Homes England New Purchasing System Aims to Boost Housebuilders

HOUSEBUILDERS will soon find it easier to access Homes England land, as the Government’s delivery agency’s system for land disposals is revamped.

On 1 September Homes England will launch its new Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). It marks a shift in the way the agency procures housebuilders, aiming to increases flexibility and accessibility.

Housebuilders DPS System

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). Currently, housebuilders and developers are only able to join when the system renews at four year intervals.

The Delivery Partner DPS will also be available to public sector partners for procuring a developer or contractor to build 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. We are one of the largest vendors of residential land with sites for tens of thousands of homes disposing over the next three years through this new approach.

Applications Process

Homes England is now seeking applications from housebuilders who want to build more sustainably with high-quality designs. By switching from a framework to a DPS, Homes England hope to simplify access for smaller developers and new entrants, helping to further diversify the market.

The application process will take the size of the developer into account. SMEs bidding to deliver smaller sites will have simpler entry criteria. The entry criteria for developers bidding to deliver larger strategic sites will be more testing.

Today marks the opening of the application phase for this new Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). The initial application phase will run from 24 May to 25 June 2021. And the official launch of the new system will be on 1 September 2021.

Successful applicants will become members of the DPS when it launches on 1 September 2021. Applications will then re-open on an ongoing basis enabling new market entrants to join at any time.

Developers are encouraged to monitor Homes England’s Land Hub, which advertises sites that are coming to market.

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