RM6399 Consultancy and Professional Services, known as CaPS, is out to tender now. The Government Commercial Agency published the tender notice on 15th September 2026. Enquiries close on 22nd October 2026 at 3:00pm, and tender submissions close on 9th November 2026 at 3:00pm. GCA estimates the award decision for 1st June 2027 and the contract term as 24th June 2027 to 23rd June 2031. The framework is worth an estimated £5 billion excluding VAT across 10 lots, and it replaces RM6309 Management Consultancy Framework Four (MCF4).
Everything below is sourced, and the page says to what. Most of it comes from the tender notice on Find a Tender or GCA’s August 2026 supplier engagement deck. The rest comes from GCA’s RM6399 agreement page and from the Cabinet Office procurement policy notes named in the text, all of which you can read yourself. One point of housekeeping first. The notice lists a single associated document, the RM6399 Customer List, which sets out who may buy through the framework. The rest of the tender pack sits behind the GCA eSourcing portal. To read the specification and the evaluation detail, a supplier has to register and sign in. Where the notice and the August deck differ, this page follows the notice.
What are the RM6399 tender dates?
These are the dates GCA published in the tender notice. 2 of them are deadlines you can miss; the rest are estimates.
| What | When | Where it is recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Tender notice published | 15th September 2026, 11:02am | Find a Tender notice 2026/S 000-087183 |
| Enquiry deadline | 22nd October 2026, 3:00pm | Find a Tender notice 2026/S 000-087183 |
| Tender submission deadline | 9th November 2026, 3:00pm | Find a Tender notice 2026/S 000-087183 |
| Award decision (estimated) | 1st June 2027 | Find a Tender notice 2026/S 000-087183 |
| Contract start (estimated) | 24th June 2027 | Find a Tender notice 2026/S 000-087183 |
| Contract end (estimated) | 23rd June 2031 | Find a Tender notice 2026/S 000-087183 |
| Framework term | 4 years | Find a Tender notice 2026/S 000-087183 |
2 of those dates moved after the pipeline notice. GCA had estimated a notice on 2nd September 2026 and a framework award in July 2027, with a contract term starting 7th July 2027. The tender notice published on 15th September and brought the award decision forward to 1st June 2027 and the contract start to 24th June 2027. Worth noting: GCA’s own agreement page still showed a July 2027 award when we checked on 25th September 2026, so the 2 GCA sources do not yet agree. The notice is the formal record, so this page follows it.
What is RM6399 Consultancy and Professional Services (CaPS)?
RM6399 is a framework agreement the Government Commercial Agency (GCA), formerly the Crown Commercial Service, is bringing to market. Once it starts, it gives central government and the wider public sector a compliant, pre-approved route to buy consultancy and professional services without running a full procurement each time.
The notice describes the scope as consultancy covering business, strategy and policy, finance, HR, procurement, health or social care and community, infrastructure and environment, plus restructuring and insolvency. The August 2026 supplier deck adds the framework’s shape:
- the first iteration under the Procurement Act 2023
- a closed 4-year framework
- 10 lots and 6 grades
- refreshed service lines
- it uses the public sector contract (PSC)
- indexation from year two, using the Services Producer Price Index
One term is worth pinning down, because the notice uses both words. CaPS is a closed framework: GCA runs one competition now and the supplier list then stays fixed, unlike an open framework such as G-Cloud, which reopens periodically. Separately, the notice records the procurement procedure as an open procedure, which simply means any supplier may bid in this competition. So there is one way in, and it closes on 9th November 2026.
How many suppliers will win a place, and what does it cost?
The tender notice settles 2 commercial questions that the pre-market material left open.
A hard cap of 500 suppliers
The notice records the maximum number of suppliers as 500. That figure reconciles exactly with the places GCA set out per lot in August: 160 on Lot 1, 40 on each of lots 2 to 9, and 20 on Lot 10. So this is a competition for a fixed number of places, not an open list.
