If you run a design or digital agency in the UK and you want public sector work, you've got two main routes in: get on a framework, or bid for contracts on the open market. Most agencies default to one or the other without ever properly weighing them up. That's a mistake, because the right answer depends entirely on what kind of agency you are and what kind of work you want.
Here's the practical breakdown.
What G-Cloud actually is (and isn't)
G-Cloud is a procurement framework run by the Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Service). It lets public sector buyers — councils, NHS trusts, government departments, arm's-length bodies — purchase cloud-based services from a pre-approved catalogue without running their own competitive procurement each time.
The current version is G-Cloud 14, which has been extended to run until October 2026. Its replacement, G-Cloud 15, is expected to go live around September 2026. Over 30,000 public sector organisations use the catalogue.
Here's the critical thing most design agencies miss: G-Cloud is for cloud-based products and services, not bespoke design work. If you sell a SaaS product, a hosted platform, or a defined cloud service — a design system tool, a user research platform, or an accessibility testing service — G-Cloud is relevant. If you sell custom service design, user research, or website builds as bespoke projects, G-Cloud isn't the right framework for you.
For bespoke digital delivery, the equivalent framework is Digital Outcomes and Specialists 7 (DOS7, reference RM1043.9), which launched in early 2026. DOS7 is structured in four lots: Digital Outcomes (agile project delivery), Digital Capability and Delivery Partners (long-term transformation), Digital Specialists (individual contractors), and User Research Studios and Participants.
What open tender means under the new system
Since the Procurement Act 2023 went live on 24 February 2025, all new public procurement notices — above and below threshold — are published on the Find a Tender Service (FTS). This is the open market. Any agency can bid. There's no pre-qualification catalogue to get onto first.
When a council needs a website redesign, or an NHS trust wants user research for a digital transformation programme, and they're not using a framework, they publish a notice on FTS inviting tenders. You find it, assess whether it's a fit, and submit a bid before the deadline.
The Procurement Act also introduced planned procurement notices (early warnings) and pipeline notices (annual forward-looking lists from large buyers). These give you advance visibility of what's coming, which means you can prepare earlier — or decide not to waste time on something that's not right.
The real trade-offs
Frameworks give you access. Open tenders give you reach.
When frameworks suit you
You have a defined, repeatable service offering — a SaaS product on G-Cloud, or agile delivery capability on DOS7.
You can invest the upfront effort to get approved (DOS7 applications are assessed on a pass/fail basis, with the next window not opening for roughly two years).
You want a steady pipeline of call-offs from buyers who already know what they're looking for. The Digital Marketplace gives you visibility you can't get any other way.
If you run a design or digital agency in the UK and you want public sector work, you've got two main routes in: get on a framework, or bid for contracts on the open market. Most agencies default to one or the other without ever properly weighing them up. That's a mistake, because the right answer depends entirely on what kind of agency you are and what kind of work you want.
Here's the practical breakdown.
What G-Cloud actually is (and isn't)
G-Cloud is a procurement framework run by the Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Service). It lets public sector buyers — councils, NHS trusts, government departments, arm's-length bodies — purchase cloud-based services from a pre-approved catalogue without running their own competitive procurement each time.
The current version is G-Cloud 14, which has been extended to run until October 2026. Its replacement, G-Cloud 15, is expected to go live around September 2026. Over 30,000 public sector organisations use the catalogue.
Here's the critical thing most design agencies miss: G-Cloud is for cloud-based products and services, not bespoke design work. If you sell a SaaS product, a hosted platform, or a defined cloud service — a design system tool, a user research platform, or an accessibility testing service — G-Cloud is relevant. If you sell custom service design, user research, or website builds as bespoke projects, G-Cloud isn't the right framework for you.
For bespoke digital delivery, the equivalent framework is Digital Outcomes and Specialists 7 (DOS7, reference RM1043.9), which launched in early 2026. DOS7 is structured in four lots: Digital Outcomes (agile project delivery), Digital Capability and Delivery Partners (long-term transformation), Digital Specialists (individual contractors), and User Research Studios and Participants.
What open tender means under the new system
Since the Procurement Act 2023 went live on 24 February 2025, all new public procurement notices — above and below threshold — are published on the Find a Tender Service (FTS). This is the open market. Any agency can bid. There's no pre-qualification catalogue to get onto first.
When a council needs a website redesign, or an NHS trust wants user research for a digital transformation programme, and they're not using a framework, they publish a notice on FTS inviting tenders. You find it, assess whether it's a fit, and submit a bid before the deadline.
The Procurement Act also introduced planned procurement notices (early warnings) and pipeline notices (annual forward-looking lists from large buyers). These give you advance visibility of what's coming, which means you can prepare earlier — or decide not to waste time on something that's not right.
The real trade-offs
Frameworks give you access. Open tenders give you reach.
When frameworks suit you
You have a defined, repeatable service offering — a SaaS product on G-Cloud, or agile delivery capability on DOS7.
You can invest the upfront effort to get approved (DOS7 applications are assessed on a pass/fail basis, with the next window not opening for roughly two years).
You want a steady pipeline of call-offs from buyers who already know what they're looking for. The Digital Marketplace gives you visibility you can't get any other way.
When open tenders suit you
You're not on a framework yet — or the current application window is closed.
You want to compete for larger one-off contracts, or you're targeting specific buyers who procure outside frameworks.
Many local councils, NHS trusts, and housing associations run their own open procurements for design and digital work rather than using DOS7. If you want to win that work, open tenders are your only route.
The smart play is both. Get on the relevant framework when the window opens. Monitor FTS for open opportunities in the meantime. The agencies that win the most public sector work don't choose one route — they maintain presence on both.
What this looks like in practice
Scenario: 20-person design agency, Manchester. Service design, user research, website builds.
Framework route: Apply for DOS7 Lot 1 (Digital Outcomes) at the next open window. Keep your Digital Marketplace listing sharp — clear descriptions, strong case studies, competitive day rates. Buyers searching "service design" or "user research" in your region will find you.
Open tender route: Monitor FTS for notices mentioning design, UX, user research, service design, or website development from buyers you'd want to work with. When a relevant tender appears, assess quickly — right size, right buyer, right scope? — then commit to a strong bid or walk away.
The biggest mistake agencies make isn't choosing the wrong route. It's not monitoring the open market at all, because it feels too noisy and manual. That's how you end up only seeing opportunities that land through a framework — and missing the 60% of relevant work published as open tenders.
What's changing in 2026
Two things worth noting. First, G-Cloud 15 is expected to go live in September 2026 with a restructured lot model. If you sell a cloud product or hosted service, keep an eye on the GCA website for the next application window. Second, DOS7 is now an "open framework" — it will run for six years total with application windows opening every two years until 2032. If you missed the first window, you'll get another shot.
The Procurement Act's pipeline notices are also starting to mature. Large contracting authorities were required to publish their first annual pipeline notices by May 2025. By now, you should be checking your priority buyers' pipeline notices on FTS to see what design and digital work they're planning for the next 18 months. This is free intelligence, and most agencies still aren't using it.
Stop scanning. Start filtering.
Whether you're on a framework, watching the open market, or both, the fundamental problem is the same: there's a lot of noise and not much signal. FTS publishes thousands of notices weekly. Finding the opportunities that are genuinely right for your agency — right size, right scope, right buyer — takes time you probably don't have.
That's what Tandara does. We monitor UK public procurement continuously, filter for opportunities that match your agency's profile, and deliver them directly to you. No more scanning portals. No more missing the tender that was perfect for you because it was buried under 400 facilities management contracts.
Join the Tandara waitlist — we're onboarding UK design and digital agencies now.