Why DOS matters
DOS has become one of the most significant routes to market for digital services in UK government since its launch in 2016. Here are a few reasons why it matters:
- It is open to all: any supplier that can meet the framework requirements can apply, regardless of size. Large systems integrators and two-person design studios sit on the same framework.
- It is high-volume: hundreds of opportunities are published each year across central government, the NHS, local authorities, devolved administrations and beyond.
- It is high-value: DOS has seen £9 billion worth of contracts since 2016, and that’s not slowing down.
- It is SME-friendly: 30% of all DOS spend has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises, equating to £2.7 billion.
- It levels the playing field: evaluation is based on the quality of your written response and your demonstrated ability to deliver – not on relationships or reputation alone.
- It is transparent: all opportunities are published openly and all suppliers are evaluated against the same stated criteria.
Top tip: Use our DOS Spend Data Dashboard to explore the breakdown of spend through DOS, including who is winning contracts and who is spending money through the framework.
A brief history of DOS
DOS has gone through seven iterations since its launch in 2016, each reflecting changes in how the public sector buys digital services and how the supplier market has matured. Understanding this evolution helps explain why the framework looks the way it does today.
Each iteration of DOS has refined how buyers and suppliers interact on the framework. The broad shape – publish an opportunity, shortlist through written evidence, assess, award – has remained consistent. What has changed is the scope of the Lots, the platform used to run procurements and the legislative context.
DOS7 has also introduced a lot more flexibility in how buyers run procurements – more on that later!
What the framework covers: the Lots
DOS is divided into Lots, each covering a distinct type of procurement. The current DOS7 framework has four Lots.
Lot 1 – Digital Outcomes (previously known as DOS Lot 1/DOS6 Lot 1)
This is the core lot for agile service delivery. Buyers use Lot 1 when they need a team to deliver a defined outcome; not a specific number of days of resource, but a result.
Services must be delivered using agile methodology and must comply with the Technology Code of Practice and the Government Service Standard.
Typical uses include: running a discovery, delivering an alpha or beta, building and launching a live service, migrating or decommissioning a legacy system.
Lot 2 – Digital Capability & Delivery Partners (new in DOS7)
Lot 2 is a new addition introduced with DOS7, replacing the programmes element of the old Digital Specialists & Programmes framework.
It is designed for buyers who need a long-term strategic partner, not just a team for a single piece of work, but a supplier capable of supporting a sustained programme of digital transformation, building capability within the buyer’s own organisation along the way.
Lot 2 has additional entry requirements for suppliers: a Technical Ability Certificate (TAC) must be submitted as part of the application, signed by a previous client, covering the supplier’s capability across research, test, design, build, release, iteration, support and retirement of digital services.
Lot 3 – Digital Specialists (previously known as DOS Lot/DSP Lot 1)
Lot 3 is used when a buyer needs a specific individual rather than a team, for example, a user researcher to join an existing project team for three months, or a technical architect to advise on a programme.
The specialist is engaged to deliver defined outputs or work within a defined role, rather than to deliver a broader outcome.
IR35 (off-payroll working rules) apply to Lot 3 engagements. Buyers must assess the employment status of individual specialists and keep a clear audit trail.
Lot 4 – User Research Studios & Participants (previously known as DOS Lots 3 & 4/DOS6 Lots 2 & 3)
Lot 4 covers the practical infrastructure of user research: hiring studio space equipped for research sessions, and recruiting participants who represent the users of a digital service.
Using Lot 4 alongside a Lot 1 or Lot 3 engagement allows teams to properly test and iterate on services with real users throughout the design and build process.
What is out of scope?
DOS has a defined scope. The following types of need should be procured through alternative routes:
How the framework works
The basic model
DOS is a framework agreement – not a contract for specific work. Being listed on DOS (as a supplier) or registering to use it (as a buyer) does not create any obligation to buy or sell anything. It simply means that when a buyer wants to procure a piece of digital work, they can do so through this pre-agreed, compliant route rather than running a full open procurement from scratch.
When a buyer is ready to procure, they run a competition – called a Further Competition – among suppliers on the relevant Lot.
All procurements on DOS must be awarded through a competitive process. There is no Direct Award option.
The platform
DOS uses different platforms for different aspects of the service, which can be confusing to suppliers! Applications to join the framework are made on the Digital Marketplace. However, opportunities are published on the Contract Award Service (CAS), and the ITT documents are accessed via the Public Procurement Gateway (PPG).
Buyers need a PPG account to publish requirements; suppliers need to be registered on the platform to view and respond.
For DOS7, a new filtering tool within CAS lets buyers filter the supplier list by skills and services before publishing, helping them target their requirement more precisely. Make sure you are listed under all the correct filters!
Framework duration and the Open Framework model (DOS7)
Earlier DOS iterations ran as fixed-term frameworks with a closed supplier list for the duration. DOS7 is structured under a different model introduced with the Procurement Act 2023 – as an Open Framework.
DOS7 will run as a succession of frameworks over six years, to January 2032, with application windows reopening every 18 months. This means:
- Suppliers can join at each new window, not just at launch
- There are up to four successive frameworks within the scheme (Framework 1 is live now)
- Existing suppliers must reapply when the next window opens to remain on the framework
- If you are listed on Framework 1, monitor Find a Tender Service (FTS) for the Framework 2 tender notice – being on Framework 1 will not automatically carry you through.
Getting listed as a supplier
The application process
One of DOS’s defining characteristics is its low barrier to entry. The application is not a detailed bid – it is a qualification exercise. The key question is: do you meet the requirements to be on the framework?