A management fee of 1%
The notice gives the maximum percentage fee charged to suppliers as 1%. It also spells out what the fee applies to. In GCA’s words: “The Supplier will pay, excluding VAT, 1% of all the Charges for the Deliverables invoiced to the Buyer under all Call-Off Contracts.” So price it in from the start, rather than discovering it after award.
What are the RM6399 lots?
CaPS has 10 lots. The notice gives each lot an estimated value, and the August 2026 supplier deck gives the number of supplier places in each. Lot values exclude VAT, and they sum to the framework total of £5 billion.
| Lot | Scope | Supplier places | Lot value excluding VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multidisciplinary (call-offs under £2 million including VAT) | 160 | £600 million |
| 2 | Strategy and policy | 40 | £850 million |
| 3 | Transformation | 40 | £2,000 million |
| 4 | Finance | 40 | £350 million |
| 5 | HR | 40 | £200 million |
| 6 | Procurement | 40 | £300 million |
| 7 | Health and social care | 40 | £300 million |
| 8 | Infrastructure and public services | 40 | £200 million |
| 9 | Environment and sustainability | 40 | £125 million |
| 10 | Restructuring and insolvency services | 20 | £75 million |
| Total | All lots | 500 | £5,000 million |
What makes Lot 1 different?
Lot 1 is the one to understand first, because it carries a rule that shapes your whole bid strategy.
- GCA says Lot 1 “integrates all services detailed within lots 2 to 9 of the framework”. In the same deck, GCA then splits Lot 1 into 7 specialisms: strategy and policy, transformation, finance, HR, procurement, health and social care, and environment and sustainability. Read those two together, because they do not quite match: infrastructure and public services, which is Lot 8, is not one of Lot 1’s 7 specialisms. If that is your work, Lot 8 is the route to it.
- It caps call-offs at £2 million including VAT, including any extension options. The notice repeats that cap in the Lot 1 description.
- You cannot bid for both. GCA states that suppliers bidding for Lot 1 will be unable to bid for lots 2 to 9, and the other way round. The aim is a broad mix of suppliers. GCA names only lots 2 to 9 in that restriction and says nothing either way about Lot 10, so if you want Lot 10 alongside Lot 1, confirm it in the tender pack before you plan on it.
- Lot 1 also has lighter entry requirements. It does not need an annual carbon reduction plan, and its financial viability threshold sits below the one for lots 2 to 10.
That single rule is the decision to make early. Lot 1 opens up the full breadth of consultancy work at a lower compliance burden, but with a call-off ceiling. Lots 2 to 9 give you a named specialism, a heavier entry bar and no route back to Lot 1. The notice publishes a call-off ceiling for Lot 1 and does not publish one for the others, so check the tender pack for what limits apply where.
How will GCA score the bids?
Award criteria vary sharply by lot, and that changes what a winning bid looks like. The tender notice publishes the weightings.
| Lot | Quality | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Multidisciplinary | 20% | 80% |
| 2 to 6, 8 and 9 | 90% | 10% |
| 7 Health and social care | 90% | 10% |
| 10 Restructuring and insolvency | 70% | 30% |
So a Lot 1 bid stands or falls on price, while a Lot 3 Transformation bid has to win almost entirely on its quality score. The notice publishes the weightings; how GCA assesses quality is in the tender pack. Check the weighting for your target lot before you price or draft anything. One small caveat on the notice itself. In the Lot 7 table, GCA types the price row as a quality criterion. That reads as a slip rather than a different rule, because the weightings match the other quality-led lots.
Where does technology work sit in RM6399?
In the August 2026 service line annex, Digital, technology and cyber is a named CaPS service line in lots 2 to 9. Under MCF4 it appeared in 3 of those lots; in CaPS it appears in all 8. So it is new in finance, HR, procurement, infrastructure and public services, and environment and sustainability.
Technology-enabled consultancy is therefore not confined to a digital lot on CaPS. It runs through the specialisms, which means the subject you advise on decides your lot, rather than the fact that your delivery is technology-led.
