WIREDGOV

Blog posted by: Alex Aiken, Executive Director for Government Communication Service, 12 August 2021.

We are proud to be launching the new Communications Marketplace with Crown Commercial Service, allowing Government and the public sector to access suppliers from all four Nations of the UK.

To help us to continue to run the best public service campaigns, we want to be able to work with the best and most innovative agencies across the whole of the UK, and strongly encourage agencies of all sizes to register on the platform.

As the communication landscape continues to change and as we modernise the GCS, the Communications Marketplace will be critical to ensure we can deliver cost effective campaigns for the people we serve across the whole of the UK.

Building back better

Well targeted communications have been a fundamental pillar of the national response at all levels of government to the pandemic.

For example, we have engaged specialist outreach agencies to provide teams to visit local authorities (LA) and engage with the public on testing, vaccines and health behaviours. Multicultural teams with the relevant language skills have engaged the hardest to reach groups on the ground – answering their most pressing questions on the vaccine and testing. The teams have visited over 200 LAs over the last year, working closely with each to tailor the offer to their local priorities and messaging.

The next four years will mark the recovery and renewal from the pandemic and pursue the important work to Build Back Better and level-up the country. These will all bring new challenges for the communications profession and our agencies.

Simplifying the procurement process

The new Communications Marketplace will replace the current Communication Services agreement, and allow access to new agencies and specialist capabilities as both markets and needs develop, irrespective of size and location across the UK. In a similar way as before, the Marketplace will allow for standalone, direct relationships with agencies providing specialist expertise and niche services.

The benefit is that agencies go through a much simpler process than before to become a registered agency to work with us. Agencies can also join at any point throughout the duration of this agreement. This will allow us to flex our partnerships with our needs.

We’ve built in more flexibility for how we work with our agencies and will put in place solutions to drive better, more joined up ways of working across government and the public sector.

The Communications Marketplace will complement the Campaign Solutions framework which will continue to facilitate longer term, strategic relationships providing end-to-end campaign solutions.

If you believe your agency can offer world class solutions to help us save, improve and enrich the lives of all people living in the UK we would be delighted for you to register on the Communications Marketplace.