RM6124 Communications Marketplace.
The compliant route to specialist marketing and communications for UK public sector bodies.
A clear, honest explanation of RM6124.
RM6124 is the Communications Marketplace, a Dynamic Purchasing System run by Crown Commercial Service for public sector marketing, communications, creative and related services.
More streamlined tenders/mini competitions. No closed lists, no fixed panels, no tender windows. Agencies can join at any point, keeping the marketplace current. Buyers filter by service, audience, outcome and location to produce a relevant shortlist for a further competition.
The agreement runs until the 23rd February 2029, and covers the full range of disciplines, from digital campaigns and SEO through to creative, PR, strategy and events. It sits alongside Campaign Solutions 2 (RM6125) for longer-term, end-to-end agency relationships.
We are an appointed supplier. Your team can use the marketplace to shortlist us, run a further competition and engage us compliantly.
Our frameworks
Is RM6124 the
right fit for your project?
RM6124 suits most public sector marketing and communications requirements. Here is how to tell if it is the right route.
RM6124 tends to suit:
- Marketing and communications requirements of any value
- Projects that benefit from a structured further competition among specialist agencies
- Standalone campaign briefs, creative projects and digital work
- Teams who want to shortlist by specific service, audience or outcome
- Work covering digital, SEO, paid media, creative, strategy, PR or events
RM6237 (the Low Value Purchase System) is usually a better fit for:
- Below-threshold requirements where speed is the primary factor
- Simple, well-scoped briefs that do not need a competitive process
- Organisations specifically looking for SME or VCSE suppliers
Not sure?
We are on both frameworks and will give you a straight answer.
Next steps to engage us through our Frameworks.
Being on the Communications Marketplace is a credential. Here is what you actually get when you engage us through RM6124.
We know the sector, not just the framework
Get internal approval. Government bodies spending over £100,000 also need sign-off from the Cabinet Office.
Clear further competition responses
Properly scoped, honest about timelines, priced transparently. No padding, no vague commitments.
Delivery that matches the proposal
We resource projects properly and quality assure throughout. What we commit to in the competition response is what we deliver.
Services we deliver through our RM6124 appointment.
Here is the work we most often deliver through the Communications Marketplace.
Technical audits, content strategy, on-page optimisation and ongoing search programmes for public sector teams.
Paid search and social with clear objectives and honest reporting. Service launches, seasonal campaigns, recruitment advertising.
Accessible, standards-compliant websites built to WCAG 2.1 AA. New builds, redesigns, CMS migrations and ongoing development.
Campaign creative, collateral, infographics, annual reports. Clear, accessible design for public audiences.
The process, step by step.
The Communications Marketplace runs on a further competition model. Here is how it works:
- Log into the GCA Communications Marketplace and set up a category export using the filtering tool.
- Apply your filters across service, audience, outcome and location. Clever Marketing will appear where our capabilities match.
- Export your shortlist and use it to run a further competition.
- Evaluate responses and award to your preferred supplier via the GCA platform.
- Get underway. The marketplace provides the audit trail. The contract sits within the framework.
More compliant than going to market directly. Less overhead than a full open tender. Genuine competition, proper documentation, real choice.
A quick note on Cabinet Office approval:
Central government and ALBs need Cabinet Office approval for advertising, marketing and communications expenditure of £100,000 or over. Factor that into your timeline if your project is near or above that figure.
Organisations that use the Communications Marketplace to work with us.
RM6124 is available to all UK public sector organisations and relevant third sector bodies, including:
- Central government departments and executive agencies
- Arms length bodies and non-departmental public bodies
- Local councils, district authorities and combined authorities
- NHS trusts, integrated care boards and health authorities
- Emergency services and blue light organisations
- Universities, colleges and further education bodies
- Housing associations and registered providers
- Publicly funded charities and third sector organisations
We are GCA appointed and
ready to engage.
We are listed on GCA frameworks RM6124 and RM6237. Our services can be procured through either, removing the need for a full competitive tender in many cases. Central government and ALBs should factor in Cabinet Office approval for AMC spend of £100,000 or over.
Common RM6124 questions.
Do we have to run further competition every time?
Yes, and that’s actually one of the things that keeps RM6124 compliant. The Communications Marketplace works as a Dynamic Purchasing System, so once you’ve pulled your shortlist you do need to run a further competition among those agencies rather than just picking one.
How long does a further competition take?
Plan for somewhere between four and eight weeks from shortlisting through to contract award, though it really does depend on how complex your brief is. As a rule of thumb, give agencies at least ten days to put a proper response together on a standard brief.
How is RM6124 different from RM6237?
Think of RM6124 as the route for proper marketing and communications projects of any size, where you want a genuine competitive process and a documented audit trail. RM6237, the Low Value Purchase System, is built for smaller, simpler jobs where speed matters more than running a full competition, and it can allow direct award in some cases.
Can you help us scope the brief before we issue the competition?
Yes, and honestly this is often the most useful conversation we have with a client. A scoping chat costs you nothing and commits you to nothing. We’ll ask the awkward questions early, the ones about budget, timeline, internal sign off and what success actually looks like, so that by the time your brief goes out it’s tight enough to get you proper, comparable responses.
Do you cover the whole of the UK?
Yes. We work with councils, NHS trusts, government departments, universities, housing associations and third sector organisations right across the UK, not just the ones close to our Camberley office.
What our clients say
Businesses we've helped grow. In their own words.
Over the years we’ve worked with organisations of all shapes and sizes, from small independents to large teams with complex sign-off processes, across a lot of different sectors. Here’s what some of them say about working with us.
The next step
It’s time to be more clever with your marketing.
Ready for an honest look at where you’re at, what’s possible, and what it’d take to get there? The first conversation costs nothing, no obligation. If we’re the right fit, we’ll both know quickly.
On our discovery call we’ll cover:
- The campaign or service you need people to take up, and how uptake is currently measured.
- Where the website or brand is failing people who need to use the service.
- Accessibility obligations and where the current estate stands against them.
- Which framework route fits, and whether the timeline works against your budget cycle.
Fill in the form and we’ll be in touch to find a time that works.