2 other signals point the same way. Technology enabled services is one of the framework’s call-off pricing models. GCA describes it as covering services enhanced, delivered or automated by proprietary technology, rather than by human labour alone. And Lot 3 Transformation carries service lines for complex programmes, delivery partner work, and organisational design including target operating model and ERP strategy.
Even so, CaPS is still a consultancy framework rather than a technology-buying framework. If you sell software, hosting or a platform, G-Cloud and the technology frameworks remain your route. If you sell advisory, strategy, transformation or delivery-led services that happen to be technology-driven, CaPS is a route to market alongside them.
What does RM6399 replace, and what happens to MCF4 suppliers?
RM6399 replaces RM6309 Management Consultancy Framework Four. If you hold an MCF4 place, you will need to win a place on RM6399 to keep selling through this route. It is not a rollover: it is a new competition under the Procurement Act 2023, and you bid on the same footing as everyone else.
The most useful thing GCA has published for MCF4 suppliers sits in the August 2026 deck. It sets the CaPS service lines beside the MCF4 service lines, lot by lot. That comparison shows where lines carry across, where the wording has changed and where GCA has added new lines. If you sell through MCF4 today, the side-by-side is the fastest way to see whether your current service lines survive into CaPS and where you may need fresh evidence.
How much is RM6399 worth?
The tender notice gives the total estimated value as £5 billion excluding VAT, or £6 billion including VAT, over the 4-year term. GCA’s August 2026 supplier deck gives the framework value as £5 billion, which matches the excluding-VAT figure.
Earlier figures still circulate, so it helps to know where they came from. An earlier version of the pipeline notice gave £3.4 billion excluding VAT and £4.08 billion including VAT before GCA revised both the description and the estimated value. You may see a figure somewhere between £3.4 billion and £6 billion quoted for CaPS. Both of those 2 published versions are still findable. So a figure in that range is most likely one of them rather than a competing estimate.
What do suppliers need in place for RM6399?
GCA’s August 2026 supplier deck sets these out as annual requirements for suppliers holding a place. Several are also gates at bid stage, because you cannot evidence at submission what you do not yet hold. The deck does not say, requirement by requirement, which must be in place on 9th November and which can follow appointment, and the tender pack is where that is settled. Several take months to put together, so check them now rather than in late October.
- Cyber Essentials. Suppliers must hold and maintain a Cyber Essentials certificate.
- Insurance. Professional indemnity, public liability and employer liability cover, to specified values.
- Social value. Under PPN 002, suppliers across all lots complete and submit an annual social value return. PPN 002 is the version that governs this competition. It applies to procurements “commenced under the Procurement Act 2023 on or after 1 October 2025”, and GCA published the CaPS tender notice on 15th September 2026. On when a procurement commences, PPN 002 points to the transitional guidance. The definition used here is PPN 026’s: a procurement “is considered to have commenced at the point at which a tender notice is published”. PPN 026 itself, published on 5th August 2026, sets out a newer model. But it applies “to procurements commenced on or after 1 January 2027”, so it does not reach this tender.
- Self-audit certificate. Suppliers prepare and submit an annual self-audit and assurance certificate.
What else must suppliers have in place?
- Carbon reduction plan. Under PPN 006, suppliers on lots 2 to 10 submit and annually maintain a carbon reduction plan. PPN 006 is current, updated 10th July 2025, and applies “to relevant procurements advertised on or after 24 February 2025”. GCA does not require a plan for Lot 1, and the policy itself points the same way: PPN 006 reaches a framework “only where it is estimated that the individual value of any contract to be awarded in accordance with the framework… is greater than £5 million per year (including VAT)”, and Lot 1 caps call-offs at £2 million including VAT. That is the framework requirement only. You may still need a plan for other contracts you hold or bid for. So treat Lot 1 as an exemption from this framework rather than from the policy.
- Modern Slavery Act. An annual report to GCA on the steps taken to prevent slavery and human trafficking in the supply chain.
- Financial viability. A financial viability risk assessment (FVRA) at gold standard for lots 2 to 10. For Lot 1, we understand the standard is bronze where a supplier does not meet the Dun & Bradstreet threshold.
