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A new era for public procurement: Crown Commercial Service to become the Government Commercial Agency

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One of the most significant structural changes in UK public sector procurement in over a decade is set to take effect on 1 April, when Crown Commercial Service (CCS) merges with the Cabinet Office’s central commercial teams to form the Government Commercial Agency (GCA). For suppliers like Bramble Hub, this represents a key moment in the evolution of public sector procurement.

From GPS to CCS

CCS was established in April 2014, replacing the former Government Procurement Service (GPS), which itself was an evolution of earlier agencies dating back to the 1990s. Its mandate was to improve procurement by:

  • Centralising government procurement
  • Reducing duplication of effort
  • Driving better value for taxpayers

Over the years, CCS grew into a formidable force in public sector commercial activity, recording over £3.8 billion in commercial benefits in the 2022/23 financial year alone, and channeling some £33 billion of public sector direct spend through its commercial agreements in the year to March 2025.

Why the change?

Despite these achievements, the landscape of government procurement has continued to evolve. With the public sector now spending more than £400 billion annually on goods and services, the government recognised the need for a more unified, agile commercial function. The GCA will bring together the expertise and scale of CCS with Cabinet Office central commercial teams, operating under the oversight of Government Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Forzani, with Sam Ulyatt appointed as the new agency’s CEO. The goal is to centralise commercial activity, set best practices, drive innovation, and build a single, accountable centre for commercial expertise across the entire public sector – serving central government departments, NHS trusts, local authorities, schools, and beyond.

Bramble Hub and the GCA

As a veteran in UK public sector procurement, Bramble Hub is well-placed to embrace this transition. We are currently a thin-prime supplier on 15 active CCS frameworks. Those framework agreements will continue to be operated by the new agency, ensuring continuity of service for public sector buyers.

Our thin-prime business model is key part of the procurement landscape, enabling smaller suppliers to compete on a level playing field with large companies. This is one of the core goals of the GCA, and we look forward to working with them in the future to enable a broader choice of suppliers to the public sector.

Bramble Hub and JTG support UCLH with data modernisation

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Bramble Hub, in partnership with JTG Consulting Group, has secured a contract with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) to support the extraction and transformation of legacy clinical data.

The engagement focuses on enabling UCLH to access and utilise historical pathology data by integrating it into a modern database environment.

UCLH is one of the UK’s leading NHS foundation trusts, providing a wide range of acute and specialist services across multiple hospital sites. The organisation plays a critical role in delivering high-quality patient care and advancing clinical research within the NHS.

JTG Consulting Group specialises in clinical systems and data services, with deep expertise in healthcare data extraction, transformation, and migration. Their work supports healthcare organisations in unlocking value from legacy systems while maintaining strict data governance and compliance standards.

This contract was awarded via the NHS Shared Business Services Consultancy and Advisory Services for Health framework (SBS10197), Lot 2.

Invision360 to support Bury Council EHCP platform

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Bramble Hub and our partner Invision360 have secured a contract with Bury Council to support the delivery of digital services used in the management of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

Under the agreement, Bury Council will use the VITA platform, a cloud-based application designed to support the preparation and management of EHCP documentation and processes.

Bury Council is a metropolitan borough council in Greater Manchester responsible for delivering a wide range of local services, including education, children’s services, and social care. Supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities is a core part of the council’s responsibilities.

Invision360 provides digital solutions designed to support local authorities in managing EHCP processes and improving collaboration between education, health, and social care teams. Their VITA platform helps councils streamline the creation and management of plans, supporting better coordination across services.

This contract was awarded through the Crown Commercial Service Vertical Application Solutions framework (RM6259).

How Elcom helps public sector organisations buy better

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The public sector faces growing pressure to modernise procurement while maintaining compliance, controlling costs and integrating with complex legacy systems. As a thin-prime supplier to the public sector, we partner with Elcom to give our customers access to a modern, flexible SaaS ecosystem that supports the full procurement lifecycle.

Elcom’s role in our partner ecosystem

Elcom provides a broad portfolio of integrated solutions that support procurement and supply chain operations from sourcing and contractual through to purchase-to-pay and inventory management. Their ecosystem includes more than 20 solutions that can be deployed individually or combined to deliver an end-to-end procurement and supply chain environment. This allows Elcom to help each organisation address immediate operational challenges while building towards a more integrated, data-informed operating model.

