Procurement Act 2023 explained
Open frameworks explained: the SME advantage
Open frameworks reopen to new suppliers at set points, so SMEs aren't locked out for years — how they work under the Procurement Act 2023, and how to prepare.
Skim · Built on Skim's live UK procurement database29 June 202611 min read
Open-framework rules from the Procurement Act 2023 (section 49) and GOV.UK framework guidance. SME spend figures from the British Chambers of Commerce SME Procurement Tracker, 2025. Framework details from Government Commercial Agency agreement data. Call-off examples drawn from UK public award notices on Contracts Finder and the Find a Tender Service.
What is an open framework?
An open framework is a public sector agreement that reopens to new suppliers at set points during its life, so missing the launch no longer shuts you out for years. It is one of the headline changes in the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025. If you run a small or medium-sized digital, technology or professional-services business and have ever missed a framework window and waited years for another chance, open frameworks exist to solve exactly that problem.
Before the Act, framework agreements were closed markets. A contracting authority — the Government Commercial Agency (GCA, formerly the Crown Commercial Service), a local council or an NHS trust — would run a competition, pick a panel of suppliers, and seal the door. That framework typically ran for four years. Miss the initial application window and you were locked out for the duration.
An open framework changes that. Under the Act, it is a series of mini-frameworks running in sequence under a single banner, lasting up to eight years in total. The defining rule: it must be reopened to new applicants at least twice — once within the first three years, and again before it ends — so the panel never stays sealed for the whole term. GOV.UK framework guidance
8 years
Procurement Act 2023, section 49
Each reopening point lets:
- new suppliers join who were not there at launch
- existing suppliers refresh their service offering and pricing
- unsuccessful applicants from earlier rounds reapply
- awarded suppliers leave at the next opening point if they choose
Think of it less as a fixed panel and more as a revolving door — one the law requires to keep turning.
“Miss a closed framework and the door is shut for years. Miss an open one and the door reopens.”
Open versus closed frameworks: what is the difference?
| Feature | Closed framework | Open framework |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum duration | 4 years (8 for defence and utilities) | 8 years |
| New suppliers after launch | No | Yes, at set opening points |
| Minimum reopening points | None | At least two (the first within three years) |
| Core commercial terms | Fixed for the term | Substantially the same at each reopening |
| SME accessibility | Single entry window | Multiple entry opportunities |
| Introduced by | PCR 2015 | Procurement Act 2023 |
Closed frameworks have not disappeared — they still suit stable markets with a limited supplier pool. But for fast-moving sectors like digital, ICT and professional services, open frameworks are quickly becoming the default model for new agreements, as the GOV.UK framework guidance sets out.
The SME problem this was designed to fix
The numbers are blunt. In 2024, only around 20% of direct public sector procurement spend went to SMEs — £45.4 billion in absolute terms, and a share that has barely shifted in years even as the total has grown. Central government is tighter still: just 11% of its procurement spend, about £6.9 billion, went directly to SMEs.
20%
British Chambers of Commerce SME Procurement Tracker, 2025
£45.4bn
British Chambers of Commerce SME Procurement Tracker, 2025
The closed framework was a structural contributor to that gap. SMEs are agile by nature: they innovate, pivot and grow quickly. Many were not "ready" when a framework launched — they lacked the track record, had not yet built the right certifications, or simply did not exist at the right moment. Under the old system, that timing mismatch meant a four-year wait. In digital markets, four years is a generation.
Open frameworks break that dependency on timing. You can enter the market when you are ready, not when the framework happened to launch. SMEs already make up the majority of suppliers on GCA's commercial agreements, yet their share of spend stays stubbornly low; open frameworks are one of the structural tools meant to lift it. Skim's analysis of the 2026 framework data shows where that gap is widest — and where it is already closing.
What the contract data shows
Open frameworks are new — the first arrived with the Act in February 2025 — so there is not yet a long public record of call-offs won specifically through one. But they use the same framework call-off mechanism that already puts work into SME hands every week, and that record is public. Where a framework is built with smaller, well-defined lots and a clear SME route, smaller suppliers win.
A sample of recent SME call-offs through GCA digital frameworks and dynamic markets, each with its published notice:
| Buyer | Contract | Supplier | Value | Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gedling Borough Council | Cloud leisure-management system | Gladstone Leisure MRM (SME) | £251,425 | View |
| Regulator of Social Housing | Secure HR software-as-a-service | Ciphr (SME) | £167,767 | View |
| Construction Industry Training Board | Enterprise-architecture software | Bizzdesign UK (SME) | £120,000 | View |
| Office for National Statistics | WordPress hosting for the Analysis Function site | dxw (SME) | £23,760 | View |
| West Suffolk Council | Zero-carbon works: consult, design and install | Roofsoleil, Green Way Solar, U Energy | £231,766 | View |
The pattern is consistent: when a framework is decomposed into smaller lots with explicit SME-suitability signals, smaller suppliers win. The contracts that go to large incumbents tend to be the ones with no lot decomposition and no clear SME entry path. Open frameworks — designed with multiple lots and multiple entry points — are built to widen that opening. For the fuller picture, see Skim's guides to G-Cloud 15 and Dynamic Markets.
