As we announced in our blog post at the end of last year, it’s full steam ahead for Giii. Today we can confirm the launch and timetable of the next procurement round for applications to join G-Cloud, with the OJEU notice available online next week. It’s just short of a year since we went live with the first framework, back in February 2012, and we’ve achieved a lot so far, including:
- an innovative and streamlined procurement process, to make buying easier
- launch of the CloudStore with a transparent and competitive marketplace, which now offers over 3,200 cloud services
- more than £4m in sales to the end of December; with over 60% of this going to SMEs
- Pan-Government Accreditation of 25 services with many more in the pipeline
- providing a greater choice and flexibility to buyers and helping them obtain value-for-money services
- a model for success for other procurement frameworks to follow to make it easier for ICT suppliers – particularly SMEs – to do business with Government through a more efficient and simpler procurement.
Since the start of G-Cloud, our intention has always been to run procurements every 3-6 months, so as to encourage a regular influx of new suppliers and refreshed services. We believe this is the best way to drive competition, provide greater choice and flexibility for buyers, and help the public sector to deliver better value and more responsive services for citizens and businesses across the UK.
How is Giii different from Gii?
We listened to the feedback received from suppliers and buyers from the first two rounds of the procurement and have introduced some new features and innovations to support Giii, while retaining others from Gii, as we work towards a standardised process, and to keep it simpler for buyers. Feature of Giii include:
- an increase in the total value of potential spend on the G-Cloud framework to £200m, up from £100m
- maintaining the Framework and Call-off lengths, and Lot structure from Gii (12 and 24 months and four Lots, respectively) for consistency.
Building on the findings of the Government review of the effectiveness of ICT procurement frameworks, and buyer feedback, we’re seeking to strengthen representation on the framework in the following areas:
- Identity services
- Service integration and service management
- Software support
- Business Process Automation
We’re also introducing an improved ITT application process and revised terms and conditions:
- following our public discussion on the revised terms and conditions in October 2012, we are planning to make these a standardised set going forward, including improved wording in the Data Protection clauses to ensure that they more fully take into account the complexities of cloud computing
- a new online ITT submission form, pre-populated for existing Gii suppliers with their service information. We hope this will make it easier for those suppliers who want to roll their services over with little or no change, and easier for new suppliers to submit their bids
- a new and improved order form and Call-off Agreement.
Timetable
As with previous procurement rounds, Giii will be conducted in open and fair competition in line with EU procurement regulations, open to all suppliers.
Key planned milestones are:
- 11/1/13 : Publication of the OJEU Contract Notice
- 11/1/13 : Release of the ITT to Potential Providers
- 11/1/13 : Clarification period starts
- 14/1/13 : e-Sourcing Portal opens
- 08/2/13 by 15:00 : Clarification period closes
- 14/2/13 by 15:00 : Deadline for the publication of responses to Clarification questions
- 21/2/13 by 15:00 : Deadline for submission of Tenders to the Authority (“Tender Submission Deadline”)
- 29/3/13 : Intention to award notification issued to successful and unsuccessful Potential Providers.
- 29/3/13 to 15/4/13 : 10 day standstill (in accordance with Regulation 32)
- End of March 2013 : Expected “Commencement Date” for Framework Agreement(s)
How do I apply?
Existing Gii suppliers:
You can choose to remain on the Gii framework (running until the 27th October 2013) or “roll-over” your services to Giii. If you want to refresh or add new services under Giii, any rolled-over and new services will all need to be submitted as part of your tender response. We will pre-populate the online ITT submission form with your existing company details and services (as at the point of the Gii submission) to make it easier for you to roll-over, and if you don’t want to bid for Giii you should ignore this.
Pre-registered suppliers:
If you previously registered for the Gii event on the GPS eSourcing Suite you will automatically be sent an invitation to participate in the Giii event and will not have to re-register. If you did not participate in Gii you will need to follow the instructions contained within the OJEU Contract Notice to register with GPS for the Giii event.
New applicants:
Suppliers bidding for the first time must follow the tender process and submit the services that they would like to offer to the public sector on a utility basis or as outcome-based services for Lot 4 (Specialist Cloud Services). You will need to register for the online ITT submission form when this is released next week.
Keep watching this space, as we will keep posting new information and guidance. In the meantime, a high-level overview of the steps involved can be found here.
G-Cloud team
Hi,
Should suppliers who have joined on G Cloud iii for the first time be able to be found via the search box?
I’ve tried searching for a company who I know were accepted in for G iii, but they’re not showing up in the cloud store.
Thanks,
Matthew
Hi Matthew
Only once we have released the Giii catalogues to the CloudStore – these are not yet live, so you cannot yet find them.
