Chris founded Advice Cloud after a career in procurement on both sides of the table, in the public sector and the private sector. That matters more than it sounds. Most people advising technology suppliers on government frameworks have only ever sold into the system. Chris has also bought through it, which is why the advice here tends to start with how a buyer will read your submission rather than how you would like to describe your business.
What Chris works on
He leads Advice Cloud and stays close to the parts of the work where buyer behaviour decides the outcome: how listings get found, how evaluators score, and why suppliers who are genuinely good at what they do still lose framework competitions they should win.
"A former public and private sector procurement exec, I'm passionate about removing barriers to entry for tech and digital small to medium businesses wishing to sell, better, to the UK public sector."
Why Advice Cloud exists
The company started as a small idea. Chris saw the scope and the promise of G-Cloud, the government's flagship cloud framework, and also saw how much of that promise was going unclaimed because the route in was opaque to the kind of smaller technology business it was designed to help.
That is still the job. Advice Cloud helps technology, digital and telecoms suppliers get onto UK public sector frameworks and win work through them, and the team now includes framework specialists, APMP-qualified bid managers and strategic advisers who have sat in government commercial roles.
Articles by Chris Farthing
Last updated
DIPS 2 (RM6413): a supplier’s guide to Digital and IT Professional Services
DIPS 2 is the planned replacement for RM6249. Explore proposed lots, evidence requirements, SME routes and preparation for defence and security services.
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12 Years, 12 Lessons
What Founding Advice Cloud Has Taught Me 12 years ago, I started Advice Cloud with a fairly simple idea: help technology suppliers navigate a system that seemed designed to keep them out. There was no 5-year plan or…
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What is TePAS 3? A Guide for Technology Suppliers
Technology Products & Associated Services 3 (TePAS 3, RM6398) is the next iteration of one of Government Commercial Agency’s (GCA) biggest technology frameworks. It’s currently in the pre-market engagement phase, and…
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RM6399 Consultancy and Professional Services (CaPS): what tech suppliers need to know
A new framework replacing MCF4 is now open for supplier applications, and it’s more relevant to tech suppliers than the name suggests.
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Network Services 4: A Supplier’s Guide to the Framework
If you’re new to selling technology to the public sector, the world of procurement frameworks can feel a bit like turning up to a party where everyone else seems to know the rules except you. There’s jargon, acronyms,…
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Public Sector Software Solutions Framework (RM6396) Explained
If you buy or sell software into the UK public sector, there’s a new framework on the horizon that’s worth getting ahead of. The Government Commercial Agency (GCA), formerly the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), is…
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A supplier's guide to the Transport Technology Framework (RM6347)
The Government Commercial Agency (GCA, formerly Crown Commercial Service) is preparing to launch a brand-new version of its popular transport procurement route: the Transport Technology framework . This is set to be a key opportunity for suppliers of smart,…
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The Ultimate Guide to Technology Services (TS4)
One of the big opportunities arriving on the scene this year is the Technology Services 4 (TS4) framework. Technology Services frameworks are always on our radar. They’re highly valuable and a great way for suppliers of…
Read more →Work with the team Chris built
If you are weighing up a framework application and you want to know how a buyer will actually read it, that is the conversation to have before you write anything. Every G-Cloud listing Advice Cloud has submitted has been accepted. Start with framework listing services, or talk to the team.