Key GCA frameworks to watch
These are the open frameworks most relevant to digital and professional-services SMEs right now.
| Framework | Type | Status for new suppliers | Relevant to |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-Cloud 15 | Open framework | Closed since 30 January 2026; reopens about 18 months after go-live | Cloud hosting, SaaS, cloud support |
| Digital Outcomes & Specialists 7 | Open framework | Live; closed for initial admission | Digital teams and specialists |
| Technology Services 4 | Open framework | Live; closed for initial admission | Managed services, transformation |
Framework status from Government Commercial Agency agreement data.
All three are currently closed for initial admission, but because they are open frameworks, each must reopen to new suppliers before it expires. G-Cloud 15 is the one to watch most closely: an open framework valued at an estimated £14 billion and running to 2030, its next opening point is one of the largest SME entry opportunities in UK technology procurement in years.
£14bn
Government Commercial Agency (RM1557.15)
Practical point. Watch GCA's supplier engagement events and the procurement notices on Find a Tender for reopening notices. The Act requires authorities to give advance notice of opening points, so suppliers get meaningful time to prepare.
Five SME advantages of open frameworks
- Join when you are ready. The biggest shift. If your company did not exist, was not ready, or simply missed the original deadline, you are no longer frozen out for four years. The next opening point is your next opportunity.
- A lower cost of sale. Once you are on a framework you have cleared the pre-qualification hurdles. Buyers can call you off without running a full competitive tender, which lowers the administrative cost on both sides. Where bid resource is scarce, that compounds.
- More shots at conversion. Call-offs happen through direct award, mini-competition and cascade. A place on the panel puts you into every one of those conversations. Miss a closed framework at launch and you had none for four years.
- Keep your offer current. At each reopening point you can update pricing and service descriptions. In fast-moving areas like AI, cloud and digital design that matters: four-year-old service descriptions on a closed framework held buyers and suppliers back alike.
- A more level field with incumbents. Closed frameworks let large incumbents entrench for the full term. Open frameworks add ongoing competitive tension — incumbents can be re-evaluated at the next opening point — which benefits buyers, and benefits SMEs who can compete on current capability rather than historical inertia.
How to prepare for an open framework application
- Understand the lot structure. Most frameworks are divided into lots, and the smaller, more specialised lots are usually where SMEs win. Read the planned-procurement and preliminary market-engagement notices closely — they signal which lots are being shaped with SMEs in mind.
- Build your evidence base now. Evaluations assess technical capability, past performance and value for money. Start collecting case studies from private and public work. ISO certifications such as 9001 and 27001 strengthen an application, and demonstrated private sector delivery counts — you do not need a deep public sector track record.
- Engage early. The Act requires authorities to publish pipeline and planned-procurement notices well in advance. Respond to consultations and attend engagement events — it is how lot structures get shaped in ways that work for SMEs.
- Monitor the pipeline. Contracting authorities now publish forward procurement pipelines, which flag frameworks due for renewal or reopening. Tracking them systematically — the visibility gap Skim exists to close — means a window never opens without you knowing.
- Consider a consortium. If you cannot meet every requirement alone, two or more SMEs can bid jointly, combining capabilities to meet lot requirements that no single firm could satisfy.
FAQ
What is an open framework?
An open framework is a procurement agreement introduced by the Procurement Act 2023, structured as a series of mini-frameworks under one banner, lasting up to eight years, and reopened to new supplier applications at set points during its life. Procurement Act 2023, section 49
How is an open framework different from a Dynamic Market?
A Dynamic Market accepts new suppliers at any time and has no fixed end date. An open framework reopens at specific, pre-notified points rather than continuously. Dynamic Markets suit fast-moving, commoditised markets; open frameworks suit sectors with more defined scopes where structured supplier relationships matter.
Can SMEs apply to open frameworks?
Yes — individually, or as a consortium of two or more companies. GCA's commercial agreements are required to consider SME suitability, and the Act requires every contracting authority to have regard to SME participation in the procurements it runs. GOV.UK framework guidance
Do I need prior public sector experience to get on a framework?
No. Demonstrated private sector delivery, relevant certifications and strong case studies can be enough. The Act has shifted evaluation toward demonstrated capability and value, not procurement pedigree.
What happens if I miss the initial application window?
You wait for the next opening point — which, for an open framework longer than three years, must fall within the first three years of its life, with at least one further opening before it ends. Monitor GCA's communications and Find a Tender for advance notice. Procurement Act 2023, section 49
Is a place on a framework a guarantee of revenue?
No. A place gives you access to a market and eligibility to compete in call-offs; it does not guarantee work. Revenue comes from winning individual call-offs through mini-competition, direct award or cascade. Active business development and strong delivery are what turn framework access into contracts.
Where are open framework opportunities published?
On Find a Tender and GCA's supplier registration and engagement pages. Under the Act, authorities also publish forward pipeline notices that flag frameworks due to reopen.
What to do next
Open frameworks are the most significant structural change to UK public procurement in a decade. For SMEs in digital, technology and professional services, they genuinely lower the entry barrier — but only for firms that are prepared when the windows open.
The groundwork is the same whichever framework you target: build your evidence base, engage with buyer market consultations, monitor pipeline notices, and know exactly which lots match what you do.
The door is now required by law to open again. The only question is whether you will be ready when it does.
Sources
- Procurement Act 2023, section 49 (open frameworks)
- GOV.UK, Procurement Act 2023 guidance: frameworks
- Government Commercial Agency, G-Cloud 15 (RM1557.15)
- British Chambers of Commerce SME Procurement Tracker, 2025 (SME spend figures)
- Call-off examples from UK Contracts Finder and the Find a Tender Service
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