- Prompt payment. GCA’s deck gives this as “applies to central government contracts over £5 million” with “95% of invoices within 60 days”. The policy behind it is fuller, and there are 2 versions of it. Which one applies to CaPS is not settled, so the section below sets out both. Either way, the threshold is a contract value above £5 million per year, including VAT. On a framework, the policy reaches only call-offs expected to exceed that. Lot 1 caps call-offs at £2 million including VAT, so on the face of both policies Lot 1 sits below the threshold.
In our experience of framework bids, Cyber Essentials, insurance and a carbon reduction plan are the 3 that most often hold a submission up. None of them are quick to obtain from a standing start.
Which prompt payment rule applies to CaPS?
This one is worth getting right, because it is a pass or fail gate rather than a scoring deduction. 2 Cabinet Office policy notes are in play, and they set different averages.
PPN 015: an average of 55 days
The earlier note, PPN 015, asks suppliers to show they are “paying 95% of invoices within 60 days (90% with an action plan), and also paying all their invoices within an average of 55 days”.
PPN 018: an average of 45 days
The later note, PPN 018, says plainly that it “replaces PPN 015 from 1 October 2025”. Its test asks a supplier to show it is “paying at least 95% of invoices within 60 days (90% with an action plan), and also paying all its invoices within an average of 45 days”. The 95% at 60 days is the same. The average, however, tightens by 10 days.
Why CaPS sits on the line
PPN 018 applies “in relevant procurements advertised on or after 1 October 2025”, and says authorities “should continue to apply PPN 015 to all relevant procurements before this date”. So everything turns on when CaPS was advertised. PPN 018 defines that in a footnote: “Advertisement includes the publication of a Planned Procurement Notice or Preliminary Market Engagement Notice.”
GCA published the CaPS preliminary market engagement notice, UK2 notice 2025/S 000-061076, on 30th September 2025 at 5:16pm. It carries the same procurement identifier as the tender notice, OCID ocds-h6vhtk-05a559, so it is the same procurement. On the face of PPN 018’s own footnote and its timing rule, that advertisement falls before 1st October 2025 and PPN 015 applies, by about 7 hours.
What to do about it
7 hours is not a margin to bet a bid on, and we have not seen GCA state which note it is applying. The tender pack’s payment question is what settles it, so read that question before you answer it. Until then, the safe course is to measure yourself against the tighter figure: 95% of invoices inside 60 days, and all invoices at an average of 45 days. Clear 45 and you clear 55 as well.
Either way you will evidence this from your Payment Practice Reports, so pull them now rather than in November. If your average sits between 45 and 55 days, this is the single most useful thing you can work on before the deadline.
What is a Technical Ability Certificate (TAC)?
A Technical Ability Certificate, previously called a COTPA, is the evidence GCA uses to test whether you can deliver the service lines you bid for. It is the part of RM6399 most worth understanding early, because of how GCA scores it.
- A TAC demonstrates technical and professional ability to deliver specific framework service lines and capabilities.
- Each TAC must meet minimum value and date requirements, with the date range typically within a 3-year period.
- The relevant customer signs the TAC to verify that the information is accurate.
- GCA scores TACs strictly pass or fail. Failure to meet all the mandatory criteria excludes the bid from the competition.
The requirement varies by lot. GCA published confirmed TAC thresholds in the August 2026 deck:
| Lot | Service lines | Minimum service lines to evidence | TACs per service line | Minimum value per TAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Multidisciplinary | 128 | 2 to 5, varying by specialism | 1 | £100,000 |
| 2 Strategy and policy | 15 | 15 | 3 | £1 million |
| 3 Transformation | 14 | 14 | 3 | 2 at £5 million, 1 at £8 million |
| 4 Finance | 22 | 9 | 2 | £750,000 |
| 5 HR | 10 | 4 | 2 | £450,000 |
| 6 Procurement | 16 | 10 | 3 | £600,000 |
| 7 Health and social care | 14 | 5 | 2 | £450,000 |
| 8 Infrastructure and public services | 18 | 7 | 6 | £400,000 |
| 9 Environment and sustainability | 19 | 4 | 4 | £250,000 |
| 10 Restructuring and insolvency | 7 primary capabilities | All 7 | Up to 3 in total | Not given in GCA's August 2026 deck |
Lot 10 works differently, and the table cannot hold all of it. GCA requires all 7 primary capabilities to be evidenced across a maximum of 3 TACs, with additional capabilities evidenced by up to 13 further TACs. Sectors can only be offered where a primary or additional capability has been evidenced in that sector using a TAC. A minimum value per TAC for Lot 10 is not given in GCA’s August 2026 deck.