As such, the application is assessed primarily on a Pass/Fail basis. There is no competitive scoring at the listing stage. You are not competing against other suppliers to get on the framework – you are simply demonstrating that you meet the threshold requirements.
What the application typically covers
- Standard eligibility checks – company registration, compliance, GDPR, etc.
- Insurance requirements – public liability, professional indemnity, employer’s liability
- Certifications – depending on the Lot, specific accreditations may be required
- A declaration of the types of work you can deliver and the roles/skills you offer
- For Lot 2 (DOS7) – a Technical Ability Certificate (TAC) signed by a previous client
- Financial Viability Risk Assessment (FVRA) – introduced in DOS7 as part of Procurement Act 2023 alignment
- Compliance with applicable Policy Procurement Notices (PPNs)
When can you apply?
Application windows are time-limited. For DOS7 (an Open Framework), windows open approximately every 18 months. The Framework 1 window opened in May 2025 and closed in June 2025. Framework 2 is expected to open approximately mid-2027.
If the current window is closed, you cannot join the live framework – but you can prepare. Use the time between windows to:
Getting listed is just the start
We say this to every supplier we work with: getting on the framework is (relatively!) straightforward. Winning business is the challenge.
Like all frameworks, DOS is not a sales channel – it won’t bring buyers to you. You need to actively monitor opportunities, decide which to bid for, and write compelling responses. The hard work happens after you are listed.
How responses are scored
The criteria and weightings for each DOS opportunity are set by the buyer. DOS7 has also introduced much more flexibility in what a competition will look like, and how it is scored.
Suppliers can be evaluated on any combination of technical competence, cultural fit, price and social value. The weighting applied to each is determined by the buyer for each opportunity and must be stated in the published requirements.
A commonly used scoring system looks like this:
Score 0, rating = not met/no evidence. This means that there is no evidence the requirement is met.
Score 1, rating = partially met. This means that there is some evidence, but it is insufficient to fully demonstrate the requirement.
Score 2, rating = met. This means that there is clear, credible evidence that the requirement is met.
Score 3, rating = exceeded. This means that there is compelling, differentiated evidence that exceeds the requirement.
As the scoring system shows, the key to a good DOS response is the evidence!
Social value
Social value has grown in prominence across public sector procurement. Buyers are expected to include social value in their evaluation criteria, typically weighted at up to 10% in line with government guidance. This may cover employment and skills, climate and environment, health and wellbeing and community impact.
For suppliers, social value responses are an area where many bids underperform. Vague commitments score poorly. Specific, evidence-based commitments – tied to the specific contract and the specific community context of the buyer – score well.
Social value is an area close to our heart at Advice Cloud – we are proud to be a people and purpose centric business.
Deciding which opportunities to bid for
With the volume of opportunities published through DOS each year, a disciplined qualification process is essential. Before committing to a bid, ask:
- Can we genuinely deliver this outcome to a high standard?
- Do we have strong, relevant, recent evidence to support our application?
- Do we meet all of the essential requirements?
- Is there enough time left in the clarification and submission window to write a strong response?
- What is the competition likely to look like for this type of opportunity?
- Is the contract value and strategic fit worth the investment of bidding?
Being selective is not giving up – it is working smart. A well-written bid for the right opportunity will always outperform a rushed bid for a marginal one.
All that’s new in DOS7
For those already familiar with earlier versions of DOS, this section summarises the key changes introduced with DOS7 (RM1043.9), which went live on 30 January 2026:
- Framework reunified – DOS7 combines Digital Outcomes 6 (RM1043.8) and Digital Specialists & Programmes (RM6263) into a single agreement, ending the period where buyers had to navigate two separate frameworks.
- New Lot 2 – a brand-new Lot for Digital Capability & Delivery Partners – long-term strategic partners for digital transformation programmes. Previously only available through DSP Lot 2.
- Open Framework model – DOS7 is an Open Framework under the Procurement Act 2023. It runs for 6 years with application windows reopening approximately every 18 months. Suppliers must reapply at each window.
- Procurement Act 2023 – DOS7 is the first DOS framework let under the Procurement Act 2023 (replacing PCR 2015). Changes include enhanced transparency obligations, updated exclusion grounds, FVRAs and strengthened challenge rights.
- Financial Viability Risk Assessments – FVRAs introduced as part of the application process, providing a financial health check for suppliers applying to the framework.
- Filtering tool – a new tool in the Contract Award Service lets buyers filter the supplier list by skills and services before publishing requirements, improving targeting and reducing irrelevant responses.
- Platform: PPG/CAS – opportunities are published and managed through Contract Award Service (CAS) on the Public Procurement Gateway. The buyer workflow has been updated accordingly.
- GCA rebrand – Crown Commercial Service (CCS) became the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) on 1 April 2026. All framework documentation has moved to gca.gov.uk.
Top Tips For Responding To Opportunities
As we’ve mentioned previously, on the face of it, applying for DOS is pretty easy, but winning the business is not. This includes responding to opportunities on the framework. So, here are our top tips for tendering:
Read the opportunity and then read it again – it may sound simple, but if something is unclear, then jot this down as a question to submit.
Plan – make a note of the essential experience and ensure you can meet these criteria. If you can demonstrate the nice-to-have skills as well, make notes of what previous work you have done which corresponds to these.
Write clearly – structure your response in a straightforward way – what you did, how you did it and what happened.
Use the language in the opportunity – the buyer has included this for a reason because of how it aligns to their expectations.
Time – give yourself time to write, re-read and amend your bid before you submit it.
It’s important to take some time to think about what buyers look for in a great DOS bid, and these points should help you get started with just that! And whilst the bidding stage is where the main work happens, in-between opportunities suppliers should be out there marketing the fact they’re on DOS and that they’re working with the public sector.
