- A framework sets the terms for future contracts. Winning a place does not guarantee any work.
- Work is awarded by mini-competition or direct award to suppliers already on the framework.
- Most frameworks last up to 4 years, so missing one can shut you out until the re-tender.
- On 3 November 2026, 9% of live UK tenders were frameworks, typically worth £7.6m.
What is a framework agreement?
A framework agreement, often just called a framework, is an umbrella arrangement. A public buyer runs one tender to appoint a group of suppliers, agrees the terms, prices or pricing rules up front, and then places smaller contracts with those suppliers over the following years whenever it needs the work. Each of those smaller contracts is a call-off contract.
Buyers use frameworks for work they know will recur but can’t yet size: repairs and maintenance, agency staff, care packages, IT equipment, consultancy. One competition replaces dozens of separate tenders, which saves the buyer time and gives suppliers a predictable route to repeat work.
Under the Procurement Act 2023 a framework is defined in section 45 as a contract that provides for the future award of contracts by the buyer to the supplier or suppliers on the framework. A framework can only be used to award call-off contracts. It cannot be used to award another framework.
Single-supplier and multi-supplier frameworks
A single-supplier framework appoints one supplier, who gets the call-offs as they arise. A multi-supplier framework appoints several, often split into lots by type of work or by area, and the buyer chooses between them for each call-off. Most frameworks a small business will meet are multi-supplier and divided into lots.
Who runs frameworks
Some frameworks are set up by a single council or NHS trust for its own use. Many are run by central purchasing bodies so that hundreds of organisations can buy from them: Crown Commercial Service for central government, NHS Supply Chain, NHS Shared Business Services and regional NHS hubs for health, and consortia such as ESPO, YPO and NEPO for local government and schools. Getting onto one of these can open doors to buyers you have never heard of.
How call-off contracts are awarded
The framework itself sets out how the buyer will choose a supplier each time. Under section 45 of the Procurement Act 2023 there are two routes.
Competitive selection (mini-competition)
The buyer invites framework suppliers, usually everyone in the relevant lot, to bid for the specific call-off against criteria set out in the framework. The rules for this competition are in section 46.
Direct award
Allowed only where the framework sets out an objective way to pick the supplier and the core terms of the call-off. Common examples are a “taxi rank”, where work rotates in order, or awarding to the highest-ranked supplier until capacity runs out.
If you win a framework place, read this part of the agreement carefully. It tells you whether you will be competing for every job, waiting your turn on a rota, or getting work only when suppliers ranked above you are full.
How long does a framework agreement last?
Section 47 of the Procurement Act 2023 sets maximum terms. Call-off contracts can run beyond the end of the framework, so work won in its final months can last for years.
| Type of framework | Maximum term |
|---|---|
| Most frameworks (councils, NHS, schools, central government) | 4 years |
| Defence and security, and utilities frameworks | 8 years |
| Longer, where the nature of the work requires it (the buyer must publish its reasons) | Longer |
| Light touch frameworks (for example many health and social care services) and private utilities | No statutory maximum |
| Open frameworks (see below) | 8 years in total |
The practical lesson: most frameworks come back round roughly every four years. If you missed one, note when it ends and watch for the re-tender, which is often advertised months before.
Open frameworks: a second chance to get on
A standard framework is closed once it is awarded: if you are not on it, you cannot get on until it is re-tendered. The Procurement Act 2023 adds the open framework (section 49), which is a series of frameworks on substantially the same terms that must be reopened to new suppliers.
- It must reopen at least once within the first three years, then at least every five years after that.
- The whole scheme can last up to eight years.
- Buyers can choose to reopen more often, for example every year.
- When it reopens, new suppliers can apply and existing suppliers can be re-appointed.
For a small supplier this matters: an open framework you missed is not lost for four years. It is worth noting the reopening dates in the framework notice.
How common are frameworks? Live UK data
We read every new notice on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder each hour. On 3 November 2026, 161 of the 1,830 live UK public tenders (9%) were for frameworks.
| Live framework tenders | Count |
|---|---|
| Construction and trades | 77 |
| Professional services | 39 |
| Cleaning and facilities | 30 |
| Health | 23 |
Councils issued the most (69), followed by other public bodies (51) and NHS bodies (14). Some frameworks fall into more than one sector.
