Our Organisational Growth and Changes
This year has been a milestone in Advice Cloud’s journey. Celebrating our 10th anniversary in October was undoubtedly a highlight. Our Client and Partner Day 2024, held as part of our celebrations, brought together industry leaders and partners to share insights and tackle key challenges in public sector procurement.
With new team members joining us, including a Bid Manager and a consultant Sales Director, we’ve strengthened our capability to deliver tailored, impactful support for technology suppliers. Our focus on employee development has paid dividends, with several team members earning APMP certifications and undergoing bid writing training.
We’ve continued to invest in our culture, prioritising health and wellbeing initiatives such as our Employee Assistance Programme, Deliveroo credit, and our 4-day working week introduced in November 2023. These efforts, combined with our collaborative and inclusive workplace ethos, have improved productivity and enabled our team to thrive personally and professionally.
In recognition of these efforts, we are thrilled to share that we were certified as a Great Place to Work in 2024. Based on anonymous feedback, our team scored an incredible 94% across all statements—far surpassing the required 65% for certification. This acknowledges our commitment to creating an outstanding employee experience built on trust, respect, and camaraderie. Knowing that our team feels valued and supported is one of our proudest achievements this year.
Sustainability remained at the forefront of our efforts. We maintained our Carbon Neutral certification, upheld our Social Value Quality Mark (SVQM) Bronze status, and moved closer to B Corp certification. These achievements reflect our ongoing commitment to social and environmental responsibility.
This November marked one year since we implemented our 4-day working week, and it’s safe to say it’s been a transformative change for us. What began as a 12-week trial, supported by the University of Sussex School of Psychology and Dr Charlotte Rae, quickly became a permanent shift for our team.
After just six months, the benefits were clear:
- A 9% increase in work engagement
- A 6% increase in personal accomplishment
- A 7% boost in overall wellbeing
These results showed us that a shorter working week doesn’t just benefit our people—it helps the business too. By giving our team members the flexibility to choose their day off each week, we’ve maintained a five-day service for clients while supporting individual preferences. Fridays and Mondays are popular for long weekends, but some love the midweek breather!
We also recently earned accreditation as a Gold Standard 4-Day Week Employer from the 4-Day Week Campaign, cementing our commitment to fostering a healthier work-life balance. It’s a change we’re proud to have embraced, and it aligns perfectly with our ethos of putting people first.
This year, we’ve focused on growth, welcomed new team members, launched services, and built on our values. I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved and can’t wait to see what’s next!
Ella Grant , Managing Director, Advice Cloud
After such a huge year, we were honoured to be selected as finalists in the Sussex Business Awards Medium Business of the Year category, a testament to our team’s commitment and impact. Unfortunately, we didn’t win, but the team had a fun evening at the awards dinner celebrating everyone else and celebrating us for the achievement of being recognised and invited as a finalist!
Our Client Work in Numbers
The Rise of Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPSs)
DPSs have gained traction, offering suppliers more flexible opportunities to engage with public sector buyers. While they provide additional routes to market, their open and rolling application nature demands consistent attention to maintain competitiveness. We supported clients in approximately 10 DPS applications!
These numbers represent the scale of work we’ve been able to deliver and the trust our clients place in us to help them succeed. From ensuring applications are completed to the highest standard to guiding clients through further competitions, our team has been dedicated to delivering the best outcomes for those we support.
How we helped the community
This year, our community engagement has remained strong. Our Client and Partner Day 2024, held as part of our 10th-anniversary celebrations, brought together industry leaders and partners to share insights and tackle key challenges in public sector procurement.
We also participated in the Sussex 4 Day Week programme, contributing to research that supports workplace wellbeing and productivity.
Our webinars reached a wide audience, and we’re proud of the impact we’ve made by sharing knowledge and fostering connections.
We aim to share a lot of our base level expertise with a wider audience to benefit you as much as possible. Our Knowledge Hub is a place you can come to learn all sorts from every corner of public procurement!
Looking Ahead
As we look towards 2025, our objectives include expanding partnerships with purpose-driven organisations, enhancing our managed service offerings, and progressing towards becoming an Employee-Owned Trust by 2030. With exciting projects and initiatives on the horizon, we are eager to continue driving meaningful change in public sector procurement.
Thank you to our clients, partners, and team for making 2024 a year to remember. Here’s to a successful and impactful 2025!