Deep public sector experience

Elcom has long-standing experience across healthcare, central government, education and local government, working closely with public bodies to manage complex procurement and supply chain environments while maintaining transparency and compliance. One of their most established relationships is with the Scottish Government, where the PECOS purchase-to-pay (P2P) solution has supported procurement P2P activities, including purchasing, catalogue management and e-Invoicing across the Scottish public sector for over 20 years. This solution captures around £8.9 billion of annual procurement spend in Scotland. Their solutions are also well suited to blue-light services, transport bodies, defence and increasingly, housing, where digital procurement and asset management are growing priorities.

A consultative, integrated approach

Elcom’s consultative approach, which goes beyond software implementation to support long-term transformation and measurable operational improvement, delivers successful solutions. A key focus of the approach is ensuring new systems integrate smoothly with existing infrastructure, recognising that many public sector organisations operate complex technology estates that cannot simply be replaced. Elcom’s solutions are designed to work alongside these environments, helping organisations modernise and optimise processes without disrupting critical services.

A modular approach designed to evolve

Elcom’s modular approach lets organisations start small and scale. Individual capabilities such as analytics or catalogue management can be deployed to address specific needs or combined into a comprehensive procurement and supply chain ecosystem over time. This incremental, pragmatic model reflects how public sector organisations typically adopt technology, and gives Elcom’s customers confidence that today’s investment will continue to deliver value as their requirements evolve.

Working with Bramble Hub

Through our partnership with Elcom, we enable public sector organisations to quickly and compliantly access proven procurement technology via established frameworks, with the assurance of experienced implementation and ongoing support. By bringing together Elcom’s robust procurement ecosystem and our access to flexible public sector procurement routes, we enable organisations to modernise buying, strengthen governance, and deliver better outcomes for citizens.

Scrum Inc. publishes podcast interview with the First Sea Lord of the Navy

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Bramble Hub is pleased to welcome Scrum Inc. to our partner network. Founded by Dr. Jeff Sutherland, co-creator of Scrum, Scrum Inc. is a boutique agile consultancy and one of the most respected names in agile delivery.

Scrum Inc. has a singular focus on helping organisations design and improve their operating models and delivery systems. Through training, coaching, and advisory support, the team works with public and private sector organisations to align strategy with execution – embedding agile principles that enable teams to respond effectively to complex challenges and deliver outcomes at pace.

Alongside their consulting work, Scrum Inc. also hosts a podcast – The Agile CEO – that meets key figures involved with agile delivery, leadership, and organisational change. A recent episode features an interview with General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy. Titled Readiness for a War You Hope to Never Fight, the podcast takes an informed look at the evolving role of agile practices in defence, and the practical experiences of those implementing them.

We’re delighted to have Scrum Inc. as part of the Bramble Hub partner network and look forward to working together to support organisations across the public sector.

How ecoDriver is helping the NHS along its Net Zero journey

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The NHS has committed to reaching Net Zero for its directly controlled emissions by 2040. Across the public sector, similar pressures are mounting: rising energy costs, stricter carbon reporting, and increased scrutiny over estates performance.

Yet one challenge consistently stands in the way of meaningful progress: a lack of granular, reliable energy data.

ecoDriver, a Bramble Hub partner, is helping public sector organisations turn ambition into measurable action, using intelligent energy monitoring and AI-powered analysis to cut waste and identify opportunities for further energy usage reductions.

Targets without visibility

New buildings are expected to include metering, but installing meters is only a first step towards understanding energy performance. Many estates teams still rely on whole-building meters that provide little visibility into where, when, and why energy is being consumed.

Without detailed insight, trusts risk investing heavily in renewable energy without first addressing avoidable waste. In many cases, energy systems have been installed and commissioned correctly; but over time, settings drift, controls fall out of calibration, occupancy patterns change, and inefficiencies creep in unnoticed.

ecoDriver addresses this critical issue.

Making energy visible

ecoDriver is an advanced Energy Management System that presents granular energy data in a clear, accessible format . It integrates with existing metering infrastructure, where available, and can install additional, open protocol sub-metering where required.

The platform monitors electricity, gas, water, heat, steam, solar generation, occupancy, indoor and outdoor air quality, oil and more . Data is transmitted securely via cellular or network connection, making it particularly well suited to NHS environments where IT access can be complex.

