Spark Supplier Update

We recently attended a CCS supplier webinar on the new The Technology Innovation Marketplace DPS: Spark! Find out what was covered and what tech Spark hopes to provide to the public sector

This webinar was one of the most informative supplier webinars we’ve attended, Spark has certainly peaked our interest and if you missed it we highly encourage you to attend one of the other supplier sessions.

How did Spark come to be?

CCS, through market engagement found there was a gap in their offerings for products and markets that are still evolving. A few key issues were identified when it came to the use of innovative solutions to public sector problems:

• A reliance in proof of concepts – this can often price out SMEs as large companies can absorb the costs of these exercises
• Public sector clients being too risk adverse
• Products that were created via catalysts weren’t given a subsequent route to market, stopping them from being further utilised

Enter Spark!

Spark is the DPS for the supply of new but proven technologies ‘the focus is not the primary innovation or development but the subsequent exploitation’. Essentially, Spark fits neatly in the space between creation (frameworks such as: DOS and InnovateUK) and mature products (frameworks like: G-Cloud, Technology Products).

Spark hopes to help support SME policy objectives by increasing government spend with SMEs. However, on first glance of the tender documents and prior to attending the webinar it did seem like some of the requirements to the DPS would be difficult for SMEs to adhere to. But, on the webinar the impression was given that CCS would be being slightly more flexible than with other agreements. For instance, our eyebrows were initially raised by the Dun and Bradstreet Failure Score threshold being set at 60! Yet on the webinar it was clarified that suppliers would be given the opportunity to submit accounts, should they not meet that score.

Keep your eyes peeled for further info as Spark develops!