Keep an eye on the blog post for news about the go live
Hi Peter,
Thanks for that. Will you guys be tweeting it? That’s usually how I hear about G Cloud related stuff.
Of course!
Is there a rough timetable for the launch of G-Cloud iv?
Hi Mark
We are aiming for early summer for the launch of Giv with the anticipation that it would go live in October 2013 just before Gii expires.
Thanks
Nicola
Nicola
I am having locating the online submission form on the E-source site. Where is it and how do i get access
Hi Paul
The link to the online ITT tool is detailed on the eSourcing portal, look in the document titled: G-Cloud Access Instructions.
If you are an existing G-Cloud Suppliers:
* You have been pre-registered using the email address from their Gii tender. So to log on and access your pre-populated services, you will need to use the email address you provided as the contact in your Gii tender.
* You will need to reset your password, so click on the forgotten password link and a password reset email will be sent to the person email address.
* If the contact person provided in your Gii tender is no longer the right contact or would like to use a different contact, then please let us know via the portal and we will reset your account.
* You can choose to remain on the Gii framework (running until the 27th October 2013) or “roll-over” your services to Giii. If you want to refresh or add new services under Giii, any rolled-over and new services will all need to be submitted as part of your tender response. We have pre-populate the online ITT submission form with your existing company details and services (as at the point of the Gii submission) to make it easier for you to roll-over, and if you don’t want to bid for Giii you should ignore this.
If you are a new G-Cloud suppliers:
* Please register and log in to add and submit your services.
Step by Step:
Step 1:
Register using your company name and contact details. You will be sent an activation email.
Step 2:
Log in and complete your company details. You must complete the required fields and save your information before you can start adding services. You can click on the ‘Company Details’ tab to re-edit and update this section later if you wish.
Step 3:
To add a service click on the ‘Add Service’ tab and select the LOT (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, SCS) for the service you are adding. Name your service, complete the questionnaire and save. You will be able to upload any supporting documents here. All your services will be listed on the ‘My Services’ page. When you are ready you can go into each service and select ‘submit’, or you can do this as you go along. You can view all the services you have created here and their status (incomplete, complete, submitted).
Thanks
Nicola
Hi Nicola,
This is really helpful, could you please just confirm how I attached the T&C’s and Service Definition documents. Is it in the gcloudcatalogue or GPS?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Kindest Regards,
Michael.
Hi Michael
You should be able to attach them via questions AQB2 in the GPS eSourcing portal.
Thanks
Nicola
One further question Nicola – If I upload one document, can it be accessed by multiple offerings. I.e. One company information document that would be connected to each of our Service Offerings?
Kindest Regards,
Michael.
Hi Michael
Yes it can be.
Nicola
Please could you point me to the much-referred-to ITT Glossary…
Hi Hannah
The ITT Glossary is at the very beginning of the ITT – its section 1. (The document will be called Attachment 1 G-Cloud III ITT v2.0)
Nicola
Hi Nicola,
My company would like to apply for the G-Cloud iii, and as part of the enrollment I understand that we need a DUNS no.
Our company is headquartered in India and I have verified that we have a DUNS no., but D&B do not have any information on my company’s financials (and hence no rating assigned to my company) as it is a privately held firm.
I would like to understand what are the financial data G-Cloud seeks through DUNS. And, would it adversely affect our chances in the process if D&B cannot provide G-Cloud with financial information on the company.
If recommended by G-Cloud, we will work with D&B to ensure the information is updated in the database.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Suchin
Hi Suchin
All that is required is a DUNS number to register on the GPS eSourcing Suite
There are no financial assessment criteria contained in the procurement that would mean that this supplier would be adversely affected by not having a credit rating.
Thanks
Nicola
“You will need to register for the online ITT submission form when this is released next week.”
Can you advise when the online submission form will be available and where?
Hi Steve
I can confirm that its live now – happy tendering!
Nicola
Will the G-Cloud Team consider extending the submission deadline given that we are now in the busiest quarter of the Public Sector financial year and the current framework expires in late October?
Hi Graham
We have improved the tender process to make it as simple, easy and quick as possible so hopefully our submission deadline should not prove a problem. We will, of course, be doing another round of procurement (Giv) in the next 3-6 months, so like buses there will be another one passing very soon.
Nicola
Hi Nicola – thanks for explaining. So just to check, if we’re an existing Gii supplier with no changes to services, can we sit tight on Gii for now and wait until Giv or Gv to renew our G-Cloud status before October?
Hi Steph
We are now in the clarification period of the G-Cloud iii procurement process, so I have directed your question to the GPS. If you have any further question, please direct them through the GPS eSourcing portal.
Thanks
Nicola