Crown Commercial Services’ (CCS) G-Cloud Framework has been renewed once again. The Invitation to Tender (ITT) for G-Cloud 14 went live on the 19th February 2024 which means that G-Cloud 13, the thirteenth iteration of the framework, is winding down.

With the push towards a ‘cloud first’ public sector, G-Cloud has fast become CCS’s most sought-after framework. For many technology suppliers, G-Cloud is seen as the most prosperous framework to be involved in. It’s easy to understand why - to date, a massive £16.74bn has been spent across the thirteen iterations, and spending continues to rise year-on-year.

Submissions for G-Cloud 14 close on 7th May so we've prepared this guide to help you qualify whether this framework is the right fit for your business and plan your strategy for the year ahead.

Inside, you will find the information you need to:

• Qualify your G-Cloud bid: Market size the opportunity with YoY spend data broken down by framework lot, supplier size and buyer department.
• Plan your go to market calendar: Use quarterly G-Cloud spending data to time your approach and strike while the iron is hot.
• Identify upcoming opportunities: Leverage leading tactics to target top buyers, suppliers and contracts in G-Cloud 14.

The data in this report is comprised of spend data published by CCS spend data and published call-off contracts captured via Stotles. This data was accurate as of 1st March 2024. [GATE]

Since the inception of G-Cloud in 2012, spending through the framework has consistently increased year-on-year.

We've visualised the growing popularity of the framework in the graph below.

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As the 2023/24 FY has not ended, this year's data displayed in the graph does not represent a full year of G-Cloud spend. When the final spend data is released, we can expect this year to demonstrate continued growth from 2022/2023.

While the overall direction of G-Cloud’s spend trend is striking, to make an informed decision about your G-Cloud bid, you first need to understand the nuance of which lots, suppliers and departments drive this spending growth.

The G-Cloud framework is split into four lots, each built for procuring specific cloud-based products and services. Suppliers can also list their products and services on multiple lots if they are eligible for more than one category.

Whether you're an enterprise supplier or an SME, identifying the right lot can significantly enhance your chances of success.

Here’s how to align your offerings with the right opportunity:

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Lot 1 - Cloud Hosting: Ideal for suppliers offering Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) or Platform as a Service (PaaS). This lot favours enterprise suppliers ready to provide robust cloud infrastructure.

Lot 2 - Cloud Software: Tailored for SaaS applications, including CRMs, ERPs, and EPRs, built on cloud infrastructure. An accessible path for SME suppliers to enter the market.

Lot 3 - Cloud Support: Focuses on services essential for digital transformation, such as cloud migration, deployment, and ongoing support. A highly competitive lot for SMEs, due to its critical role in modernising government systems.

Lot 4 - End-To-End Cloud Services: A specialised framework for a select group of enterprise-level suppliers, offering comprehensive cloud solutions.

Below, we have analysed spending through the first three G-Cloud lots to identify which represents the most valuable opportunity for suppliers. The chart reveals that Lot 3 (Cloud Support) dominates expenditure, capturing 60% of the total spend.

This surge in spending is driven by the government’s urgent need to modernise legacy systems with cutting-edge cloud services, presenting a significant opportunity for suppliers specialising in cloud support.

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Compared to more traditional routes to the public sector market, G-Cloud has historically represented a more competitive opportunity for suppliers of all sizes, bridging the gaps between small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger enterprise providers seen in the wider market.

In the chart below, we zoom into spend on G-Cloud 13 to understand the opportunities suppliers of different sizes can expect from G-Cloud 14.

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This analysis of G-Cloud 13 spending reveals critical insights:

• SME success: SMEs secured 42% of G-Cloud 13 spending, outperforming their success in the wider public sector where, on average, they are awarded around 27% of contracts. This highlights the framework as a viable route to market for SMEs.
• Enterprise advantage: Enterprise businesses count for just 10% of G-Cloud suppliers but they are responsible for 56% of spend on the framework. Their success rate is significantly higher than the average SME company and indicates efficiency in winning contracts in a less crowded competitor space.‍
• Market saturation: Although SMEs benefit from a considerable portion of the spending, companies in this category represent, over 4,500 of 5,000 listed suppliers (90%) were classified as SMEs by CCS on G-Cloud 13. This points to intense competition and market saturation for SMEs.‍

In conclusion, the intense saturation of the G-Cloud market means that simply being listed on the framework is no longer enough to guarantee success, especially for SMEs.

