registered
Providers, to procure a housebuilder or contractor to build homes
on their land.
Other public sector bodies made very significant use of the
Delivery Partner Panel and we will continue to encourage and
support their use of the Delivery Partner DPS.
About Homes England
Homes England is the government’s housing delivery body that has
been created to adopt a more commercial approach to respond to
the long-term housing challenges facing this country. As a
housing agency Homes England invests in supply and intervenes in
the market to help the Government achieve its target of
delivering 300,000 homes a year.