G-Cloud 15 went live on 6 August 2026, and it is a bigger change than the version number suggests. It is the first G-Cloud agreement let under the Procurement Act 2023, it merges three agreements into one, and it replaces the award route buyers knew.
If you last bought cloud through G-Cloud 14, several of your assumptions are now out of date. The body running it has changed name too. Crown Commercial Service became the Government Commercial Agency on 1 April 2026, so older guidance and supplier pages still saying CCS are referring to the same organisation under its previous name.
Transputec is listed on G-Cloud 15 under Lot 2a and Lot 3, and on TePAS 2 for hardware and software procurement. What that covers in practice is set out further down.
This article covers what the new agreement replaced, what each lot actually contains, how the two award routes work, and what to check about a supplier before you award to them.
The change that matters most is not the lots. It is that buyers now award either without competition or through a competitive selection, and which one applies depends on the complexity of what you are buying rather than on its value alone.
What G-Cloud 15 Replaced
G-Cloud 15 consolidates three separate agreements that previously sat alongside each other: G-Cloud 14, G-Cloud 14 Lot 4, and Cloud Compute 2. Buyers who had to work out which of those covered a given requirement no longer need to.
It is also an open framework, which is new for G-Cloud. Under the old model, suppliers who missed the application window were locked out for the full term of the agreement. The agreement reopens at 18 months and again at 36 months, so the supplier list grows during its life rather than being fixed at the start.
For a buyer, that has a practical consequence worth knowing. The supplier catalogue you searched a year ago is not the catalogue available today, so a requirement that found no suitable supplier at first pass is worth revisiting after a reopening.
The Lots, and What Each One Covers
The G-Cloud 15 agreement runs five lots. The split between 1a and 1b, and between 2a and 2b, is new, and it matters when you are checking whether a supplier can actually meet your requirement.
| Lot | Covers | Typical requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Lot 1a | Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) | Hosting, compute, storage, platform services |
| Lot 1b | IaaS and PaaS above OFFICIAL | The same, where the security classification sits above OFFICIAL |
| Lot 2a | Infrastructure Software (I-SaaS) | Software that manages, secures or monitors infrastructure |
| Lot 2b | Other Software as a Service (SaaS) | Business and productivity applications |
| Lot 3 | Cloud support services | Migration, configuration, ongoing support, security operations |
The common mistake is assuming a supplier listed on the agreement can supply anything on it. Suppliers are listed lot by lot. A provider on Lot 3 can support and migrate your environment but is not approved under this agreement to host it, which would be Lot 1a. Check the lot, not just the listing.
Buying Through G-Cloud 15
Transputec is listed on G-Cloud 15 under Lot 2a and Lot 3, and on TePAS 2 for hardware, software and catalogue procurement. Talk to our team about scoping your requirement and the right award route.
Get a Strategic ConsultationAward Without Competition: How Buying Actually Works
If you are used to the phrase “direct award”, the equivalent here is Award Without Competition, usually shortened to AWOC. The principle is similar but the wording and the test have changed.
AWOC applies where the requirement is straightforward, low value or low complexity, an existing catalogue entry already meets it, and running a competition would add nothing. The sequence is:
- Write a statement of requirements.
- Filter a shortlist on the Digital Platform.
- Check for excluded suppliers.
- Award to the lowest price among those that meet the requirement.
- Place the order using the order form.
Note the last two points, because they are where buyers get caught. AWOC awards go to the lowest price among qualifying suppliers, so if you have a preferred supplier who is not cheapest, AWOC is not the route to them. And the award has to be documented on the order form, not a purchase order of your own.
The Competitive Route, and When You Need It
Where the requirement is complex, high value or needs tailoring, you run a competitive selection instead. That means a two-stage or multi-stage process: issue an invitation to tender to all eligible shortlisted suppliers, assess against criteria you have stated up front, and award on the most advantageous tender.
The decision between the two routes is not purely about money. A modest contract that needs genuine design work is a competitive requirement; a larger one that an existing catalogue entry meets exactly may not be. Getting this wrong in either direction creates risk, so it is worth writing down why you chose the route you did at the time you choose it.
Transputec works with buyers on both routes, usually by helping scope the statement of requirements precisely enough that it is obvious which applies.
