With these considerations in mind, we pride ourselves on being able to rise to the challenge and deliver exceptional web design, development, hosting and support services to our public sector partners, helping them meet these demands, always putting the user at the heart of every decision that we make and offering a tailored, flexible service delivery model making us both resilient and adaptable. What’s more, one of the core values at Wigwam is our desire to do good. Helping support the public sector in being able to extend their reach and deliver services, information and functionality in a clear and concise way aligns perfectly with our company’s ethical aims.
“G-Cloud provides buyers with a uniquely easy method for contracting with suppliers.”
What is the G-Cloud?
The G-Cloud is a large framework focussing on cloud related software, services and support. The latest iteration of this framework, G-Cloud 11, hosts an impressive 31,000 services from which public sector buyers can identify suitably qualified and relevant suppliers in order to form complaint contracts.
In our opinion, the G-Cloud provides buyers with a uniquely easy method for contracting with suppliers. Unique in as much as the process is both compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and exceptionally easy. All G-Cloud suppliers, Wigwam included, have undergone a rigorous application process declaring compliance with the standards of the Crown Commercial Services, confirming publicly how we operate as a business and detailing our services and pricing.
This framework is an excellent vehicle for public bodies to engage with suppliers and form contracts.
G-Cloud Buying Process
As stated within the ‘Buyer’s Guide’ published by Crown Commercial Services, public sector organisations should follow the steps below when buying services from the G-Cloud. Remember, the framework is set up in order to make finding and contracting with suppliers nice and easy. What’s more, this route allows you to contract in full compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations. The one prevailing rule is that you conduct the process fairly and transparently. That means keeping a full audit trail and rationale for your decisions.
1. Create a list of requirements – this doesn’t have to be a formal, full statement of requirements or a complete service specification, however it should cover the essentials to help you build a picture of what you’ll be looking for from the vast array of services published on the framework. At this stage you should also think about your budget for the contract, it’s duration (G-Cloud contracts are capped at a maximum term of 4 years…2 years with 2 additional extension years), and what criteria you will use should you find two or more services on the framework that meet your requirements.
EXAMPLE
website design
website development including:
· Analytics
· Mobile responsiveness
· Social media integration
· SEO (search engine optimisation)
· Accessibility testing
· Compatibility testing across browsers, devices and operating systems
· Web security
provision of a CMS
website hosting within a UK based data centre
website maintenance and ongoing support
training for staff covering ongoing content management
2. Start your search – with over 31,000 services listed on the framework, you’ll first need to select what category you’re looking at, be it (1) Cloud Hosting, (2) Cloud Software, (3) Cloud Support or (4) all of the above. Then you’ll need to identify some keywords that relate to the service you’re looking for in order to filter through the search results and create a shortlist of appropriate suppliers. You can add as many keywords as you like providing that they mirror your requirements and do not unfairly advantage one supplier over others. In keeping with the rules of the framework, keep a record of your search terms and the results. You can do this by simply creating a document record or by logging into the Digital Marketplace and saving and exporting your search result.
EXAMPLE
For a web development service, this will most appropriately come under the category of “Cloud Support” or “Cloud Software”.
Once either has been selected, and based on the requirements listed above, keywords can be entered such as:
website, design, development, CMS, analytics, hosting
3. Apply filters – at this stage, particularly if your search results show a large number of suppliers, you can either add additional search terms or apply some filters. The purpose is to reduce the number of suppliers or services to a more manageable number and refine your results so that it is more tailored to your particular requirements.
4. Review shortlisted services - Once you have a manageable shortlist of suppliers you should then review the service descriptions to really compare the offering against your requirements list. You should also review their Service Definition document, Terms and Conditions, and Pricing. This review will allow you to exclude any shortlisted suppliers that don’t quite meet your requirements or budget and help you to further refine your shortlist.
a. If the outcome of your review results in a single supplier being left, you are then in a position to directly award a contract with that supplier. Their contact details will be found on their profile page and, using the G-Cloud framework Call-Off Contract, you can contact the supplier to propose the prospect of awarding the contract.
b. If the outcome results in more than one supplier, you can then apply your original criteria to score each service to find a winner. Remember to keep records of your scoring and decisions. Feel free to contact suppliers at this stage, prior to making a final decision, to clarify any questions you have regarding their service offering. Once a winner has been identified, contact the supplier using the email address found on their profile page and, using the G-Cloud framework Call-Off Contract, contact the supplier to propose the prospect of awarding the contract.
5. Once you’ve awarded a contract, that is when both parties have signed the G-Cloud Call-Off Contract, you must complete a Customer Benefits Record form, found on the framework website and email it to gcloud-benefits@crowncommercial.gov.uk.
6. If no suppliers meet your requirements, you can either start a fresh search, revisit your requirements or seek alternative procurement routes to find a supplier that will meet your requirements.
How to find us
Wigwam Digital have two service offerings listed on the G-Cloud covering website design, development and hosting with the provision of a CMS, a branding service and training.
· Cloud Software: https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/g-cloud/services/214776863491315
· Cloud Support: https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/g-cloud/services/464831816281777
Both services are identical but have been included to maximise the likelihood of our services being found by buyers.
On either profile page you will be able to find:
· a summary description of our offering
· a detailed description of our offering within our Service Definition Document
· our pricing, showing a worked example of how much a typical web development project might cost. Bear in mind that this includes a number of optional steps. It is up to you whether you wish to buy these services. This document is to be used as a sort of menu of services for you to pick and choose in order to price up the desired contract
· our Standard Rate Card showing typical costs associated with consultancy and the delivery of a contract. Should you wish for a more bespoke quote, based on a selection of optional services listed in the Service Definition Document, this document will be referred to when pricing up that quote.
· our Terms and Conditions which can be used to supplement the G-Cloud Call-Off Contract.
For more information about the G-Cloud, how it operates or how to engage with Wigwam, please contact us by emailing tenders@wigwam.digital.
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