Plymouth firm celebrates opportunity to win public sector IT contracts
Plymouth-based technology firm Goss Interactive is toasting its success in earning the opportunity to win contracts across the public sector.
The company has secured a place on the Government’s G-Cloud supplier framework for IT services.
G-Cloud allows government departments and the wider public sector to buy the IT services they need when they need them, ready for use from CloudStore, the online marketplace for Cloud IT services. They can keep up to date with advances in technology and avoid lock-in to long, expensive contracts with single suppliers. At the same time, less red tape in the application process makes it simpler and cheaper for smaller companies to get on the framework.
The recent launch of the third G-Cloud framework came as the Government announced that, in future, public sector buyers should consider buying IT solutions from the Cloud before any other option. This should boost business through the CloudStore and create more opportunities for SMEs. Sales via the G-Cloud are rising steadily, with cumulative spend now over £25 million – nearly two-thirds of it with SMEs.
GOSS Interactive has been successfully supplying web content management services (WCMS), mobile web, social media and hosting services to over 60 public sector organisations, including local authorities, NHS, housing associations and the Met Office.
The company has extensive experience of bidding for public sector work via traditional tendering processes such as Invitations to Tender (ITT), but says they are often very protracted processes that can take up to a year of deliberations.
Rob McCarthy, CEO of GOSS Interactive, said: “As an established, trusted supplier to some areas of the UK public sector, with numerous great references and case studies, we saw the G-Cloud as a way of showcasing our capabilities to other areas of public sector. We also recognised that it had the potential to accelerate the procurement process for major projects and dramatically reduce procurement cost, whilst ensuring that more of the opportunities go to SMEs, which are the growth engine of the UK economy.
“The process of getting on to the G-Cloud was detailed but reasonably straightforward – and far less work than responding to traditional ITT-based tenders. It should also mean that once an SME supplier is on the G-Cloud, each subsequent transaction is significantly quicker and cheaper for all parties.”
Mr McCarthy added: “The UK public sector is key to our business. G-Cloud helps us to compete fairly against the larger business and System Integrators (SIs) who traditionally have won the majority of the bigger contracts but can often charge the higher price. Public sector business represents over 50% of our turnover today.
"The G-Cloud has the potential to radically change the face of government procurement. It has opened up significant opportunities for UK SMEs. This challenges the dominance of the few large and expensive multinational suppliers, and lowers the cost of services and administration across the public sector, enabling shorter contracts and greater innovation."
Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude said: “G-Cloud brings a step change in the way government buys IT. It’s quicker, cheaper and more competitive, open to a wider range of companies, including a majority of SMEs, and offers more choice and innovation.
“Many government departments already use G-Cloud, but IT costs are still too high. One way we can reduce them is to accelerate the adoption of Cloud across the public sector to maximise its benefits while, at the same time, supporting innovation and growth in this country’s vibrant technology sector.”
There is the prospect of more public sector business for companies of all sizes with further G-Cloud procurements and the imminent launch of the Digital Services Framework. This will give government access to a pool of suppliers that can help it develop digital public services focused on user needs.
