Frameworks and DPS explained: G-Cloud, CCS and call-offs

Last reviewed: 29 July 2026

The short answer

A framework agreement and a Dynamic Purchasing System, or DPS, are both routes public buyers use to appoint a pool of suppliers once, then draw work from that pool repeatedly without running a full open tender for every purchase. A framework is a fixed list of suppliers appointed after a single competition and closed to new entrants until the framework is re-run. A DPS is a fully electronic, open list that qualified suppliers can join at any point during its life. Crown Commercial Service (CCS) is the UK's central buying organisation and runs many of the largest cross-government frameworks, of which G-Cloud, for cloud hosting, software and support, is one of the best known. Once a buyer has chosen a framework, they draw work from it through a call-off, either a direct award to a single supplier or a mini-competition among appointed suppliers, rather than starting a fresh procurement from scratch.

For an SME, frameworks and DPS matter because they are structured in lots by size, specialism or geography, which means you compete against a relevant subset of the market rather than every possible supplier, and because a call-off competition is usually faster and lighter-touch than a full open tender.

What a framework agreement is

A framework agreement is an arrangement between one or more contracting authorities and a group of suppliers, setting out the terms that will apply to future contracts awarded under it. It is not itself a contract to deliver goods or services; it is closer to a pre-qualified shortlist with agreed terms, rates or rate cards already in place. The initial competition to get onto a framework is often the hardest part, since it can attract many more applicants than any single call-off will later see.

Frameworks are typically split into lots, dividing the overall scope by service type, contract value band, or geography. Splitting into lots is deliberate: it lets a specialist SME compete for a lot matched to its size and capability rather than being squeezed out by a generalist national supplier bidding for the whole framework. Read the lot structure carefully before applying; bidding for a lot that does not match your actual capacity wastes effort and can damage your credibility for future rounds.

Historically, closed frameworks under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ran for a maximum term, most commonly four years, with limited scope to extend. The Procurement Act 2023 introduces open frameworks, which can run longer than the traditional four-year term and reopen at set points during their life so that new suppliers, not just the original appointees, can apply to join. This addresses a long-standing criticism of closed frameworks: that a strong SME with no track record at the point a framework was first competed had to wait years for the next competition to get a foot in the door.

What a DPS is, and how it differs

A Dynamic Purchasing System works differently from a closed framework. It is a fully electronic system, and any supplier that meets the published selection criteria can apply to join at any time during the DPS's life, not only at the outset. This makes a DPS closer to an open, continuously refreshed supplier list than a fixed panel, and it is one reason DPS routes have historically suited categories where the supplier market changes quickly or where new entrants should not be locked out for years.

Under the Procurement Act 2023, the underlying concept has been carried forward and broadened as dynamic markets, which extend the same open, continuously joinable principle to a wider range of contract types, including works, not only goods and services as under the previous DPS rules. If you see either term, DPS or dynamic market, in a tender pack, the practical implication for a supplier is the same: you do not have to wait for a re-competition to apply, so it is worth checking relevant categories periodically rather than assuming the door only opens once.

Crown Commercial Service

Crown Commercial Service is the UK government's central procurement organisation, part of the Cabinet Office, and it exists to negotiate and manage commercial agreements that other public bodies can use rather than each buyer running its own procurement from scratch. CCS operates a large portfolio of frameworks and DPS covering categories from technology and construction to facilities management and professional services, and its agreements are available not only to central government departments but, depending on the specific agreement, to local authorities, the NHS, education bodies and the wider public sector.

For a supplier, CCS agreements are worth tracking even outside of live tenders, because CCS regularly publishes market engagement notices and pipeline information ahead of framework refreshes. Registering interest and reading pipeline notices early gives you time to prepare a strong application before the formal competition opens, rather than reacting to a live deadline with an untested response.

G-Cloud and the Digital Marketplace

G-Cloud is a CCS framework specifically for cloud hosting, cloud software and the associated cloud support services. Rather than negotiating individual contracts, buyers search and select services through the Digital Marketplace, a public online catalogue where appointed suppliers list their offerings, pricing and terms. Buyers can then call off a service directly from the catalogue for lower-value or straightforward requirements, or run a further competition among relevant suppliers for larger or more complex needs.

G-Cloud is regularly refreshed, and each iteration reopens the supplier list, giving new applicants, including SMEs and specialist providers, a route onto the framework that did not exist for closed frameworks with long, fixed terms. If your organisation offers cloud-hosted software or related services to the public sector, checking whether the current G-Cloud iteration is open for applications is one of the highest-value, lowest-effort things you can do, because listing on the Digital Marketplace puts you directly in front of buyers actively searching for a solution like yours.

