Digital Outcomes & Specialists 7 (DOS7, RM1043.9) is a UK public sector framework that lets you quickly procure digital, data and technology services—ranging from full agile teams to individual specialists and user research. It replaces and combines previous DOS and Digital Specialists frameworks, with flexible, compliant call-offs and SME-friendly access.

Why this matters now

DOS7 went live in early 2026 and consolidates the government’s digital buying routes. For buyers, that means clearer lots, a unified place to find suppliers, and faster, compliant access to skills for programmes including AI adoption, data platforms and user-centred services. This guide explains what’s new, how to use it, and how Generation Digital can help.

What is DOS7 (RM1043.9)?

DOS7 is the Crown Commercial Service framework for procuring digital, data and technology services delivered in line with the Government Service Standard and agile delivery. It replaces Digital Outcomes 6 (RM1043.8) and brings across capability from Digital Specialists and Programmes (RM6263) into one agreement.

The four lots at a glance

Generation Digital is listed on Lot 1 (Digital Outcomes) and Lot 3 (Digital Specialists).

• Lot 1 – Digital Outcomes: Outcome-based teams to deliver a defined service or product (e.g., discovery to live for a new digital service, accessibility remediation, or platform modernisation).

• Lot 2 – Digital Capability & Delivery Partners: Longer-term partners to support transformation programmes, build internal capability, and augment existing teams at scale.

• Lot 3 – Digital Specialists: Individual roles (e.g., data scientist, delivery manager, cloud engineer, content designer) to deliver a specific piece of work within a team.

• Lot 4 – User Research Studios & Participants: Book research facilities or recruit participants to test services.

Who can buy: Central government, agencies, ALBs, NHS, local authorities, devolved administrations, police and wider public sector.
What you get: Pre-vetted suppliers on common terms; an SME-friendly marketplace; flexible award procedures; procurement aligned to agile phases (discovery, alpha, beta, live, retirement).

When should you use DOS7 versus other routes?

Use DOS7 when you need:

• Agile delivery of a digital outcome or service.

• Specialist DDaT roles to plug skills gaps on a time-bound project.

• User research facilities or participants to validate designs.

Consider other routes when you need:

• Commodity cloud software or hosting → G-Cloud.

• Off‑the‑shelf business consulting → Management Consultancy frameworks.

• Contingent labour / interims where the individual contracts directly with you → Public Sector Resourcing.

What’s new in DOS7 (compared to earlier versions)

• Unified agreement: Combines DOS6 and Digital Specialists & Programmes for simpler navigation and fewer overlaps.

• Clearer lot model: Explicit split between outcomes (Lot 1), long‑term capability partners (Lot 2), individuals (Lot 3) and user research (Lot 4).

• Filtering tool: Buyers can filter suppliers by skills and services to create a targeted longlist before publishing requirements.

• Procurement Act 2023 alignment: Updated terms and processes aligned with the new legislation and policy notes.

How to buy on DOS7 (step‑by‑step)

The high‑level process is similar across Lots 1 & 3 and for user research participants. For user research studios, refer to the specific studios buyer guidance.

1. Prepare requirements
   Define the outcome or role, success measures, budget, timescales, stage (discovery/alpha/beta/live), location/remote expectations, security clearances and constraints. Identify essential and nice‑to‑have skills/experience for scoring.

2. Get approvals
   Secure budget and (for central government) complete any spend controls before publishing.

3. Publish on the Digital Marketplace
   Create and publish your requirements. They’ll be visible to all framework suppliers for the relevant lot.

4. Answer supplier questions
   Respond to clarifications on the platform. Keep an audit trail and avoid any supplier‑specific disclosures.

5. Shortlist
   Score written evidence against your essential and nice‑to‑have criteria to create a shortlist.

6. Assess
   Invite shortlisted suppliers to assessments (e.g., written proposal, interviews, presentations, scenarios). Use the methods and weightings you set at publication.

7. Evaluate & award
   Score quality and price using your published criteria. Award to the highest‑scoring supplier. Notify unsuccessful bidders with meaningful feedback and publish the outcome on Contracts Finder.

8. Manage the contract
   Kick off, govern delivery, and track outcomes against the statement of work. Maintain records for audit and lessons learned.

Typical use cases (including AI procurement)

• AI adoption & copilots: Discovery and definition for responsible use, business cases, pilot builds, governance and change (e.g., Copilot for M365 rollout, AI knowledge search, or intelligent automation).

• Data platforms: Design and delivery of analytics platforms, data governance, ML pipelines, and data product operating models.

• Service modernisation: Replatforming legacy services to cloud-native architectures, accessibility remediation, and performance optimisation.

• User-centred service design: Research, prototyping, and iterative design with real users to meet the Service Standard.

• Specialist augmentation: Short‑term skills such as content design, delivery management, cyber security, information architecture, or site reliability engineering.

Why buy via Generation Digital

Our DOS7 coverage: Lot 1 (Digital Outcomes) and Lot 3 (Digital Specialists).
Fast, compliant route to AI & digital outcomes
We help public bodies turn strategy into working services—especially where AI, collaboration, and knowledge management intersect.

What you can expect:

• Outcome‑first delivery: Clear hypotheses, measurable success criteria, and show‑the‑thing demos from week one.

• Responsible AI & data: Safety‑by‑design, governance, and value tracking baked into discovery through live.

• Embedded capability: We co‑deliver with your teams and leave behind playbooks, enablement and operations readiness—not just code.

• Supplier transparency: Lightweight commercial templates, fortnightly reporting, open repositories, and traceable decisions.

Example engagements:

• AI readiness discovery and roadmap; pilot copilots for knowledge search; secure AI patterns and guardrails for Teams/SharePoint; rollout and change enablement.

• Data product factory; analytics platform foundations; backlog triage and value tracking for insights programmes.

• Accessibility fixes and user‑centred service improvements to meet the Service Standard.

How to start: Share your draft requirements and constraints. We’ll sense‑check scope, propose delivery options across Lots 1–3, and help shape an evaluation approach that is fair, transparent and defensible.

Practical tips for buyers

• Write crisp evidence criteria. Use plain language and avoid overlap between essential and nice‑to‑have.

• Design a balanced evaluation. Weight quality appropriately for outcomes; price‑only competitions risk false economies.

• Publish realistic timelines. Allow time for Q&A, assessments and internal governance.

• Plan onboarding early. Security clearances, tool access and environments can be the long pole in the tent.

• Capture benefits. Tie milestones to measurable outcomes (e.g., cost avoided, time saved, improved completion rates, accessibility scores).

FAQs

Is DOS7 live?
Yes—framework award started in February 2026 with suppliers now listed and call‑offs commencing.

What’s the difference between Lots 1 and 2?
Lot 1 buys a specific outcome delivered by a team for a defined scope. Lot 2 establishes a delivery partner to support longer programmes and build internal capability.

Can I buy AI services on DOS7?
Yes. On DOS7 generally, you can buy outcome-based AI work (Lot 1), capability partners (Lot 2), or individual roles (Lot 3). If purchasing from Generation Digital, use Lot 1 for outcomes and Lot 3 for individual specialists.

Where do I publish my brief?
On the Digital Marketplace. Suppliers respond there; you shortlist and assess using your published criteria.

Do IR35/off‑payroll rules still apply?
Yes—determine status for individual specialists and keep a clear audit trail.

Next Steps

Ready to buy through DOS7? Share your draft requirements with us and we’ll propose the fastest compliant route—whether that’s an outcome team, a delivery partner model, or specialist roles.

Contact Generation Digital → hello@generation-digital.co.uk
Or speak to our public sector team to discuss your options.