Is Data and Application Solutions a success?

With Vertical Application Solutions set to replace DAS, has the framework been a success so far? We've taken a look.

Data and Application Solutions (DAS / RM3821) has been Live for use by both buyers and suppliers since 2019. With the framework ending in February 2023, Crown Commercial Service have introduced the updated version: Vertical Application Solutions. Which is set to replace the DAS framework.

But as with any other big, flagship framework from UK Government, there are always questions about their success. So, we’ve taken a look at the history of the DAS framework and how it all went.

Did public sector buyer use it?

Quite a bit in fact. Recent released data from CCS showed that Local Gov were the biggest users. They spent over £200m through DAS between May 2019 and December 2021. Central Gov only spent around £80m through the framework in that time, but it shows it’s being used. With other orgs such as Not for Profits and Devolved Administrations using this route to market. Nearly 6% of the total spend was by the wider public sector too.

Originally, when announced, DAS had an estimated value of £1.2 billion for software and £432 million for services. Some big hopes for the framework! As we can see, this isn’t really the case and hasn’t come to fruition. Although still used, only around £350m was spent in over two years by Local Gov and Central Gov.

Why the lack of uptake? Well, CCS admitted that whilst DAS was a success and now well established, the Lot structure was not up-to-scratch. For one, it wasn’t clear enough which buyers should be using the framework to buy their software and services. A lot of public sector organisations were unsure if DAS was for them to use. It also didn’t allow for cross-sector integrations of software (e.g. Education and Social Care). So, there was a lot learnt from the first version!

 

Data and Application Solutions spend: a breakdown of what we know

The original structure for Data and Application Solutions was:

1. Enterprise and Data
2. Local Gov
3. Health and Social Care
4. Police and Emergency Services
5. Education

Lot 1 had the biggest spend (£185m), with Lot 2 coming in second with £166m. This is reflective of them being biggest spenders on the framework! The other Lots unfortunately didn’t have much spend going through, which shows the underutilisation of these categories. This is largely why for VAS there’s been big changes around the Lot structure. To make it better for buyers to use and find what they’re looking for.

 

Will Vertical Application Solutions carry this on?

We’re fully expecting Vertical Application Solutions to be a bigger success than DAS. CCS have sorted out the teething problems from the first iteration and have created a framework for software suppliers to sell directly to their chosen markets. It’s a way for buyers to be able to engage with suppliers that can assist with their needs specifically (a supplier on the Health and Social Care Lot will be fully prepared to support with these services).

So, in short, we feel that this one is an important framework to get on to if your software and services are appropriate for the new Lot structure – which you can find out more about in this useful blog.