ePC retain place on the UK government’s G-Cloud framework

ePC is delighted to announce it has retained its place on the latest iteration of the G-Cloud framework, G-Cloud 11.

What is the G-Cloud framework?

Operated by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) on behalf of the UK Government, the G-Cloud framework is an initiative aimed at streamlining the procurement of cloud services by public sector organisations.

The framework is divided into 3 categories, or ‘lots’: Cloud Hosting (Lot 1), Cloud Software (Lot 2) and Cloud Support (Lot 3).

According to official figures, total spend across all iterations of G-Cloud reached £4.75bn in December 2018 with 45% of total sales by value and 71% by volume, awarded to SMEs.

Accessing our services on the Digital Marketplace

From today, public sector organisations can use the framework via an online store called the Digital Marketplace to procure BP Logix Process Director and OpenText™ LiquidOffice (Cloud Software - Lot 2) as well as our expertise in delivering these products (Cloud Support - Lot 3).

Buying services through the G-Cloud framework

The Government Digital Service (GDS), who lead digital transformation in Government, have published guidance on procuring software and support through the Digital Marketplace. The guidance states public sector buyers should:

• document their requirements
• confirm if they need approval to spend money on a digital project
• keep an audit trial to prove their assessment of competing digital services was fair and transparent

To plan a better solution, GDS suggests talking to suppliers at the beginning of a project to help write clear requirements.

At ePC, we recommend engaging with vendors early in the process to help you refine / test requirements, explore ideas and build prototypes. Early engagement with vendors can help you:

• plan better user stories (“As a user, I want…”)
• understand the technical solutions available
• consider technical alternatives to better meet your needs
• identify and mitigate any potential pitfalls sooner
• assess how much the work could cost
• understand how long the work could take
• write a detailed scope or statement of work
• identify critical success factors

To learn more about our digital transformation solutions for the public sector, please review our services on the Digital Marketplace or contact us.