Public decision-makers’ interest in digital technology has fuelled the debate about the potential of open government data (OGD) as a foundation and driver for economic growth, competitiveness, innovation, job creation, and soci- etal progress in general. These potentials create high expectations sustained by a plethora of economic and societal forecasts about OGD. However, there appears to be a lack of scholarly literature about OGD use from which value stems. This paper addresses this concern by developing a conceptual framework scoping con- ditions surrounding OGD use. The conceptual framework, built on the literature, gathers three major components, i.e. (1) the characteristics of the datasets, (2) the features of the OGD portal, and (3) the organizational resources and capabilities, which altogether afford use. The paper also provides some insights for research- ers and policymakers. By structuring conditions surrounding OGD use in organ- izations, the framework allows to further distinguish between the opportunities offered by the OGD portal and respective datasets from the actualization of those opportunities by organizations throughout use.