What is the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework?
Digital Outcomes and Specialists (DOS) was the Crown Commercial Service framework for procuring outcome-based digital projects and specialist digital resource from the public sector market. It ran through six iterations (DOS1 to DOS6) from 2016 to 2024 and became one of the most widely used digital procurement routes in UK government, covering everything from service design and agile development to user research and data engineering.
DOS has now been replaced by two successor frameworks: Digital Outcomes (DO) and Digital Specialists and Programmes (DSP), both run by Crown Commercial Service. If you or your buyers still refer to "DOS framework", "Digital Outcomes and Specialists", or "DOS tenders", they are almost certainly looking at DO or DSP opportunities. TenderSignal covers both.
Digital Outcomes vs Digital Specialists and Programmes
The two successor frameworks serve different procurement models. Digital Outcomes is for outcome-based contracts: the buyer describes what they need delivered, and suppliers propose their approach, team, and price. It is used for discovery and alpha phases of new digital services, end-to-end delivery of specific digital products, and bounded transformation projects with defined outcomes.
Digital Specialists and Programmes is for resource-based contracts: the buyer specifies a role (delivery manager, software developer, UX designer, service designer, product manager, business analyst, data engineer, security architect) and suppliers provide appropriately skilled individuals at an agreed day rate. DSP is used when buyers need to augment their in-house digital teams for a period, or when projects are scoped on a time-and-materials basis.
Typical DSP day rates vary by role and seniority, ranging from approximately £400 to £600 per day for junior developers and business analysts through to £800 to £1,200 per day for senior architects, technical leads, and delivery managers at specialist or senior grades. Rates are fixed at the point of listing on the framework and buyers can compare directly.
Who uses Digital Outcomes and DSP?
The primary buyers are central government digital teams and the Government Digital Service (GDS) supply chain. HMRC, DVLA, DWP, Ministry of Justice, Home Office, and NHS England are significant spenders. NHS digital transformation programmes, local authority digital services teams, police digital units, and devolved administration digital teams also use the frameworks. The common factor is buyers who have adopted agile delivery and GDS service design principles and need external digital capability to supplement their in-house teams.
Types of opportunities
Under Digital Outcomes, common opportunity types include: alpha and discovery phases for new government services (typically 8 to 12 weeks, small multidisciplinary team), live service development and iteration, legacy system migration and replacement, data and analytics platform development, accessibility audit and remediation, and content design for government-facing digital services.
Under DSP, buyers post role requirements specifying skills, experience level, security clearance requirement, and duration. Common roles include delivery manager, senior developer (full-stack, front-end, back-end), DevOps engineer, data engineer, data scientist, UX designer, service designer, user researcher, and product manager.
Relevant CPV codes include 72212000 (programming services of application software), 72000000 (IT services), 72222300 (information technology services), and 80000000 (education and training) for digital skills programmes.
How to apply for Digital Outcomes and DSP
Applications are made through the Crown Commercial Service Digital Marketplace. CCS runs application rounds, typically annually or when a new framework iteration is launched. Suppliers submit capability evidence, complete supplier declarations, and agree to framework terms. For Digital Outcomes, you demonstrate capability across relevant service areas. For DSP, you list the roles you can supply, the day rates for each, and the evidence of capability for each role.
Familiarity with the GDS service standard is expected for suppliers applying to Digital Outcomes. Most opportunity notices specify which phase of the service standard the work falls under (discovery, alpha, beta, live), and your service definition should reflect experience at the relevant phases.
How TenderSignal covers Digital Outcomes and DSP opportunities
TenderSignal monitors when Digital Outcomes and DSP application windows open on Find a Tender, alerting you before the window closes. It also captures direct digital procurement exercises issued by NHS bodies, councils, and other public sector buyers outside these frameworks -- which represent a substantial volume of digital spend that never goes through CCS at all. Set your digital CPV codes and receive a daily matched digest covering both framework application notices and open market digital tenders. See also: G-Cloud framework opportunities and IT and software tenders.
Digital Outcomes tender FAQ
Is DOS still active?
DOS6 (Digital Outcomes and Specialists 6) closed in 2024. It has been replaced by two frameworks: Digital Outcomes (DO) and Digital Specialists and Programmes (DSP). If you received opportunities through DOS, you will need to apply to one or both of the successor frameworks when their next application window opens. TenderSignal alerts you when these windows open.
What are the IR35 implications for DSP placements?
IR35 (off-payroll working rules) assessment is the buyer's responsibility for public sector engagements. When a buyer engages an individual through DSP on a day rate basis, they must carry out a status determination and issue a Status Determination Statement (SDS). Suppliers who place individuals through DSP should understand how this affects their payment model and ensure their consultants are aware of the determination process. The specifics depend on the individual engagement and buyers' own policies.