The History of Crown Commercial Service
Crown Commercial Service are the largest public sector procurement organisation in the UK. But how did it all start?
In the beginning
Before becoming Crown Commercial Service, CCS went through a lot of changes. Originally known as the Buying Agency in 1991, it became part of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), before merging with various Government agencies to become OGCbuying.solutions. Almost two decades later, it was renamed and repurposed as Buying Solutions, before being replaced by the Government Procurement Service.
In 2010 both the Government Procurement Service and OGC moved from HM Treasury to the Cabinet Office, forming the Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG). This marked a shift in the government’s attempts to centralise procurement processes and improve commercial contracts. Finally, in 2014 the organisation became what we know as Crown Commercial Service. The chief aim of this newly combined buying service was to bring an end to working in silos between government departments, and as a result increasing accountability for government purchasing.
In short, CCS has certainly changed a lot! But the journey of the organisation is essential in highlighting the ongoing cultural changes within the public sector. This is good news for suppliers, as CCS continue to develop the ease of Government procurement processes, strengthen their operational capabilities, and grow wider public sector business.
Nowadays
With a wealth of procurement and government expertise, CCS currently work with over 17,000 public sector organisations, providing thousands of suppliers with the opportunity to sell their services.
Any UK public or third sector organisation can access CCS frameworks free of charge, with access to numerous services, solutions, buildings and people. The goal of CCS frameworks is to save organisations money during the procurement process, for public sector budgets and resources to more evidently contribute towards frontline services.
Fortunately, in the age of rapid technological advancement, the public sector is constantly looking for new tech, services and solutions, and CCS provides a number of suitable frameworks for buyers and suppliers. Here at Advice Cloud we are constantly on the lookout for opportunities for our clients, on frameworks such as G-Cloud, Data & Application Solutions (DAS) and Digital Outcomes & Specialists (DOS).
Future Plans
CCS’ development journey is not over yet! Over the coming years the organisation plans to:
- Develop and launch the Crown Marketplace, a more succinct, all-encompassing framework through which public sector procurement can take place
- Increase the savings that government departments are making through CCS procurement by £240-340m
- Make it easier for SME businesses to win government contracts!
In conclusion, watch this space!
Hopefully this has helped you to understand where CCS has come from, and where it is heading.
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