How to Bid for DOS 7: Supplier Guide for Opening 2

Digital Outcomes and Specialists 7 is preparing to reopen to new suppliers. RM1043.9.2 Opening 2 will be the second scheme within the DOS7 open framework, giving digital, data and technology businesses another opportunity to secure a place when the agreement reopens in summer 2027.

The first DOS7 competition is already complete and the agreement is live. Thornton & Lowe supported seven suppliers through that application process. All seven secured a place on the framework and each achieved 100% on the technical question.

For suppliers that missed the first opening, or were not ready to bid at the time, Opening 2 provides another route in. The formal tender documents have not yet been released, so the priority now is to understand the framework, choose the most credible lot and make sure the right evidence and compliance information will be ready once the competition begins.

What is DOS7 Opening 2?

Digital Outcomes and Specialists 7 provides public sector organisations with access to digital, data and technology services. It supports work ranging from specific agile digital projects through to longer-term transformation programmes, individual specialist resource and user research.

RM1043.9.2 is not a replacement for DOS7 or a new DOS8 framework. It is the second successive scheme within the existing DOS7 open framework. The model was established under the Procurement Act 2023 and is designed to reopen periodically so new suppliers can join.

The overall DOS7 open framework series is intended to run for six years, with new openings approximately every 18 months. The first scheme, RM1043.9, began on 30 January 2026. That structure gives suppliers that were unsuccessful, ineligible or simply not ready for the initial competition further opportunities to gain access during the life of the framework.

When will DOS7 Opening 2 open?

Opening 2 is still at an early stage.

GCA is preparing market engagement ahead of the reopening, but the formal Find a Tender notice and tender documents are not yet available. Suppliers should therefore be cautious about planning around an assumed tender date. Summer 2027 gives a useful indication of when the agreement is expected to reopen, but the detailed procurement timetable could still change.

The official Digital Outcomes and Specialists 7 Opening 2 page should be treated as the main source for future engagement dates and tender documents once they are published.

What are the four DOS7 lots?

The current Opening 2 information retains the same four broad lots used in the first DOS7 scheme.

The distinction between these lots matters. A supplier capable of delivering a complete digital product or service may be better suited to Digital Outcomes, while an organisation supporting long-term transformation or augmenting wider delivery capability may have a stronger fit with Digital Capability and Delivery Partners.

Digital Specialists is aimed at targeted individual expertise rather than complete outcome-based delivery. User Research Studios and Participants serves another distinct market again. Choosing a lot should therefore start with your actual delivery model and evidence, rather than an assumption that bidding for several categories will automatically create more opportunity.

How does DOS7 work once suppliers are appointed?

DOS7 brought together two earlier routes: Digital Outcomes 6 and Digital Specialists and Programmes. The result is a single framework covering digital outcomes, broader capability and delivery partnerships, specialists and user research.

For buyers, call-off work is awarded through further competition. There is no direct award route. Depending on the requirement, buyers can use single-stage, two-stage or multi-stage competitive selection. Requirements are published through the Contract Award Service, where appointed suppliers can identify opportunities relevant to their lot and capability.

That makes framework appointment an entry point rather than a guarantee of revenue. Suppliers still need to compete effectively for individual pieces of work once they are on DOS7. Evidence, positioning and an active framework strategy therefore remain important after the initial application.

Will Opening 2 use the same supplier requirements?

Not necessarily. The first DOS7 competition gives suppliers a useful indication of the areas that may require preparation. Its tender pack included Technical Ability Certificates, financial viability assessments, a Carbon Reduction Plan template, a quality questionnaire and supporting documentary evidence. However, the RM1043.9.2 tender pack has not yet been published.

Suppliers should not assume that the previous thresholds, evidence requirements or questions will simply be copied into Opening 2. Changes may be made following supplier engagement or experience from the first scheme.

The sensible approach is to use the existing DOS7 material as a readiness check rather than attempting to complete the old application in advance. For example, if recent project evidence is difficult to retrieve now, that is worth addressing. The same applies if customer contacts have changed, financial information is difficult to access or sustainability documentation needs updating.

