Short Term Payment Contingency

Engagement

The date for the group event is 12/05/2026 at 10:00 am – 11:00 am.

This will be followed up with One-to-One events, which will take place between 01/06/2026 and 05/06/2026.

The above dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

Engagement process description

General Information

The main purpose of this preliminary market engagement is to assist the DWP and potential suppliers to prepare for a procurement process in respect of the STPC Service. The DWP will gather information, which it will use to assess the market's capacity, strengthen the procurement strategy and finalise conditions of participation.

The engagement aims to:

• Communicate objectives, scope, and strategic priorities
• Gain a greater understanding of current and emerging market provisions and the supplier database
• Gain insight into market, including supplier capabilities, capacity and to identify innovative solutions that could support DWP in protecting customer payments and ensuring timely delivery
• Gather insights from suppliers to help with strengthening the procurement strategy
• Identify any potential challenges, risks and commercial considerations for ensuring timely delivery of payments to DWP’s customers
• Strengthen commercial strategy and finalise the route to market
• Finalise conditions of participation
• Finalise business requirements and specifications

Please note:

• This notice is for market engagement and exploratory purposes and is not a call for competition.
• Participation in pre-market engagement is voluntary and will not offer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement. The DWP will take steps to ensure fair and equal treatment of all suppliers.
• The DWP reserves the right not to enter any formal processes or agreements.
• Accordingly, the DWP will not be liable for any expenditure, work, or effort incurred by a provider in acting based on this notice.
• DWP reserves the right to add or remove stages throughout the procurement process.
• It is mandatory for any interested suppliers to register on the new Central Digital Platform which is part of the enhanced Find a Tender Service in order to participate in any future procurements.
• The DWP does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information provided during pre-market engagement, and suppliers should not rely on it when forming any commercial or financial decisions.
• Suppliers must not seek to influence the procurement design in a way that would result in an unfair competitive advantage. The authority reserves the right to take appropriate steps to address any risk of distortion of competition.
• Suppliers that participate in the PME are deemed to acknowledge and accept the DWP’s approach to confidentiality for each stage of pre-market engagement (as summarised below).

Stages:

1. Group Event via Microsoft Teams. Group Event will take place on 12/05/2026 at 10:00 am – 11:00 am. Please note that the Group Event is intended to cover both the STPC and SB procurements. Participation in the Group Event does not require suppliers to express interest in both procurements.

Please note that the Group Event will be conducted on a non-confidential basis, and suppliers are advised not to disclose confidential, commercially sensitive or proprietary information during the Group Event. Information from the Group Event (including questions raised and responses given) may be summarised and made available to the wider market to ensure transparency and equal access to information.

To register your interest for this event please email

Ewelina Wesolowska – [email protected] and

Shannon Wells – [email protected]

Deadline to submit your interest is by midday on 08/05/2026.

Please ensure email subject states: “PME STPC Procurement”

No materials will be shared prior to the events.

2. One-to-One supplier events via Microsoft Teams. These individual calls will take place between 01/06/2026 and 05/06/2026. Instructions for how to register for these events will be provided on the Group Event.

Please note that the One-to-One supplier meetings will be provided only in respect of the procurements for which suppliers have registered an interest. Equal time slots will be arranged for all suppliers interested in the STPC procurement.

Please note that information exchanged during One-to-One meetings is not confidential by default and suppliers are advised to consider carefully whether to disclose any information that may be confidential, commercially sensitive or proprietary during One-to-One meetings. Where a supplier wishes to share information it considers to be confidential, commercially sensitive or proprietary, the supplier must clearly identify that information in advance or at the time it is shared and explain why confidentiality is claimed. In such circumstances, the DWP will consider, at its own discretion, whether such information will be treated as confidential. Participating suppliers acknowledge that any agreement to treat information as confidential is subject always to DWP’s obligations under applicable procurement law, including its duties of transparency, equal treatment and the avoidance of distortion of competition. Information from the One-to-One events (including questions raised and responses given) may be summarised and made available to the wider market to ensure transparency and equal access to information.