Read the value thresholds alongside the lot rule. Lot 1 asks for 1 TAC per service line at £100,000. Lot 3 Transformation asks for 3 per service line, 2 at £5 million and 1 at £8 million. That gap is the practical reason many smaller suppliers will look at Lot 1 first.
How will buyers pay for work under RM6399?
GCA’s August 2026 deck lists 7 call-off pricing models: contingent price, fixed price, milestone prices, risk and reward, technology enabled services, time and materials, and volume-based pricing. The framework aligns with the Sourcing Playbook and the Consultancy Playbook, and GCA recommends outcome-based pricing wherever possible.
On award routes, the notice records the method simply as “either with or without competition”, and points to Framework Schedule 7 for the procedure. GCA’s August 2026 deck describes the same thing in more detail: further competition, award without competition, and options for below-threshold contracts. Its summary of changes also records that GCA has broadened the application of award without competition.
What should suppliers do before 9th November?
The tender is open, so this is now application work rather than preparation. You have until 3:00pm on 9th November 2026, and until 3:00pm on 22nd October to ask GCA a question about it.
Register on the eSourcing portal first
The notice gives the submission address as GCA’s eSourcing portal, and the tender pack sits behind it. Registration is the gate to everything else, so do it before you plan any of the work below.
Decide Lot 1 or lots 2 to 9
You cannot bid for both, so this choice is fixed once you submit on 9th November. It turns on your typical call-off value and on how many specialisms you can genuinely evidence.
Audit your TAC evidence against the thresholds
Work out which service lines you can evidence, at the required value, in the required number, within roughly a 3-year window. Where you fall short, you now have weeks rather than months to close the gap.
Line up customer sign-off
Each TAC needs the relevant customer to sign it. In our experience, chasing signatures from public sector clients is slow, and it is worth starting before the rest of the submission.
Check Cyber Essentials, insurance and your carbon reduction plan
If you are aiming at lots 2 to 10 you need a carbon reduction plan; if you are aiming at Lot 1 you do not. Either way, check the certificate dates now.
Weight your bid to the lot you are targeting
Lot 1 rewards price, at 80% of the score. Most other lots reward quality, at 90%. Price the same engagement more than one way, because buyers will have the choice at call-off and you should have the numbers ready.
Send your questions in before 22nd October
The enquiry deadline falls more than 2 weeks before submissions close. So if anything in the tender pack is unclear, ask by then. It is also the last chance to get an answer in time to act on it.
Want help working out which lot fits, and whether your evidence base clears the thresholds? Our framework listing services and bid support services are built for exactly that.
RM6399 CaPS: frequently asked questions
What does CaPS stand for?
CaPS is the informal name for RM6399 Consultancy and Professional Services, the Government Commercial Agency framework replacing RM6309 Management Consultancy Framework Four (MCF4).
When does the RM6399 tender close?
Tender submissions close at 3:00pm on 9th November 2026, and the enquiry deadline falls earlier, at 3:00pm on 22nd October 2026. GCA published the tender notice on 15th September 2026. It estimates the award decision for 1st June 2027 and the contract term as 24th June 2027 to 23rd June 2031. Those last 2 are GCA estimates and can move.
How many lots does RM6399 have, and how many suppliers will be appointed?