Crucially, ecoDriver is hardware-agnostic: if equipment is already in place and working, it will be integrated, not replaced.

The result is visibility down to building, zone, circuit or even device level, enabling estates teams to pinpoint waste and take action.

From monitoring to measurable savings

Across the NHS, ecoDriver clients typically achieve a 5–10% reduction in energy consumption within 12 months, meaning that ecoDriver can rapidly pay  for itself. In non-clinical environments, savings can be significantly higher.

The impact is best illustrated through real-world examples:

  • At Airedale Hospital, ecoDriver’s analysis identified gas consumption that was not weather-correlated. The issue was traced to a faulty valve, resulting in significant energy waste. Once resolved, substantial cost and carbon savings were achieved.
  • At a Ministry of Justice building,  electricity consumption was reduced by 22% and gas by 18%, delivering over £200k annual savings. Weekly data audits identified optimisation issues with BMS and lighting controls, alternative cooling strategies for IT equipment, and improved holiday planning.
  • In an education setting, ecoDriver identified high weekend consumption, control conflicts between systems, and equipment left running out of hours. One school reduced electricity consumption by over 44% after adopting ecoDriver, while another eliminated 22% of annual electric consumption within the first year.

These were not capital-intensive overhauls. In many cases, they are simple configuration changes, control corrections, or behavioural improvements, which were enabled by access to better data and analytics.

Technology plus human expertise

ecoDriver differentiates itself from other monitoring systems in two key ways.

First, through its Collaborative Energy Efficiency Programme (CEEP), ecoDriver provides regular data audits carried out by CIBSE Low Carbon qualified engineers . This is more than just a dashboard – it is an active partnership. Reports are produced, findings are discussed with stakeholders, and actions are prioritised.

Second, ecoDriver’s AI engine – EDDIE (EcoDriver Data Intelligence Engine) – acts as a built-in sustainability assistant. EDDIE can identify anomalies, generate reports, analyse weather correlation, compare historical performance and recommend corrective actions. It can also be enriched with contextual information such as occupancy hours and equipment types to deliver site-specific insight.

Combined with unlimited user licences , this ensures that sustainability data is not siloed. Estates, finance, sustainability teams and operational staff can all access clear, actionable information.

Beyond kilowatt hours

ecoDriver’s approach goes beyond simple energy usage monitoring . It supports invoice validation, meter surveys and strategic design, engagement programmes, and long-term infrastructure planning.

The Energy Literacy Programme helps staff understand the link between operational behaviour and energy impact. The CEEP programme fosters “Energy Champions” across departments, embedding sustainability into organisational culture .

This matters because Net Zero is not achieved through technology alone. It requires data, expertise, engagement and continuous optimisation.

A stronger public sector partnership

Since 2023, ecoDriver has been part of Built Cybernetics Group PLC, an AIM-listed smart buildings and PropTech group . This provides additional depth in building design, integration and lifecycle optimisation.

Through its partnership with Bramble Hub, ecoDriver is accessible to public sector buyers via appropriate procurement routes and frameworks, simplifying the path from ambition to implementation.

Together, Bramble Hub and ecoDriver enable public sector organisations to:

  • Establish a clear energy baseline
  • Identify and remove avoidable waste
  • Strengthen funding bids with robust data
  • Deliver measurable carbon and cost reductions
  • Build a sustainable, data-driven estates strategy

Net Zero targets are ambitious. But before investing millions in new generation or infrastructure, organisations should first understand where energy is being lost.

Consultancy and Advisory Services for Health framework extended

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The Consultancy and Advisory Services for Health framework has been extended, with a new end date confirmed as 17 March 2028. The framework, owned by NHS Shared Business Services (SBS), opened in 2024 and was due to close in March 2026.

The extension ensures continued access for public sector organisations to a range of consultancy and advisory support through the established framework, providing continuity and stability for both buyers and suppliers.

Bramble Hub is a supplier on the framework and will continue to be available to support our customers and consultancy partners for the duration of the extended term.

How should digital suppliers prepare for the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill?

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The UK’s new Cyber Security and Resilience Bill represents the UK’s most significant overhaul of cyber legislation in over a decade, with direct implications for our specialist partners and public sector customers. Introduced to Parliament in November, the Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent by the middle of the year, and then be rolled out in stages throughout 2026 and 2027.

What does the Bill cover?

The Bill includes a number of measures that will have an impact on suppliers and buyers of digital services.

