Mmmm... fresh, delicious tenders: Forget G-Cloud, this £6.5bn Technology Products and Associated Services framework is where it's at

Will no one think of the SMEs? Oh, actually some have made the grade

The UK's central government is dangling up to £6.5bn under the noses of resellers to supply commodity hardware, software and services across the British public sector for the next four years.

The pan-government Technology Products and Associated Services framework is due to replace the equally imaginatively titled Technology Products 2 from March, though the framework award was announced this week.

Some 22 suppliers made it onto Lot 1: hardware, software and associated services. It went live after midnight on 11 December following a 10-day standstill period that allows for legal challenges from any disgruntled business that believes it should have made the grade.

Successful suppliers per lot
Lot 1: Hardware, software & associated services (22)	Lot 2: Hardware and associated services (38)	Lot 3: Software and associated services (29)	Lot 4: Information assured products and associated services (11)
ACS Systems UK Limited	ACS Systems UK Limited	ACS Systems UK Limited	Akhter Computers
Akhter Computers	Akhter Computers	Akhter Computers	CDW Ltd
Bechtle Direct Ltd	Atos IT Services UK Ltd	Atos IT Services UK Ltd	Centerprise International Ltd
CDW Ltd	Bechtle Direct Ltd	Bechtle Direct Ltd	Computacenter (UK) Ltd
Centerprise International Ltd	Capito Ltd	Bytes Software Services Ltd	Dell
Computacenter (UK) Ltd	CCS Media Ltd	CAE Technology Services Ltd	Softcat Plc
Daisy Communications Ltd	CDW Ltd	Capito Ltd	Software Box Ltd
Dell	Centerprise International Ltd	CDW Ltd	Specialist Computer Centres
Getech Ltd	Cloud Operate Ltd (Trading as Cased Dimensions)	Centerprise International Ltd	Stone Computers Ltd
Jigsaw Systems Ltd	Computacenter (UK) Ltd	Circle IT Solutions Ltd	Storm Technologies
MTI Technology Ltd	Computer England Ltd	Computacenter (UK) Ltd	XMA Limited
Phoenix Software	Daisy Communications Ltd	Daisy Communications Ltd
Planet IT Ltd	Dell	Dell
Probrand Ltd	Desktop Publishing Microsystems Ltd	European Electronique Ltd
Quadris	European Electronique Ltd	Getech Ltd
Softcat Plc	Galtec Solutions Ltd	Jigsaw Systems Ltd
Software Box Ltd	Getech Ltd	MTI Technology Ltd
SoftwareONE UK Ltd	HP Inc UK Ltd	PCM Technology Solutions UK Ltd
Specialist Computer Centres	Incredible Computers Ltd	Phoenix Software
Stone Computers Ltd	Jigsaw Systems Ltd	Planet IT Ltd
Storm Technologies	Kaztech Solutions	Probrand Ltd
XMA Limited	Kingsfield Computer Products	Quadris
	MTI Technology Ltd	Softcat Plc
	NVT Group Ltd	Software Box Ltd
	Pacific Computers Ltd	SoftwareONE UK Ltd
	PCM Technology Solutions UK Ltd	Specialist Computer Centres
	Phoenix Software	Stone Computers Ltd
	Probrand Ltd	Storm Technologies
	Planet IT Limited	XMA Limited
	Quadris
	Softcat Plc
	Software Box Ltd
	SoftwareONE UK Ltd
	Specialist Computer Centres
	Stone Computers Ltd
	Storm Technologies
	Trustco Plc
	XMA Limited

Lot 3, which covers Software and associated services, also went live yesterday, and is aimed at software resellers that flog commercial and open-source commodity wares, licences and related services. Twenty-nine resellers made it onto this section of the agreement.

Sources close to the framework said Lot 2 – Hardware and associated services – is due to go live next week. This largely comprises end user devices, infrastructure kit, consumables and peripherals and associated services. Thirty-eight resellers will be vying for individuals contracts here – inclusion on the framework is no guarantee of business.

The final lot is for government techies that want to procure security software and appliances; 11 suppliers were chosen by framework organiser Crown Commercial Services to bid for deals here.

Just to put the latest mega framework into context, £5.19bn in total has been spent by central and local government on technology via the G-Cloud framework since it launched in March 2012.

Many of the usual suspects in the reseller community made it onto the framework, but a couple were noticeable by their absence – looking at you Capita-owned Trustmarque, or indeed Capita itself. The big public sector frameworks always made up a huge chunk of Trustmarque's revenues and we have asked its parent company to comment.

Also missing in action was German giant Cancom.

We have asked Capita and Cancom for an explanation. ®