003271 - Online Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) application provider

What the buyer is asking for

DCC undertakes DBS checks on all employees in posts identified as requiring a DBS check in accordance with the DBS eligibility criteria; plus DBS checks for carers, fostering, adoption, taxi drivers, volunteers and maintained schools, amongst others. Checks ensure full compliance with recruitment processes, as well as statutory requirements. The Council also operates a rechecking process for employees, currently set at 5 years. We are seeking to formally procure the services of a DBS umbrella registered body, who will provide an electronic administration platform for the submission of DBS application forms and for the subsequent check results to be visible to users within DCC (E-Bulk System). We anticipate a requirement to process approximately 5,000 DBS applications per year for the Council. However, it should be noted that the number of applications processed may be subject to fluctuation due to organisational change, renewals required and policy decisions arising from national changes to disclosure and barring eligibility criteria. For avoidance of doubt, the spread of applications will not be uniform across any period.

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 10%qualityService delivery model and end-to-end DBS processing
• 5%qualityAdvice, guidance and helpdesk support
• 5%qualityContract Mobilisation
• 10%qualitySystem Demonstration
• 5%qualityDesirable System Functionality
• 65%pricePrice - Administration charge per applicationPlease note, the administration charge excludes the statutory DBS certificate fees, however statutory fees are included in the contract value. The administration charge must include all costs for the requirements in the specification. No additional payment will be made in addition to the fixed administration charge per application.

What you must already have

Conditions of participation. These are pass or fail, so check them before writing anything.

• technical

  Confirm that your organisation is an approved DBS umbrella body / registered body authorised to provide e-bulk services and countersignatory services for the types of checks required under this contract.

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 15 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice publishedyesterday

   25 Sept 2026, 09:15 BST
2. Clarification questions byin 27 days

   23 Oct 2026, 10:00 BST
3. Submission deadlinein 33 days

   29 Oct 2026, 10:00 GMT
4. Award decision expected byin 60 days

   24 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender

1. Pipeline or early engagement notice18 May 2026, 18:46 BST045555-2026
2. Tender notice25 Sept 2026, 09:15 BST090804-2026

Documents

• Tender notice on Find a Tender