  • 24-hour incident reporting requirement: Organizations must report significant cyber incidents within 24 hours of discovery, followed by a full report within 72 hours, with the threshold capturing incidents capable of significant impact, not just those that are known to have caused disruption.

  • Expanded regulatory scope: The Bill extends coverage to previously unregulated entities including Managed Service Providers (MSPs), cloud platforms, data centres, and critical suppliers that support essential services – this is likely to affect many of our partners.

  • Severe financial penalties: Regulators can impose fines up to £17 million or 10% of global turnover (whichever is higher) for non-compliance, with daily penalties of up to £100,000 for continuing violations. These fines could face an existential threat to non-compliant SMEs in particular.

  • Designated Critical Suppliers framework: Digital suppliers whose disruption could significantly impact essential services can be formally designated, requiring them to meet the same stringent cybersecurity obligations as public sector organisations themselves.

  • Emergency intervention powers: The Technology Secretary will gain new powers to issue legally binding directions requiring immediate action from regulated entities where national security risks are identified.

Additionally, the Technology Secretary receives powers to update the regulations in future without requiring further changes to the law.

Impact on public sector customers

Public sector organisations face significantly expanded obligations under the new legislation. Local authorities, councils, NHS trusts, and central government departments are explicitly designated as essential services that must comply with enhanced cyber security requirements. These organisations will be required to report significant cyber incidents within 24 hours of discovery, followed by a comprehensive report within 72 hours.

Public sector bodies must conduct regular cyber risk assessments, implement robust incident response plans, and ensure their cybersecurity policies align with the Bill’s stricter standards. Board-level engagement is essential, with senior leadership required to understand cybersecurity risks and maintain clear reporting lines for security incidents.

Impact on digital services suppliers

The Bill dramatically extends regulatory scope to include Managed Service Providers (MSPs), cloud platforms, data centres, and critical suppliers that were previously unregulated. Digital suppliers supporting public sector organisations may be designated as “Designated Critical Suppliers” (DCS) if their disruption could significantly impact essential services.

Once designated, suppliers face the same stringent obligations as public sector organisations themselves. They must meet statutory cyber security requirements, manage and reduce risks through evidence-based measures, and submit to regulatory inspections. Suppliers will need to demonstrate security-by-design principles, maintain technical documentation, and ensure their own supply chains meet compliance standards.

For businesses providing technology, cloud services, or managed services to the public sector, supply chain vetting becomes critical. Organisations should assess the cybersecurity readiness of their own third-party suppliers and establish contract clauses that enforce compliance with best practices.

How to prepare

For public sector procurement professionals and their technology partners, early preparation is essential. Key recommendations include:

  1. Appoint a compliance lead: Designate a Cyber Risk Officer or compliance leader with direct access to senior leadership to oversee cybersecurity initiatives and ensure alignment with the Bill

  2. Conduct gap analysis: Map your current cybersecurity posture against the Bill’s requirements using frameworks like the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) to identify vulnerabilities

  3. Develop incident response protocols: Create detailed plans covering detection, mitigation, reporting, and recovery that enable 24-hour incident notification

  4. Update compliance policies: Align internal policies with stricter incident reporting standards and ensure processes support quick reporting and recovery

  5. Vet supply chain partners: Assess third-party suppliers’ cybersecurity readiness and establish contractual requirements for compliance

  6. Secure board-level buy-in: Educate senior executives on their responsibilities and establish cybersecurity as a recurring board agenda item

Early compliance can be seen as an opportunity rather than just as an overhead. Organisations that proactively align with the Bill’s requirements will not only avoid penalties and reduce cyber risk but also strengthen their competitive position as compliance becomes a key selection criterion for contract awards.

Partner spotlight: Athena P3M

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Bramble Hub is proud to work with Athena P3M, a specialist consultancy focused on transforming programme, project, and portfolio performance across the public sector and complex infrastructure environments.

Founded in 2025 by Matt Giddings and Tyler Skerton, Athena was born with a clear ambition: to help organisations deliver complex programmes more effectively, using a combination of deep delivery experience, traditional consulting discipline, and innovative new approaches such as AI-enabled programme management.

Bramble Hub met Matt and Tyler to learn more about Athena.

Experience rooted in complex delivery

“We’re not a body shop. We want to pick out the best people in the industry to solve some of the most complex problems.”

