Platform to be rolled out in countries including Mexico and South Africa

The government has funded the rollout of the Global Digital Marketplace to the tune of £11m.

The marketplace intends to take the technology developed for the UK’s Digital Marketplace and deploy it across a range of partner nations around the world. The aim of the project is to “help tackle global corruption”, the government said.

In the coming weeks and months, £11m will be drawn from the Cross-Government Prosperity Fund to support the rollout of digital procurement platforms in places including Mexico, Colombia, South Africa, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Technical support for the rollout will be provided by the Government Digital Service, which will also share platforms and templates with overseas peers. 

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The government claimed that the rollout of the Global Digital Marketplace will help combat corruption by “encouraging transparency, putting user needs first and simplifying the procurement process” for buyers and suppliers.

Minister for implementation Oliver Dowden said: “The Digital Marketplace is enabling small businesses to work in partnership with the public sector to drive the UK’s digital transformation. Small businesses are the backbone of the British economy and this government is committed to helping them prosper.”

He added: “The creation of the Global Digital Marketplace will build on our successes and help tackle global corruption by improving transparency. It is right that we should share our innovative model with other countries who want to open up their systems of public sector procurement.”

The project to establish the Global Digital Marketplace forms part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s wider Global Anti-Corruption Programme. Backing for the scheme as a whole is also provided by the Cross-Government Prosperity Fund – a joint initiative of the FCO, Cabinet Office, Treasury, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Department for International Development, and Department for International Trade.