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.