How call-off competitions work

Once a buyer has an approved framework or DPS in place, they draw individual pieces of work from it through a call-off, using one of two routes depending on what the framework rules allow and the nature of the requirement:

• Direct award. Where the framework permits it, usually for lower-value or clearly specified requirements, the buyer can award directly to a single supplier on the framework without running a further competition, often the one offering the best fit against the framework's published rate card or catalogue listing.
• Mini-competition. For larger or more complex requirements, the buyer invites some or all of the suppliers appointed to the relevant lot to submit a further, shorter bid responding to the specific requirement. This is scored, much like a standalone tender but usually faster and with less procedural overhead, since the suppliers involved have already been vetted at the framework stage.

A mini-competition still rewards the same discipline as any other tender: read the specific requirement carefully, answer the questions asked, and evidence your claims. The difference is speed. Mini-competition timescales are often measured in days or a small number of weeks rather than the months a full open procurement can take, so being ready to turn around a strong, evidenced response quickly is a genuine competitive advantage on framework work.

Getting onto a framework or DPS

Getting appointed to a framework generally follows the same procedural shape as any other public procurement under the Procurement Act 2023: the opportunity is advertised, usually through Find a Tender for higher-value frameworks, applicants submit a selection response addressing minimum standards and, where the framework is competed rather than open-entry, a scored technical and commercial response against the published criteria. Because framework competitions can attract a high volume of applicants competing for a limited number of places on some lots, the standard expected of a winning application is often higher than for an individual contract of similar value.

A few practical points make the difference for framework applications specifically. Read the lot descriptions precisely and apply only for lots your organisation can genuinely deliver; overreaching across too many lots dilutes the quality of every application. Where a framework provides for ongoing entry, such as a DPS or a dynamic market, do not wait for a headline campaign; check the relevant category periodically, since new entry points may be quieter and less contested than the original launch. Finally, keep your Central Digital Platform registration, introduced under the Procurement Act 2023, complete and current, since framework applications increasingly draw on the same core supplier data you register there once and reuse across bids.

Common mistakes bidding through frameworks

The same avoidable errors recur when SMEs approach frameworks and DPS for the first time:

1. Applying for every lot regardless of fit. Spreading a thin application across lots you cannot realistically deliver, weakening every submission rather than strengthening one.
2. Treating framework appointment as the end goal. Getting onto a framework guarantees nothing; you still have to win each call-off. Suppliers who stop investing in bid quality after appointment lose mini-competitions to those who keep sharpening their approach.
3. Missing DPS or dynamic market entry points. Assuming the door only opens once, and not checking back for ongoing entry opportunities that a closed framework would not offer.
4. Slow response to mini-competitions. Underestimating how quickly call-off timescales move and losing winnable work to a slower internal approval process rather than a weaker bid.
5. Ignoring rate card and catalogue accuracy. Letting Digital Marketplace listings or framework pricing schedules go stale, which costs direct-award opportunities that never reach a formal competition.

If you are new to public sector bidding altogether, our guide to finding and winning your first UK public sector contract covers where to look beyond frameworks and how the SQ and ITT stages work, and our guide to writing a method statement that scores applies directly to the technical response you will submit at both the framework application stage and every mini-competition that follows.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a framework and a DPS?

A framework agreement is a list of suppliers appointed after a single competition, usually closed to new entrants until it is re-run, typically every few years. A DPS is a fully electronic, open list that qualified suppliers can join at any point during its life, not only at the outset.

What is G-Cloud?

G-Cloud is a Crown Commercial Service framework for buying cloud hosting, software and support services. Public sector buyers search and select services through the Digital Marketplace rather than running a full tender for every purchase.

How does a call-off competition work?

Once a buyer has chosen a framework or DPS, they either place a direct award with a single supplier where the framework rules allow it, or run a mini-competition, inviting some or all appointed suppliers to submit a further, shorter bid against the specific requirement, which is then scored and awarded.

Do I need to be a large company to get onto a framework?

No. Frameworks and DPS are structured in lots by size, specialism or geography specifically so that SMEs can compete for relevant lots rather than against every supplier in the market. Many CCS frameworks and G-Cloud in particular have a strong SME presence.

Sources

• Crown Commercial Service, gov.uk.
• Digital Marketplace, gov.uk.
• Procurement Act 2023, full text, legislation.gov.uk.
• Transforming Public Procurement, Cabinet Office guidance collection, gov.uk.
• Find a Tender service, gov.uk.