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Part of the digital community service will be a commercial framework of solutions and services to help organisations manage digital continuity more effectively. We've created this framework with Buying Solutions, the UK government's leading procurement services organisation. See our news story on the launch of the framework.

This page contains specific information for the wider public sector about the solutions and services you can use. This framework is closed for new suppliers, please see information for suppliers.

How and when you can use the framework

The Digital Continuity Framework will be hosted on the Buying Solutions website and offers the following solutions and services:

  • Information management services
  • Data storage consultancy
  • Data conversion and migration services
  • eDiscovery solutions
  • Data quality solutions
  • Digital archiving solutions

Read our at-a-glance factsheet for more of an overview of the Framework and the tools and services it provides.

Digital Continuity Framework factsheet (PDF, 0.08Mb)

Guidance published by The National Archives (A customer guide to the Digital Continuity Framework, below) and Buying Solutions (Digital Continuity Framework guidance notes) cover the specific advantages of using the Digital Continuity Framework. Our guidance can be viewed below:

A Customer Guide to the Digital Continuity Framework (PDF, 0.08Mb)

In addition, the Buying Solutions and OGC websites cover everything you need to know about public sector procurement and frameworks.

The benefits of a framework agreement

Frameworks also benefit suppliers and customers. For suppliers they have the benefit of:

  • easier access to the public sector market
  • lower cost of sales through reduced tendering effort
  • support from Buying Solutions
  • streamlined and standardised processes
  • consistent terms and conditions
  • quicker access to market as OJEU requirements are already fulfilled.

Using a framework makes purchasing solutions and services easier for customers. They can quickly involve framework suppliers in projects.

Who can use the Digital Continuity Framework?

You can use the Digital Continuity Framework if you work in central government, or the wider public sector. This includes central government, local government, health, education, emergency services, defence, utilities and not for profit sectors. It also includes devolved administrations and the local government, health, education and emergency services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. You can also use the framework if you are a service provider acting on behalf of the above UK Public Sector Contracting Authorities.

Other solutions and services

There are also solutions and services you can use to manage digital continuity that aren't on our commercial framework. There are detailed in the upcoming guidance Technology Tools and Services to Help Mitigate Risk.

In addition, The National Archives is developing a file characterisation tool called DROID. You can download this tool for free and use the information you get to make informed information management decisions, and plan the actions you'll need to take to manage digital continuity.

This page contains PDF files. See plug-ins and file formats for help in accessing these file types.