G-Cloud gets a new year makeover

As part of changes to the framework, suppliers will no longer have to ask permission to update their listings from now on

G-Cloud suppliers will no longer have to ask permission from the Government Digital Service (GDS) to alter their framework submissions, as the government gives it a new year makeover.

In the past, if a supplier wanted to alter their submission on the framework, such as remove services which are no longer available or edit a service description, they needed to contact GDS staff.

But as part of the changes, which are being phased in from the start of this year, a new self-service approach will come into play.

On the Digital Marketplace blog, the government said this is an "efficient, legally compliant" alternative to the current process.

It added that some things will still need to get the go-ahead from the GDS, but that the approval process will be sped up.

"When they apply, suppliers write descriptions and pricing documents for each service they can provide," said the blog. "If a supplier's application is successful, these documents are available as PDF files in the Digital Marketplace. Any changes to either of these things need to be approved by the CCS [Crown Commercial Service] assurance team before we publish the new PDF file. We're looking at ways to speed up this process.

"At the moment, suppliers can email the helpdesk if they want to make non-material changes to their service information. This includes their service names and descriptions. However, we hope to release a new feature that will allow suppliers to submit their changes for CCS approval via their Digital Marketplace account."

The government is also thinking up new ways for suppliers to more efficiently update their security credentials.

"As stated in the G-Cloud 6 and G-Cloud 7 Invitation to Tender documents, suppliers are responsible for maintaining accurate security assertions for each of their services," it said.

"At the moment, suppliers must contact the Digital Marketplace support team with any changes they need to make. We hope to introduce a way for suppliers to update their security details in their Digital Marketplace account and submit it to CCS for approval. When the updates are approved, we'll make the changes live."