G-Cloud 15: what’s changed and what still matters

We've been a supplier on G-Cloud for almost a decade, having first joined the framework in 2017. G-Cloud 15 is our seventh consecutive iteration.

Over that time, we've seen the framework evolve alongside the changing needs of the public sector. G-Cloud 15 brings some significant changes, but our experience of working through the framework has also given us a useful perspective on what makes it valuable in practice.

G-Cloud 15 isn't simply an update to G-Cloud 14

G-Cloud 15 is the first iteration operating under the Procurement Act 2023 and arrives following the transition from Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to the Government Commercial Agency (GCA).

The framework itself has changed too. It brings together services previously available through G-Cloud and Cloud Compute 2 into a single agreement and introduces an open-framework model, allowing new suppliers to join when it reopens during its four-year term.

There’s also greater flexibility for buyers, with routes to award contracts both with and without competition, alongside more rigorous supplier evaluation, including around social value.

For public sector teams, the result is a framework designed to offer greater choice and flexibility in how they find and work with suppliers. But one thing our experience has shown us is that there isn't really a ‘typical’ G-Cloud engagement.

How G-Cloud works in practice

We work with public sector organisations through G-Cloud contracts for everything from long-term partnerships to defined programmes of change. Three of our current relationships show just how differently the framework can work in practice.

With the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) we've worked alongside the Better Health Digital Products team since 2020, supporting the delivery and continuous improvement of public health services used by millions of people. The relationship has evolved with the team and its priorities, giving DHSC flexibility to use our services in different ways as its have needs changed.

Our work with Southern Housing, grew from a very different challenge. What began as support during a major transformation programme has developed into a long-term partnership spanning multiple programmes of organisational and technology change. As Southern Housing's own capability has developed, our role has evolved with it.

And at Natural Resources Wales, we've supported a broad digital estate that underpins everything from day-to-day operations to services that help keep communities informed and safe. Here, the need is different again - providing independent assurance across a varied and changing portfolio of digital systems.

They're very different organisations, facing very different challenges.

That's a useful way to think about G-Cloud: the framework provides a route to the expertise you need, but how you use it can be shaped around your organisation, your people and what you need to achieve.

What we've learned about G-Cloud

Over almost a decade of working through G-Cloud, we've learned a fair amount about what happens once the procurement process is finished.

A good engagement isn't defined by the framework it's bought through. It's defined by how well both sides understand the challenge, how effectively they work together and whether the relationship can adapt as priorities change.

That last point is particularly important.

Digital programmes rarely stand still. Teams and policies change, deadlines move, new risks emerge, and what an organisation needs six months into an engagement can look quite different from what it expected at the beginning.

The strongest relationships we've built through G-Cloud have been the ones where there is enough clarity to know what we're working towards, but enough flexibility to respond when things change. That experience has shaped our approach to building successful G-Cloud relationships - the framework may look different today, but those principles still hold true.

What comes next

G-Cloud 15 gives public sector organisations more flexibility in how they access the suppliers and expertise they need. That's a positive change.

But procurement is still only the starting point. The real value comes from what happens next: finding the right expertise, building a relationship around what you need to achieve and being able to adapt as those needs change.

G-Cloud 15 may change how those relationships begin, but what makes them successful hasn't changed quite so much.

Who we are

Zoonou is an independent quality assurance and software testing partner. As a G-Cloud 15 supplier, we help public sector organisations improve the quality, security, accessibility and reliability of their digital services. Find out more about how to procure us through G-Cloud and other public sector frameworks.