What should suppliers prepare before DOS7 Opening 2?

The time before tender publication can be used to remove problems that are much harder to solve during a live response period.

1. Confirm where your business fits

Start with the four lots and decide where your strongest proposition sits. Look beyond the service names. Consider how you actually contract, resource and deliver work, and whether your strongest evidence reflects outcome-based projects, longer-term transformation, specialist resource or user research. If two lots appear relevant, identify what evidence genuinely differentiates your capability in each.

2. Build a stronger digital evidence bank

Recent project evidence is likely to remain valuable regardless of the exact Opening 2 question set. For your strongest contracts, document the original customer need, your role, team structure, delivery approach, technologies or disciplines involved and the outcomes achieved.

Quantified evidence is particularly useful. Capture measures such as delivery times, adoption, service performance, cost savings, reduced failure demand, improved accessibility or other relevant user and organisational outcomes. Avoid relying on one broad “digital transformation” case study to prove several different capabilities.

3. Review your compliance position

Don't wait until the tender launches to discover that an important document needs several weeks to update. The first DOS7 procurement included financial viability, carbon reduction and documentary evidence requirements. Reviewing these areas now can identify gaps without assuming that Opening 2 will use identical thresholds. Make sure responsibility is clear internally for finance, policies, certifications, insurance and other supporting information.

4. Check how well your evidence supports technical claims

One of the most important lessons from the first competition is that capability needs to be easy for an evaluator to verify. A statement such as “we have extensive agile delivery experience” is much weaker than an example that shows the project, the delivery model, the role your team played and what changed as a result. This applies particularly where several suppliers may offer very similar technical capabilities. The clearer and more specific your evidence, the easier it is to understand why your organisation should meet the requirement.

5. Follow the engagement and tender updates

Opening 2 is still developing, so suppliers should keep track of new information rather than building their plans entirely around the first DOS7 procurement. Watch for market-engagement sessions, the Find a Tender notice and publication of the final tender documents. Our guide to upcoming GCA frameworks also tracks DOS7 Opening 2 alongside other major procurement opportunities approaching the market.

What did we learn from the first DOS7 competition?

Thornton & Lowe's results from the first DOS7 opening give us a useful perspective on what effective framework preparation can look like. We supported seven businesses, all of which secured framework appointments and achieved full marks on the technical-question element.

A strong technical submission still needs to make the evaluator's job straightforward. Answers should respond directly to the requirement, use relevant evidence rather than general capability statements and remain consistent with the information provided elsewhere in the application. Compliance also needs its own structured review rather than being left until the final upload. For Opening 2, we would apply the same principles while working from the new tender documents rather than assuming that the first-round questions will return unchanged.

Is DOS7 suitable for SMEs?

DOS7 is intended to be SME-friendly, and the framework provides access to a large market of digital suppliers rather than being designed solely around major systems integrators.

However, that doesn't mean that Opening 2 is right for every smaller digital business. The important questions are whether your services fit one of the lots, whether you can meet the eventual participation requirements and whether you have credible evidence to demonstrate your capability.

For specialist SMEs with strong digital delivery experience, the reopening model creates an important advantage. Missing the first DOS7 competition does not mean waiting for the whole framework to be replaced before another opportunity becomes available.

Preparing for DOS7 Opening 2 with Thornton & Lowe

While there's no live tender at present, suppliers need not wait until 2027 to begin preparing. Thornton & Lowe can help digital businesses assess which DOS7 lot best reflects their offer, identify evidence gaps and organise the information likely to be needed before the formal competition begins.

Once RM1043.9.2 goes live, our support can include:

• bid/no-bid and lot assessment
• TAC and evidence mapping where required
• compliance planning
• technical response writing
• independent bid reviews
• end-to-end bid management and submission support

Our bid writing services for IT and digital tenders cover public sector technology frameworks and individual contract opportunities, while our first DOS7 results provide direct experience of the application process.

If DOS7 Opening 2 is likely to be an important route to market for your business, speak to Thornton & Lowe. Preparing your evidence and internal resource early will put you in a stronger position once the tender is published.