Athena’s founders bring extensive experience from some of the UK’s most demanding programme environments. Their backgrounds span major infrastructure and defence-related programmes, including work across aviation, transport, nuclear, and wider public sector estates.

This experience has shaped Athena’s practical, delivery-led approach. Athena deploys trusted specialists who can make a measurable difference to programme outcomes. The team specialises in areas such as programme recovery, performance improvement, project audits, and portfolio-level insight, supporting clients at critical points in the delivery lifecycle.

Having worked inside large client organisations and consultancies, Athena understands the pressures that public sector programmes face, from governance and assurance through to cost, schedule, and risk management. This insight allows them to engage quickly, identify root causes of underperformance, and help programmes get back on track.

A different approach to programme performance

“We’re trying to change how programmes are delivered in an industry that hasn’t fundamentally changed for decades.”

At the heart of Athena’s proposition is a belief that many of the challenges facing large programmes are not new, but that they can be addressed more effectively by combining established delivery techniques with better use of data and technology.

Athena works across the full programme lifecycle, from early business case development through to delivery and recovery. The team supports clients in navigating uncertainty, managing change, and improving decision-making at pace, particularly in complex and highly regulated environments.

This approach is especially relevant in the public sector, where programmes often operate under intense scrutiny and with limited tolerance for failure. Athena’s focus is on practical improvement: helping organisations see issues earlier, understand their options more clearly, and make informed decisions that protect delivery outcomes.

Using AI to improve outcomes

“AI allows us to flag issues early, find efficiencies, and accelerate programmes before problems occur.”

One of Athena’s key differentiators is how it applies AI within programme and project management. Rather than relying on off-the-shelf tools, Athena develops bespoke, secure AI solutions tailored to individual client environments.

These tools are designed to operate within secure, air-gapped systems, ensuring sensitive programme data remains protected. By analysing large volumes of programme information in real time, Athena’s AI-enabled solutions can help identify emerging risks, highlight inefficiencies, and uncover opportunities to accelerate delivery.

This capability can be applied at multiple stages of a programme, including early planning and business case development, where ambiguity and risk are often highest. By improving visibility and prediction earlier in the lifecycle, Athena helps clients reduce downstream disruption and improve confidence in delivery.

Focused on public sector impact

“We want to bring the experience of mega-programmes into local authorities, councils, and public services that don’t usually get access to it.”

While Athena has experience across major infrastructure programmes, the team is particularly motivated by the opportunity to support public sector organisations that may not traditionally have access to specialist programme expertise.

The Athena founders apply lessons learned from large, complex programmes to more local contexts, including councils, public bodies, and other public services. The aim is to help these organisations benefit from proven delivery approaches in a way that is proportionate, affordable, and effective.

This focus reflects a broader belief that successful programmes are ultimately about outcomes, whether that is improved transport, safer infrastructure, or more resilient public services. Athena’s work is driven by the desire to deliver lasting value and real-world impact.

Investing in the next generation

Alongside delivery, Athena is committed to developing future talent within the profession. The founders are passionate about supporting early-career professionals and creating pathways into complex programme environments for the next generation.

As the business grows, Athena intends to build a sustainable organisation that balances flexibility with long-term capability, becoming a trusted choice for programme delivery.

Working with Bramble Hub

Athena P3M joined the Bramble Hub partner network to collaborate more closely with public sector buyers and complementary suppliers. Through Bramble Hub, Athena can access new opportunities via a range of relevant government procurement frameworks.

Bramble Hub is delighted to work alongside Athena as they continue to grow and bring innovative, delivery-focused capability to the public sector marketplace. For more information about them, see their partner page.

 

CCS appoints Bramble Hub as a supplier on new DOS7 framework

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Bramble Hub has successfully secured a place on the new Digital Outcomes and Specialists 7 (DOS7) framework, reinforcing our role as a trusted thin-prime supplier of digital services to the public sector.

DOS7 (reference RM1043.9) is a key Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework supporting digital transformation across government. We look forward to working with customers and partners to deliver impactful, citizen-focused outcomes.

We can supply services on Lots 1, 2 and 3, enabling public sector organisations to access digital outcomes, specialist capability and user-centred services through a compliant and flexible route. Our thin-prime model allows our customers and partners to work together with maximum flexibility without the overhead often associated with prime suppliers.

For more information, see our DOS7 page.

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