Government launches G-Cloud 10

The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has gone live with the 10th version of G-Cloud, with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) making up 90% of suppliers on the framework.

A total of 3,505 suppliers have been awarded a place on G-Cloud 10, up from 2,856 on the previous iteration.

As previously reported by Computer Weekly, concerns that the roll-out of G-Cloud 10 could be delayed began circulating late last year, with stakeholders speaking out about how any slowdown in the framework’s release cadence could harm public sector innovation.

Government procurement chiefs at the CSS confirmed in November 2017 that the framework could be delayed by up to a year for “functionality improvements” to be made to The Digital Marketplace, where G-Cloud services are listed, putting the launch date back to March 2019.

But in March this year, the government announced that the framework would launch in June 2018.

Oliver Dowden, minister for implementation, said the large number of SMEs on the framework shows how the government is breaking down barriers for smaller suppliers.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, delivering innovative solutions in partnership with the public sector, fuelling economic growth and supporting the delivery of efficient, effective public services that meet the needs of citizens,” he said. 

G-Cloud 10’s predecessor also saw SMEs make up about 90% of suppliers, with 48% of total sales through the framework awarded to small IT suppliers.

Overall, spend with SMEs through the Digital Marketplace is 46.6%, or £1.46 out of every £3 – well above the government’s target of 33%.   

The G-Cloud framework was launched in March 2012 and was held up as an example of how IT procurement across the entire public sector needed to change by allowing organisations to purchase services from a much wider pool of suppliers – particularly SMEs.

According to the government, G-Cloud 10 could be worth about £600m, and more than £3bn has been spent through the G-Cloud framework since it began.

Each iteration of the framework gives existing suppliers the opportunity to update details about the pricing and functionality of their services, and new providers can apply to have their services added to the Digital Marketplace.