RM6195 G-Cloud 14

About RM6195 G-Cloud 14

G-Cloud 14, framework reference RM6195, is the fourteenth iteration of the Crown Commercial Service G-Cloud framework. It is the dominant procurement route for cloud-based services across the UK public sector and one of the largest single Crown Commercial Service framework agreements by both supplier count and aggregate call-off value. G-Cloud 14 went live in November 2024 as the successor to G-Cloud 13 (RM6168) and follows the same three-lot structure that previous iterations established: Lot 1 Cloud Hosting (Infrastructure as a Service and Platform as a Service), Lot 2 Cloud Software (Software as a Service), and Lot 3 Cloud Support (associated implementation, migration, transition, and support services).

The framework is open to suppliers of all sizes and remains one of the most accessible Crown Commercial Service framework routes for SMEs. SMEs collectively account for the majority of services listed in the Digital Marketplace catalogue and a substantial share of total call-off value, although the largest call-offs continue to flow to a smaller group of established cloud-platform suppliers. The framework operates on a four-year framework term, with new G-Cloud iterations issued approximately every 12 months, so suppliers wanting to maintain continuous presence apply to each successive iteration as it opens.

Buyers across central government, local government, NHS, education, and the wider public sector use G-Cloud as their default route for cloud-based services. The Cabinet Office Government Digital Service was an early heavy user and continues to drive substantial call-off volume; HMRC, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Work and Pensions, and most major NHS trusts and local authorities use G-Cloud routinely for both new and renewal cloud services.

Active call-offs under RM6195

Active G-Cloud 14 call-off activity is continuous and high-volume, with new call-offs and direct awards published daily across the Digital Marketplace and Contracts Finder. Recent visible call-off patterns cover the full breadth of public-sector cloud procurement. Central government call-offs have featured cloud-hosted policy delivery platforms, departmental productivity suite renewals, data analytics platform deployments, and contact-centre cloud platform contracts. Local authority call-offs have included revenues and benefits cloud platforms, social-care case management migration, council customer-relationship-management deployments, and planning system cloud upgrades. NHS call-offs have featured cloud-hosted clinical workflow platforms, population health analytics, electronic staff records, and cloud infrastructure for trust digital transformation programmes. Education-sector call-offs have included student information system upgrades and research-data infrastructure for university programmes.

Active call-off category	Common buyer pattern	Typical call-off value
Productivity suite renewals	Central government department	1m to 50m
Data analytics platforms	NHS trust or department	500k to 20m
Customer relationship management	Local authority	200k to 5m
Cloud infrastructure migration	Cross-sector	500k to 30m
Specialist SaaS subscriptions	Cross-sector	50k to 2m

How to bid for RM6195 G-Cloud 14

The route into G-Cloud 14 starts when a fresh G-Cloud iteration opens for applications, typically once per year. Suppliers cannot apply mid-iteration: between application windows, only suppliers approved in the most recent iteration remain on the framework. When an iteration opens, suppliers must register on the Digital Marketplace, complete the framework application questionnaire for the lots they want to bid under, and submit pricing schedules and service definitions for each individual service they want listed. The application process is structured as a series of declarations and supplier-level evidence rather than a competitive tender: any supplier meeting the framework's stated eligibility criteria is admitted.

Once approved and the framework iteration goes live, the supplier's services appear in the Digital Marketplace catalogue, where buyers can search, shortlist, and either direct-award or run mini-competitions. The mini-competition process requires buyers to set out their requirement, invite responses from shortlisted suppliers (typically the top five matches), evaluate against published award criteria, and award to the highest-scoring response. Direct awards are permitted where the buyer can justify a single-supplier route without competition (typically based on unique service match or low call-off value within the framework's permitted thresholds).

Successful supplier strategy on G-Cloud focuses on three things: a well-written service definition that surfaces high in catalogue search for the most relevant buyer queries, a sharp pricing schedule that competes credibly across the typical call-off value range, and active monitoring of mini-competition opportunities to respond promptly with high-quality call-off responses. Suppliers achieving the best outcomes typically combine G-Cloud presence with active commercial engagement with buyer pre-procurement engagement events.

Frequently asked questions

How is G-Cloud 14 different from G-Cloud 13?

G-Cloud 14 carries the same three-lot structure (Cloud Hosting, Cloud Software, Cloud Support) as G-Cloud 13. The main commercial changes between iterations cover the standard call-off terms (updated to align with the Procurement Act 2023 transition where applicable), supplier declarations (refreshed for the new exclusion-grounds regime), and pricing structure formatting on the Digital Marketplace catalogue. Service-content rules and the SaaS, hosting, and support boundaries stayed broadly stable. Suppliers approved on G-Cloud 13 typically reapply for G-Cloud 14 with relatively modest changes to their service definitions and pricing schedules, although each iteration is a fresh framework application and prior approval does not roll over automatically.

How long do G-Cloud 14 call-offs run for?

Standard G-Cloud call-off contracts can run for an initial term of up to 24 months, with one optional extension of up to 12 months bringing the total maximum call-off duration to 36 months. The framework itself runs for four years, but the relationship between framework duration and individual call-off duration is structured so that call-offs awarded near the end of the framework term still run for their full agreed duration. After 36 months, the buyer must run a fresh procurement (typically through the then-current G-Cloud iteration) to continue the service, although in practice many buyers run a refreshed competition before the original call-off expires to maintain continuity.

Is G-Cloud 14 open to overseas suppliers?

Yes, but with conditions. Suppliers headquartered outside the UK can apply to G-Cloud, but they need to meet the framework's eligibility criteria including UK tax compliance declarations, supplier-level evidence of capability, and compliance with the standard exclusion grounds. Data residency requirements often constrain practical eligibility for specific call-offs: many UK public-sector buyers require data to remain within the UK or within UK or European Economic Area boundaries, which limits the call-offs available to overseas-hosted services. Suppliers offering services that can guarantee UK or EEA data residency and that comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 typically participate without restriction.

Does Crown Commercial Service charge G-Cloud suppliers a fee?

Yes. Crown Commercial Service levies a Management Charge on G-Cloud call-off contract value, currently set at 1 percent of the call-off contract value invoiced to the buyer. The Management Charge is the standard funding mechanism for CCS framework operations across the CCS framework portfolio. Suppliers price their G-Cloud services to absorb the Management Charge as a cost of doing business through the framework. The charge is collected monthly via the Digital Marketplace reporting infrastructure, with suppliers reporting call-off invoiced value and remitting the charge to CCS as part of standard framework operation.