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CloudStore: who chose the vendors?

Posted by Stuart Lauchlan on Sun, 19/02/2012 - 14:31
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The initial tranche of providers in the CloudStore was chosen after a selection process.  On the 18 October 2011 Government Procurement Service placed a tender (known as an OJEU advertisement) for G-Cloud services,

In the first phase the Cabinet Office sought submissions from suppliers of: IaaS, PaaS and SaaS and services that relate to them such as data-migration, service integration.
 
In the end the tender deadline had to be extended twice to cope with with the Cabinet Office saying it was lengthened “due to popular demand.”
 
The overall process followed a number of key stages:
  • Suppliers submitted bids for the services they wish to supply
  • The Government then evaluated and selected suppliers based on the responses provided
  • A Framework Agreement was then negotiated with the successful companies.
  • Mandatory assurance checks took place as well as an Accreditation Process for the successful services
  • All that completed, government buyers can then use the CloudStore to compare and select a service to meet their needs through a call-off contract. 
The G-Cloud guidance notes to vendors explain: “This process is known as the Open Procedure to establish a Multi-Supplier framework. That is you are Tendering to supply the public sector with services – should you be successful you, and mostly likely other suppliers, will be part of a framework agreement allowing public bodies to buy services from you should you meet their needs.”
 
For those providers who missed out this time round, there will be another chance to get into the CloudStore soon. G-Cloud Programme manager Chris Chant stated recently: “My expectation is that from Easter the second iteration of the framework will be out. This time it will enable us to add new suppliers on a monthly basis. That really for me sets the scene for things: we’ll have a living framework and dynamic procurement.”