Treat framework values with care. The published value is usually the most the buyer expects to spend across every supplier and every year of the framework, not what one supplier will earn. It tells you the size of the opportunity, not the size of your share. Browse live UK tenders by trade →
How to get onto a framework agreement
You join a framework by bidding when it is tendered, in the same way as any other tender: the opportunity is advertised in a tender notice, you meet the conditions of participation, and you submit a scored bid. What is different is what happens after.
- Find it before it closes. Frameworks are tendered rarely, so missing the window can cost you years. Search for “framework” in your trade, not just for one-off contracts.
- Bid for the right lots. Check which lots fit your services and the areas you can cover. Bidding for a lot you can’t serve well wastes marks and goodwill.
- Pass every pass/fail rule. Frameworks often set turnover, insurance and accreditation rules for the whole term, so check you will meet them throughout.
- Price for the long term. Your rates may be fixed or capped for years. Read how prices can change, and whether call-offs re-open price.
- Keep winning after you’re on. Respond to every mini-competition you can deliver, keep your documents current, and meet the buyer’s framework manager. Inactive suppliers are quietly passed over.
Fees: under section 45 a buyer may charge a fee only to a supplier that is awarded a call-off, as a fixed percentage of that call-off’s estimated value set out in the framework. Buyers cannot charge you simply for being on the framework.
Framework agreement vs DPS or dynamic market
Both give buyers a list of suppliers to award contracts from. The big difference for suppliers is when you can get on.
| Framework agreement | DPS / dynamic market | |
|---|---|---|
| When can you join? | Only when it is tendered (or reopened, if it is an open framework) | At any time while it runs |
| How long? | Usually up to 4 years | No fixed limit for dynamic markets |
| Prices and terms | Largely fixed at the start | Set in each contract competition |
| How work is awarded | Mini-competition or direct award | Competition between members |
Framework agreement FAQs
What is a framework agreement in simple terms?
It is an agreement between a buyer and one or more suppliers that sets the terms for future contracts over a fixed period, usually up to four years. Suppliers win a place through a tender, then the buyer awards smaller call-off contracts to them as work comes up.
Does being on a framework guarantee work?
No. A framework place gives you the right to be considered for call-off contracts, not a promise of any. Many suppliers win a place and receive little or no work, especially on frameworks with many suppliers per lot.
What is a call-off contract?
A call-off contract is a contract awarded under a framework agreement for a specific piece of work. It is awarded either by a mini-competition between framework suppliers or by direct award using the method set out in the framework.
How long does a framework agreement last?
Under section 47 of the Procurement Act 2023, most frameworks can last up to four years. Defence, security and utilities frameworks can last up to eight years, light touch frameworks have no statutory maximum, and open frameworks can run for up to eight years if they are reopened on schedule.
Can I join a framework after it has started?
Not a standard framework: once awarded, it is closed until it is re-tendered. Open frameworks under the Procurement Act 2023 must reopen to new suppliers at least once within three years and then at least every five years. Dynamic purchasing systems and dynamic markets accept new suppliers at any time.
What is a mini-competition?
A mini-competition, called a competitive selection process in the Procurement Act 2023, is how many call-off contracts are awarded: the buyer invites the suppliers on the framework or lot to bid for a specific piece of work against criteria set out in the framework.
What is the difference between a framework and a DPS?
You can only join a framework when it is tendered, and its terms are largely fixed for its life. A dynamic purchasing system, now a dynamic market under the Procurement Act 2023, lets new suppliers apply to join at any time, with terms set in each contract competition.
Can buyers charge suppliers to be on a framework?
Under section 45 of the Procurement Act 2023, a buyer can only charge a fee to a supplier that is awarded a call-off contract, as a fixed percentage of the call-off’s estimated value set out in the framework. It cannot charge just for a place on the framework.
- Guidance: frameworks, Procurement Act 2023, GOV.UK
- Procurement Act 2023, section 45: frameworks, legislation.gov.uk
- Procurement Act 2023, section 47: maximum term, legislation.gov.uk
- Procurement Act 2023, section 49: open frameworks, legislation.gov.uk
Last reviewed 3 November 2026. Live figures from tenderITT’s own data on 3 November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice; always follow the instructions in each tender pack.