Traditional procurement routes for digital platforms can be slow and resource-intensive. For UK public sector organisations, G-Cloud (or government cloud) offers a more straightforward and compliant way to procure a grant management system.
Instead of running a full competitive tender, agencies can use a pre-approved framework to identify, evaluate, and contract with cloud software providers faster, with fewer administrative tasks involved.
This article explains what G-Cloud is and how government agencies can use the framework for best results.
What is G-Cloud?
G-Cloud is a procurement framework operated by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to help public sector organisations buy cloud services, including hosting, software, and support. Keep in mind that it’s for off-the-shelf solutions, not custom development (but custom configuration is possible).
To date, a total of GBP 22,562.94 million has been spent through the platform, with central government accounting for 56% of that. In 2025, health-related organisations took the lead (35%) followed by local government (30%).
G-Cloud was introduced after the government’s 2013 Cloud First policy that encouraged public sector organisations to seek cloud-based rather than on-premise services. Before its introduction, some suppliers would charge extremely different amounts to different entities for the same services. With G-Cloud, suppliers are forced to be transparent about pricing.
It was also intended that G-Cloud would give smaller companies a better chance, rather than big tech companies (with long and expensive contracts) always winning deals for government IT services.
All suppliers on G-Cloud have passed baseline checks covering areas such as financial standing, security, and data protection commitments, saving buyers time on due diligence.
How Do You Access G-Cloud?
G-Cloud is available to all public sector organisations, including arm’s length bodies. The service is accessed through the Contract Award Service (CAS) via the Public Procurement Gateway (PPG). (Before 2023/24, procurement took place on the Digital Marketplace, which is now closed.)
The PPG portal is managed by the Crown Commercial Service and hosts the catalogue of G-Cloud services. The CAS is a tool that functions within the PPG and is used to execute purchases.
Suppliers list standardised descriptions of their offerings, including pricing, service features, and contractual terms. Contracts can be up to 36 months long with the option to extend.
Why G-Cloud Works Well for Procuring Grant Management Software
The best grant management software these days is cloud-based. It's much more aligned with modern grant processes than on-premise solutions and is designed to support the full grant lifecycle in one platform – from application and assessment through to award management, payments, monitoring, and reporting. Here are some of the benefits of sourcing one through G-Cloud.
Speed
Government grant managers are under increasing pressure to deliver despite strained resources, and traditional procurement routes can work against this goal. A full competitive tender for a grant management system can take many months, but G-Cloud significantly shortens this process.
Faster procurement means benefits are realised sooner. These can include a smoother experience for applicants and staff, stronger financial controls, improved visibility over delivery and spend, and more reliable reporting.
G-Cloud provides access to a large and diverse marketplace. Buyers can easily review multiple grant management platforms side by side, compare features, pricing, service models, and support options, and select the solution that best fits their requirements.
Cost Transparency
G-Cloud offers a high level of cost transparency. As mentioned, pricing is published upfront so it’s easy to compare options and forecast spending. There are no hidden costs and no negotiations required. Contracts are also typically shorter and more flexible than with traditional procurements, allowing organisations to reassess value more often.
Built-In Compliance
Perhaps one of the most significant advantages of procuring through G-Cloud is the level of compliance it provides by default. The framework assures that buyers meet public procurement regulations, and suppliers must meet mandatory requirements before being accepted, including commercial terms, contractual conditions, and security controls.
This reduces legal and administrative risk for buyers and removes much of the upfront due diligence typically required. Agencies can then focus on documenting the decision-making process and ensuring the chosen solution meets their needs.
Security
Suppliers have to publish information about how they meet government security standards and UK GDPR obligations. At the minimum, suppliers must hold the Cyber Essentials certification.
Cyber Essentials Plus is mandatory in higher-risk situations such as infrastructure services or where defence and other sensitive data is involved. (All suppliers are encouraged to obtain this certification.) Many suppliers also hold ISO 27001 certification, demonstrating mature information security management.