Securing your listing is merely the first step and, with over 5,000 competitors each year, suppliers must employ proactive sales and marketing strategies to distinguish themselves from the competition.

To help further qualify your bid, we have broken down which areas of the public sector are spending the most through G-Cloud.

Overwhelmingly, we found that the majority of G-Cloud spending comes from Central Government.

So, you've been listed on G-Cloud 14 - what's next?

Simply waiting won't bring contracts to your doorstep which is why we have analysed the most active quarters for G-Cloud spending to help you plan your go-to-market (GTM) strategy. This knowledge is crucial for timing your bids effectively and enhancing your chances of securing contracts.

We found that Q4 (January-March) of the government's financial year has historically represented the busiest time for G-Cloud spending. This is explained by the fact that public sector buyers are using up final budgets before they reset in April.

The lowest spend occurs in Q2 (July-September). The summer period is when the public sector slows down due to school holidays and parliamentary recess, resulting in reduced procurement activity through frameworks like G-Cloud.

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You should use this spend data to help plan your approach. In slow periods (Q2), you should be proactive and use this time to build relationships with buyers and identify early buying signals to put you in the strongest position to win contracts in Q4, when opportunities are more likely to come to market.

Now we have highlighted key trends to help qualify your bid and key dates to plan your calendar, it’s time to learn the tactics you can use to make G-Cloud a winning element in your GTM strategy.

We have highlighted the top buyers, suppliers and contracts you can target to surface potential opportunities in G-Cloud 14.

To start, we spotlight this year's top G-Cloud spenders, visualised in the chart below. The data in this section of the report covers FY 2023/24 to offer you the most up-to-date view of buyer behaviour on G-Cloud.

Consistent with earlier findings, Central Government authorities dominate the top 10 buyers list. For enterprise Central Government suppliers, you can use this list to understand which central authorities you could win work with via G-Cloud 14.

For SME's, many of the Central Government buyers above will be out of reach. To provide a more helpful ranking for suppliers in this category, below we have listed the top 50 buyers outside of Central Government.

These 50 public sector buyers accounted for 9% of total G-Cloud spend in 2023/2024, representing a significant opportunity for new market entrants.

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Top suppliers use public sector contract data to identify other major players in the market, whether they are competitors or potential partners, and leverage the opportunities these suppliers are winning to their own advantage.

To demonstrate how you can incorporate this into your strategy, we have analysed the top ten G-Cloud suppliers from this financial year.

We found that these suppliers account for 23% of the total G-Cloud spend for 2023/24, representing a substantial oligopoly hold on this framework.

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For enterprise suppliers hoping to win contracts through this framework, this top ten supplier list may represent your major competition.

For SME's, you can use this list to identify top G-Cloud beneficiaries to approach with potential partnership opportunities. For example, Softcat (the fifth most successful supplier) is a Value Added Reseller which specialises in re-selling other suppliers' products on their behalf, and may be approachable for partnership opportunities.

In this final section, we demonstrate how you can capitalise on expiring G-Cloud 13 contracts to target upcoming opportunities in G-Cloud 14.

These expiring contracts often signal potential renewals or new projects. By leveraging these insights, proactive suppliers can predict future business and align their GTM strategies with forthcoming contracts.

Utilising the Stotles platform, we've identified five major contracts from G-Cloud 13 due to expire during G-Cloud 14's tenure, showcasing potential opportunities.

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G-Cloud is just the beginning of your journey when it comes to public sector success.

In fact, the most valuable work happens after you have been listed on the framework. The most successful G-Cloud suppliers are those who proactively seek opportunities and leverage data and market intelligence to decide which to pursue and where relationships can be built, rather than simply waiting to be awarded opporunities through the marketplace.

Stotles is your essential companion in this journey. You can leverage our AI-powered platform to gain comprehensive and tailored insights into G-Cloud contracts, monitor buyers, partners, and competitors, connect with key decision-makers, and streamline your outreach efforts.

Get started today with the link below.