The Government Digital Service has finally unveiled the long-awaited provisional timetable for G-Cloud 10 - with a go-live day on new agreements now slated for July.

G-Cloud - a series of framework agreements with suppliers backed up by the Digital Marketplace online store - was launched in 2012, with the aim of making it easier for public sector organisations to buy cloud services without going through a full procurement process.

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It had originally been expected that G-Cloud 9, launched in May 2017, would remain in place until May 2019 after it received an unprecedented 12-month extension late last year - causing some alarm among some suppliers.

However, the Cabinet Office confirmed earlier this month that it was eyeing a June launch date for the latest iteration of G-Cloud.

The new timetable outlined by the government represents a slip of one month on that plan, and confirms that, should G-Cloud 10 now be delivered to schedule, it will launch following the longest wait between iterations of G-Cloud since the service’s launch. 

The latest iteration will open for applications and questions on Wednesday April 18, GDS and the Crown Commercial Service have now confirmed, with suppliers able to submit clarification questions until 5pm on Wednesday May 9.

GDS and CCS say they will then publish answers to any clarification questions on the Digital Marketplace a week later, at 5pm on Wednesday May 16. The final deadline for applications to G-Cloud 10 will be one week after that, at 5pm Wednesday May 23.

Suppliers will learn whether or not their application has been successful on Monday, June 18, with new agreements expected to start on July 2.

Government figures released earlier this year revealed that G-Cloud sales through the Digital Marketplace have reached £2.85bn since 2014.