G-Cloud adopters should get recognition - supplier

More needs to be done to showcase when local councils use G-Cloud, according to one firm on the scheme

So few local councils are procuring from G-Cloud that the ones that do ought to be shown off and given a badge of honour, according to one of the framework's suppliers.

Last week, research carried out by CRN found that just 27 per cent of local councils plan to procure IT from the G-Cloud framework in FY15/16 and 40 per cent of them said they had received no encouragement from the Cabinet Office to do so.

Anne Stokes, chief executive of G-Cloud supplier Streamwire, said the UK government should take a leaf out of the US government's book and reward public organisations which use SMB-friendly schemes such as G-Cloud.

"The Americans are very good at [it]," she told CRN. "When I was at CSC [from 2000 to 2006] there was something called the Paul Bury Award and it was for federal organisations in the US which were actively engaging with small and medium-sized enterprises to be part of their supply chain. This was a government-sponsored initiative that showcased where big organisations really demonstrated they were working with small organisations.

"We almost need something like that – we've got corporate social responsibility, we're got diversity, there's a push for women-owned business to be given more headroom and what have you – but I think, and it may well be another FOI question, how many organisations have their big IT partners partner with SMEs? If we genuinely believe that UK plc can work together to deal with the challenges we have got, everyone has to do their bit and be given the chance to do their bit."

The government has come under fire over G-Cloud and a number of other IT frameworks such as the Digital Services Frameworks in recent months, with many suppliers queueing up to voice their concerns and take a shot at the Cabinet Office.

But Stokes (pictured) insisted that positive action must be taken to encourage change.

"I would have a look at how they make [local authorities' use of G-Cloud] more visible in terms of those organisations which have demonstrated it works well," she said.

"They need to showcase where big companies and local authorities have actually worked well with smaller enterprises. It showcases it and gives people a bit of comfort that they are not necessarily the first footer."