10 lots, and the tender notice caps the framework at 500 suppliers. GCA’s August 2026 supplier engagement deck breaks that down by lot. It gives 160 places on Lot 1 Multidisciplinary, 40 on each of lots 2 to 9, and 20 on Lot 10 Restructuring and insolvency services. Together those come to the same 500.
Can I bid for Lot 1 and the specialist lots?
No. GCA states that suppliers bidding for Lot 1 will be unable to bid for lots 2 to 9, and the other way round. The aim is a broad mix of suppliers across the framework. Lot 1 covers the same subject areas as lots 2 to 9, but it caps call-offs at £2 million including VAT.
What management fee does RM6399 charge?
The tender notice gives the maximum percentage fee charged to suppliers as 1%. In GCA’s words, “The Supplier will pay, excluding VAT, 1% of all the Charges for the Deliverables invoiced to the Buyer under all Call-Off Contracts.”
How does GCA weight quality against price on RM6399?
It depends on the lot. The tender notice weights Lot 1 Multidisciplinary at 80% price and 20% quality. Lots 2 to 6, 8 and 9 run the other way, at 90% quality and 10% price, and Lot 7 Health and social care carries the same 90 and 10 split. Lot 10 Restructuring and insolvency sits between them, at 70% quality and 30% price.
Which prompt payment rule applies to RM6399, PPN 015 or PPN 018?
It is not settled, and the difference is 10 days on one test. Both ask for 95% of invoices inside 60 days, or 90% with an action plan. PPN 015 then asks for all invoices at an average of 55 days; PPN 018 asks for an average of 45 days. PPN 018 “replaces PPN 015 from 1 October 2025” and applies to procurements “advertised on or after” that date, and it counts a preliminary market engagement notice as an advertisement. GCA published the CaPS preliminary market engagement notice on 30th September 2025 at 5:16pm, under the same procurement identifier as the tender notice, which puts the advertisement before the cutover by about 7 hours. The tender pack’s payment question settles it. Until you have read that question, measure yourself against 45 days, because clearing 45 clears 55 as well.
Do I need Cyber Essentials for RM6399?
Yes. GCA’s August 2026 supplier engagement deck states that suppliers must have and maintain a Cyber Essentials certificate. GCA lists it as an annual requirement rather than a one-off, so it needs to stay current for the life of your place on the framework.
What is a Technical Ability Certificate on RM6399?
A Technical Ability Certificate (TAC), previously called a COTPA, is customer-signed evidence that you can deliver a specific service line. TACs must meet minimum value and date requirements, typically within a 3-year period. GCA then scores them pass or fail. Failing to meet all the mandatory criteria excludes the bid from the competition.
Is RM6399 relevant if I sell technology rather than consultancy?
It depends on what you are selling. RM6399 is a consultancy framework, so software, hosting and platform sales belong on G-Cloud and the technology frameworks. Advisory, strategy, transformation and delivery-led services do fit, and Digital, technology and cyber is a named service line in lots 2 to 9 in GCA’s August 2026 annex.
How much is the RM6399 framework worth?
The tender notice gives a total estimated value of £5 billion excluding VAT, or £6 billion including VAT, across the 4-year term. GCA’s August 2026 supplier deck gives the same £5 billion figure. An earlier version of the pipeline notice gave £3.4 billion excluding VAT before GCA revised it.
Where to go next
- The RM6399 tender notice on Find a Tender, for the dates, the lot values and the award criteria as published.
- The GCA RM6399 agreement page, for the engagement documents and the link into the eSourcing portal.
- Ultimate Guide to G-Cloud, if what you sell is software, hosting or cloud support rather than advisory work.
- Ultimate Guide to Public Sector Bidding, for how framework competitions are evaluated and won.
We will update this page as GCA publishes more, and in particular once the award decision lands.
Sources, checked 25th September 2026: Find a Tender, RM6399 tender notice 2026/S 000-087183 (OCID ocds-h6vhtk-05a559, published 15th September 2026) and its associated RM6399 Customer List v1.0; GCA, RM6399 Consultancy and Professional Services agreement page; GCA, RM6399 CaPS supplier engagement update, August 2026.