What the Procurement Act Changed
G-Cloud 15 is the first G-Cloud agreement let under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025 and replaced four separate sets of regulations including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
Frameworks established before that date continue under the old rules for the rest of their lifecycle, so both regimes are running in parallel for now. If you hold live call-offs under G-Cloud 14, those are unaffected. New buying is where the change applies.
The substantive difference for suppliers is evaluation. Suppliers are now assessed on quality and technical capability as well as price, which earlier G-Cloud iterations did not fully do. For a buyer that raises the floor slightly, though it does not remove the need to check a supplier against your own requirement.
Where Transputec Sits on G-Cloud 15
That listing covers Lot 2a, Infrastructure Software, and Lot 3, Cloud support services. In practice it means migration, configuration, ongoing managed support, and security operations work, rather than hosting your infrastructure, which sits in Lot 1a.
Alongside that, Transputec holds a place on TePAS 2 (RM6098) covering hardware under Lot 2, software under Lot 3 and the online catalogue under Lot 8, which is the usual route for device and licence procurement. Full detail sits on the public sector page.
The reason to state the lots plainly is the point made earlier: a listing is not a blanket approval, and a buyer checking properly will want to know which lots a supplier actually holds before relying on AWOC.
What to Check About a Supplier Before You Award
Five checks separate a straightforward award from one that unravels at audit.
- The lot, not the listing. Confirm the supplier is on the lot that covers your requirement.
- The catalogue entry against your statement of requirements. AWOC depends on an existing entry genuinely meeting the need, not approximately meeting it.
- Security credentials appropriate to the data. ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus are the common baseline; anything above OFFICIAL changes the lot and the requirements.
- Who actually delivers. Ask whether the named team is employed by the supplier or subcontracted, and where they sit.
- Exit and portability. What happens to your data and configuration at the end of the term, and what it costs to leave.
The last two are the ones most often skipped and most often regretted. Transputec publishes its certifications so this part is a document request rather than a conversation.
How Transputec Works With Public Sector Buyers
Transputec has delivered to UK public sector organisations for four decades and approaches framework work from the buyer’s side of the table. Engagements usually start by scoping the requirement precisely enough to establish which award route applies, because that decision shapes the timeline more than anything else.
Delivery runs through IT procurement services for hardware, licensing and device lifecycle, and managed security services where the requirement involves a 24/7 Security Operations Centre, managed detection and response, or incident response. Both sit inside Lot 3.
Evidence packs are mapped to ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, FCA, ICO and GDPR Article 32 requirements, so the documentation a public sector audit asks for is prepared rather than assembled on request. For the wider procurement picture, including how framework buying compares with other routes, see our guide to cost-effective IT procurement.
Conclusion
The new agreement is easier to use than what it replaced, provided you know three things: which lot covers your requirement, whether AWOC or a competitive selection applies, and which lots your chosen supplier actually holds. Those three answers settle most of the work.
The open framework structure also means the decision is not permanent. If nothing on the catalogue fits today, the reopening windows at 18 and 36 months will change the supplier list.
If you want help scoping a requirement or checking a route before you commit to it, talk to our team about public sector procurement.
FAQs
What did G-Cloud 15 replace?
It consolidates three previous agreements into one: G-Cloud 14, G-Cloud 14 Lot 4 and Cloud Compute 2. It went live on 6 August 2026 and is the first G-Cloud agreement let under the Procurement Act 2023.
What are the G-Cloud 15 lots?
Five. Lot 1a covers Infrastructure as a Service and Platform as a Service. Lot 1b covers the same above OFFICIAL classification. Lot 2a is Infrastructure Software. Lot 2b is other Software as a Service. Lot 3 is cloud support services.
Is direct award still available?
The equivalent route is called Award Without Competition, or AWOC. It applies where the requirement is straightforward and an existing catalogue entry meets it. The award goes to the lowest price among qualifying suppliers, so it is not a route to a preferred supplier who is not cheapest.
Is Crown Commercial Service still called that?
No. Crown Commercial Service became the Government Commercial Agency on 1 April 2026. Documents published before that date may still say CCS, and they refer to the same organisation.
Which lots is Transputec on?
Lot 2a, Infrastructure Software, and Lot 3, cloud support services. That covers migration, configuration, managed support and security operations. Hosting sits under Lot 1a, which is a separate listing.
This article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by the Transputec team. Featured image: AI-generated.
