Cumulative local government spend through the G-Cloud framework rose by 10 per cent over the month to the end of May, according to new figures.

A set of data released by the Government Digital Service showed total sales since April 2012 rising from £11.9m the previous month to £13.1m.

But local government sales still make up a small proportion – just 6% of the £217m overall sales through the G-Cloud.

Tony Singleton, director of digital commercial programme, at the Government Digital Service, welcomed the fact that the figure had broken the £200m for the first time.

He said that average monthly spend for the past quarter was around £20m.

But he said: “It is important to remember that G-Cloud is more than just about sales. 

“Both G-Cloud and the Digital Services framework are programmes with the the potential to radically transform the way that central government and the wider public sector deliver their digital services.”

Sales remained evenly split between small and medium enterprises and large suppliers during the month.

Singleton added that more needed to be done to get more of the public sector to start buying through the G-Cloud framework.

He said: “I was asked at a Civil Service Live panel session what I saw as the biggest challenge over the next 12 months. 

“This is, without a doubt, getting the message further across both central government and the wider public sector about the truly transformational benefits that Cloud First can deliver. 

“It is now up to us to show that the Digital Marketplace can make it clearer, simpler and faster to do this.

Singleton confirmed that the private beta of the Digital Marketplace, which will replace both the CloudStore and Digital Services Store, launched on 22 July.

The public beta is planned for launch in the autumn, using the G-Cloud 4 and 5 catalogues.