Handful of resellers win spot on framework pitting itself against G-Cloud

Softcat, SCC and ANS Group among select number of providers to make it onto Cloud Solutions Framework

The NHS has launched a new framework intended to be a simpler alternative to the likes of G-Cloud.

The Cloud Solutions Framework from NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) was formulated to provide public sector organisations, including the NHS, local authorities and the police, with an easy way to access high-quality, best-value cloud services from 24 selected suppliers.

This list is in stark contrast to the 4,200 suppliers on the most recent G-Cloud 11 framework.

Softcat, SCC, CDW, CAE Technologies, ANS Group and UKFast are among the chosen suppliers to make it onto the list, which is divided into four Lots, one more than G-Cloud's recent iteration.

Lot 1 is solution design and consultancy; Lot 2 is infrastructure-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service and software-as-a-service; Lot 3 is cloud support services and Lot 4 is end-to-end cloud solution.

The framework will run until September 2021, with the option to extend for another two years.

"In what is an incredibly crowded and complex market, our aim was to significantly simplify the procurement process for the NHS and wider public sector," stated Phil Davies, procurement director at NHS SBS.

"To ensure framework users have access to the very best cloud services at the most competitive price, we carried out a rigorous tender process and limited the number of suppliers on the framework to the 10 or 20 most outstanding in each Lot.

"The result is a specialist pool of 24 leading suppliers, which provide the greatest expertise and value for money to the public sector.

"The framework is structured in a way that includes a full range of cloud support services. It means that regardless of where a public body is on its journey into the cloud, or how straightforward or complex its requirements, purchasing the right support is simple, cost-effective and OJEU-compliant."

Georgina O'Toole, chief analyst at market watcher TechMarketView, agreed that G-Cloud had become too bloated.

"In our view, one that we have expressed many times before, [G-Cloud 11] makes it very difficult for public sector organisations to identify the best supplier for their needs," she stated.

"The selected few include both large and small suppliers, specialists and generalists. Public sector organisations should have more confidence they are selecting the best of the best.

"The framework is also designed so that suppliers are encouraged to invest in and launch innovative product and solutions over the life of the arrangement.

"By including [Lot 4] end-to-end solutions, the framework has made it easier for public sector organisations to tackle more complex digital transformation projects."

Here is a complete list of the 24 suppliers on the Cloud Solutions Framework.