The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has announced the imminent launch of the latest version of the G-Cloud procurement framework with 700 extra suppliers from the previous version.
G-Cloud 11 is due to go live on the Government’s Digital Marketplace soon with 4,200 companies listed, up from 3,505 for G-Cloud 10, providing 31,052 services. The latter number is likely to fluctuate as some suppliers remove services and others may be suspended over the term of the deal.
More than 90% of the suppliers are SMEs and the framework has retained the three lots – cloud hosting, software and support – although CCS has indicated that this could be changed with individual frameworks for cloud hosting and cloud services.
Earlier this year its director of technology Niall Quinn said these could run for up to five years to enable customers to move appropriate, non-confidential data to the cloud without having to re-procure every two years.
CCS has also indicated that suppliers need to meet more stringent arrangements for cyber security, saying they should use the most up-to-date anti-virus definitions.
Driving innovation
Commenting on the new framework, Quinn said: “G-Cloud continues to be a major success story for how we drive innovation in the public sector.
“G-Cloud is all about simplicity, making it as straightforward as possible for customers and suppliers to find each other.”
CCS said that since it was set up 2012, around £4.79 billion has spent through the various iterations of G-Cloud, with £2.15 billion going directly to SMEs.
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