What DIPS 2 is
Digital and IT Professional Services 2 (RM6413) is the Ministry of Defence’s next framework for buying digital and IT professional services. Its full name is Digital and IT Professional Services 2, and its reference is RM6413. The Government Commercial Agency (GCA, formerly Crown Commercial Service) runs it with the MOD. Customers with defence and security requirements will use it to access digital, IT and cyber capability.
GCA’s pipeline notices estimate the value at £2.88bn including VAT, and its latest slides show £2.8bn. The proposed term is 4+1+1 years, shorter than the 8 years in earlier notices.
Both figures estimate what customers could spend. However, a place on the framework carries no guaranteed share of it.
What it replaces
DIPS 2 follows the original DIPS framework (RM6249), which came into effect in November 2023. The MOD alone can use DIPS 1, and it runs for up to 4 years across 6 lots.
DIPS 2 changes the picture in 4 ways:
- Value and term: the value roughly doubles from DIPS 1’s £1.44bn, while the term grows from 4 years to 4+1+1.
- Buyers: the framework is open to customers with defence and security requirements, including but not limited to the MOD and potentially the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
- Structure: GCA proposes 3 lots split by contract value, including a Neutral Vendor lot below £5m. It also proposes capping Lot 1 at 10 suppliers and Lot 2 at 30. However, the tender documents will confirm the final structure.
- Regime: DIPS 1 was let under the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011, and GCA lists DIPS 2 under the Procurement Act 2023.
Who it’s for
The main buyer is the MOD. Other buyers could include the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
It suits digital and IT firms that deliver professional services to defence and security customers. That includes DIPS 1 suppliers preparing to re-compete. It also includes suppliers who work alongside defence buyers without a defence framework place. The draft scope excludes contingent labour and hardware or software supply.
SMEs are part of the picture. GCA and the MOD have run a dedicated SME briefing. They also describe the Neutral Vendor lot as a way to support smaller suppliers.
What suppliers should expect
Defence buying asks for things that commercial IT frameworks rarely do. Security clearances and experience of classified environments are likely to matter. However, the tender documents will set the real bar, so treat these as areas to check now.
GCA and the MOD have also confirmed a Neutral Vendor model, which suppliers won’t have met on larger frameworks like G-Cloud or DOS7.
Cyber certification is worth checking too. The MOD has asked all defence industry partners to hold Defence Cyber Certification Level 0 by 31st December 2026. So far, nothing published says DIPS 2 will require it.
Dates and what happens next
Many suppliers will be busy with year-end when the tender notice arrives. However, the proposed framework type allows no new entrants, so missing the window could mean a long wait.
If you prepare alone, you may only find gaps in clearances and references once the clock is running. Our Framework Triage service checks where you stand now, and we can review your drafts once the tender opens.
Book a call to find out what to prepare while there is still time.