Buyers are still responsible for ensuring a service is appropriate for their data and risk profile but G-Cloud offers a headstart, making it easier to assess and compare suppliers on security grounds.
Sustainability and Social Responsibility
Some suppliers are required to have a Carbon Reduction Plan in place. Even where this is not explicitly mandated, suppliers are expected to demonstrate steps to reduce their environmental impact. In addition, some have to submit Modern Slavery statements with their application.
On listings, suppliers state their ESG activities which helps buyers select ones that align with their own objectives.
How Does the G-Cloud Procurement Process Work?
Prepare to Document the Process
To stay compliant, buyers have to document the procurement process including what searches were conducted, what filters were applied, and how the evaluation was carried out.
The government provides template documents but it’s not compulsory to use them. If you have something better suited to your process that captures all the necessary details, you’re allowed to use that instead.
Clarify the Funding Management Software Requirements
Before engaging with the market, it’s essential to define what the grant management system needs to support in practice. Government grant programmes vary widely in purpose, scale, and complexity, and these differences should directly inform system requirements.
Consider the types of grants being administered. For example, a system supporting high-volume, low-value grants will need strong application automation and efficient assessment workflows. Lower-volume, high-value grants often require more complex approvals, milestone-based payments, and robust reporting features.
Expected volumes are another critical factor. Consider anticipated numbers of application forms, awards, and concurrent schemes, as well as peak periods of demand. Systems should be able to scale without performance issues and support multiple grant funding rounds running in parallel.
Prioritise Requirements in Line with Your Grant Management Processes
To keep procurement focused, it’s good practice to categorise requirements by priority. This typically includes:
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Must-haves: Essential capabilities without which the system wouldn't be viable.
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Should-haves: Important features that significantly improve delivery but aren't critical.
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Nice-to-haves: Additional functionality that adds value but can be deprioritised if needed.
Accessing CAS/PPG
To access the Contract Award Service, users need to have a verified Public Procurement Gateway account. To create an account, organisations have to supply their company email address and one of the following:
- Companies House registration number.
- Dun and Bradstreet number.
- Charity Commission for England and Wales number.
- Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator number.
- The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland number.
- National Health Service Organisations Registry number.
- Department for Education Unique Reference Number (URN).
Search on CloudStore
CloudStore is where suppliers are listed. Searches can be filtered by service category, features, pricing, service availability, security certification, support services, and other attributes - and every listing is presented in a common format. Keep in mind that each listing is for a specific service and not for the supplier. Suppliers may list multiple services.
About pricing, suppliers will list the most typical configuration of their service as a guideline. Pricing often varies by volume so it’s important to check their documentation for more details.
Shortlist Suppliers
Many users narrow down their search to the 10 suppliers that best match their most critical requirements. Each listing has an ‘item properties’ list that provides an overview of key attributes, which may help when comparing different services.
Buyers can contact suppliers during shortlisting but there are limitations. You can ask questions about what’s in the listing, including:
- To clarify pricing. This can include questions like whether you can pay in a different currency to what’s in the pricing document, for example.
- To clarify what’s included in the Service Definition.
- Questions about T&Cs.
It’s forbidden to:
- Ask a supplier to bid or submit a proposal.
- Negotiate about pricing.
- Ask for anything additional to what’s in the listing or ask to change the service to meet their requirements.
Make a Final Selection
G-Cloud provides suppliers’ terms and conditions, which a legal professional should review before you commit. If the terms don’t address an issue that’s a requirement for the buyer, an additional clause can be added to the Order Form – providing that it doesn't conflict other contractual terms.
Buyers often select the final supplier based on either the Lowest Cost or the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) method.
Once a supplier is selected, you need to complete the call-off contract, which includes an order form accessed directly through G-Cloud.
In Closing
G-Cloud helps government agencies efficiently manage the procurement of grant management systems. Compliance is built into the process (in terms of data security public procurement regulations), pricing is transparent, and it's easy to compare a wide range of vendors.
Flexigrant is available through G-Cloud but to engage directly, contact us to request a demo.