Frameworks provide a standardised route for public sector organisations to procure connectivity and security services from pre-approved suppliers. This guide covers the five frameworks where Cloud Gateway is listed and how to use each one.
Frameworks provide a standardised way for public sector organisations to procure goods and services from a list of pre-approved suppliers. They allow procurement teams to identify companies that specialise in particular fields and simplify the bidding and contract award process through common terms and legal protections.
Each framework is structured differently depending on the services being offered and the size and type of suppliers permitted. The tender, bidding, and contract award processes vary: some frameworks are designed to be light-touch and streamlined, while others carry stricter governance to ensure compliance with industry regulation and promote fair competition between suppliers.
Suppliers are generally required to demonstrate that they can deliver the products and services defined by each framework, and must submit evidence of relevant insurance and qualifications before being awarded a place. This guide covers all the frameworks on which Cloud Gateway is currently listed.
Frameworks can eliminate the need for your organisation to carry out its own full tender process and give you access to a range of suppliers that can deliver against your requirements. When used correctly, they do much of the heavy lifting on your behalf, saving time and procurement resource. Depending on your sector, service type, and contract value, procuring through a framework may be mandatory.
Crown Commercial Services (CCS) publishes a Procurement Essentials guide that can help you identify the right framework for your requirements, available on the CCS website.
G-Cloud is one of the largest frameworks run by CCS, containing over 46,000 services and 4,000 suppliers across cloud hosting and support disciplines. All supplier offerings can be searched online without needing to register as a buyer, and pricing and service definitions are published alongside them – giving you a clear view of what is available and at what cost well before the procurement process begins.
Most services on G-Cloud are scalable by design, allowing organisations to start small, pay for what they use, and grow on demand. The framework supports direct award, providing a quick and straightforward route to market, and is refreshed annually with all submissions scrutinised by CCS to ensure access to current technologies.
Procurement through G-Cloud is streamlined into six steps via the Digital Marketplace. The framework provides templated documents including call-off and framework agreements, schedules, and supplier lists.
Services available under TS4 include provision and management of IT service desk, end user device support, network support, asset disposal and application maintenance, and IT infrastructure support. There are over 200 pre-approved suppliers on the framework, of which over 60% are SMEs.
TS4 promotes competition between suppliers on every contract, reducing timescales by eliminating the need for a further OJEU process after procurement completion. Terms and conditions are pre-written and templated, saving time on contract negotiation. The framework accommodates a wide range of scenarios: large contracts can be aggregated or disaggregated, and multiple buying organisations can collaborate on a tender together.
The framework provides a further competition structure that allows you to launch an RFI and an ITT, complete with evaluation criteria and bid scoring. Each lot has its own call-off term templates and evaluation process, supporting detailed discovery for more complex requirements. Some lots are available for direct award.
All suppliers on this DPS have already evidenced their HSCN compliance with NHS England, so every organisation listed can be relied upon to deliver compliant HSCN connectivity. Beyond core connectivity, the DPS covers supplementary network services including PSN connectivity, cloud connectivity, VPNs, and internet access, as well as network security services such as firewalls and intrusion prevention and detection systems. Professional services to support migration and implementation are also available.
To procure through this DPS you need to register as a buyer. Once registered, you can view and filter all appointed suppliers according to your requirements and invite them to run a further competition using CCS’s esourcing tool. The DPS also supports aggregated procurement, allowing organisations with similar requirements to collaborate and leverage better commercial terms by combining their buying power.
Innovation is defined broadly across eight disciplines: Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and automation, simulated and enhanced environments, engineering and materials science, data, wearables, transport, and security. You can also filter by problem area, technology type, location, and security classification.
To be listed on Spark, each supplier must evidence their technology innovation with real-world examples, so every supplier on the DPS has demonstrated that their solution works in practice. The DPS has no minimum or maximum contract value and no lots, making the procurement process simpler. You use the filter system to produce a shortlist of potential suppliers based on your needs, then run a competition among them.
Spark can be used for a straightforward call for competition without requiring Pre-Tender Market Engagement, Capability Assessment, or a Presentation – though all of these steps are available and recommended for high-value or complex projects.
DOS allows organisations to specify bespoke requirements within a flexible lot structure and publish them for suppliers to respond to. There is no restriction on individual call-off contract value. The framework follows pre-approved public sector terms and conditions with scope to tailor call-off contracts to your specific needs. Intellectual property rights and source code for any bespoke development carried out under DOS belong to the buyer, and can be re-used and shared with other public sector organisations.
With DOS, procurement follows a two-stage further competition process. Direct award is not available. Before running the competition, you should obtain internal approval and prepare a description of your requirements, which will be published on the Digital Marketplace. Suppliers respond with questions and expressions of interest, from which you build a shortlist. Shortlisted suppliers are then invited to submit written proposals, which are scored to determine the contract award.
The relevance and quality of supplier responses will be significantly greater if you understand your requirements clearly and can articulate them precisely in your request for quotation or call for competition. It can be tempting to form assumptions about the type of solution you need before engaging with the market – but doing so risks narrowing your options and closing the door to viable alternatives.
There are often multiple ways to address a given business problem, and the technology landscape evolves quickly. Engaging with the market before drafting your framework application will help you form requirements that attract a broad and competitive set of responses.
