# Government Commercial Agency

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Executive agency and trading fund in the UK

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Government Commercial Agency Executive agency overview Formed April 1991 (originally) April 2026 (current name) Jurisdiction United Kingdom Headquarters Liverpool Website www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-commercial-agency

The **Government Commercial Agency** (**GCA**) is an [executive agency](/source/Executive_agency) and [trading fund](/source/Trading_fund) of the [Cabinet Office](/source/Cabinet_Office_(United_Kingdom)) of the [UK Government](/source/UK_Government). The GCA is responsible for managing the [procurement](/source/Government_procurement) of common goods and services, increasing savings for the taxpayer by centralising buying requirements, and leading on procurement policy on behalf of the government.[1]

## History

GCA was originally created as the Buying Agency on 1 April 1991. On 1 April 2000, it became part of the newly established [Office of Government Commerce](/source/Office_of_Government_Commerce) (OGC) within [HM Treasury](/source/HM_Treasury).

On 1 April 2001, the Buying Agency, the [Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency](/source/Central_Computer_and_Telecommunications_Agency), [Property Advisors to the Civil Estate](/source/Property_Advisors_to_the_Civil_Estate) and other units from the Treasury merged to form OGCbuying.solutions. The agency's name was changed to just Buying Solutions in April 2009.

On 15 June 2010, it moved, along with its parent agency the OGC, to become part of the [Efficiency and Reform Group](/source/Efficiency_and_Reform_Group) within the [Cabinet Office](/source/Cabinet_Office_(United_Kingdom)). Its name was changed to the Government Procurement Service (GPS) in July 2011.[2]

In 2011, the Cabinet Office announced the establishment of the position of [Crown Representative for Small Businesses](/source/Crown_Representative_for_Small_Businesses) to work in partnership with the Crown Commercial Service.[3] The appointed position holds responsibility in the field of procurement between the UK Government and SMEs. In 2010, 6.8% of government procurement was made with SMEs. In 2015, at the end of the tenure of the first Crown Representative for SMEs [Stephen Allott](/source/Stephen_Allott), this figure had risen to 27.1%.[4]

In January 2014 the GPS merged with the procurement management from government departments to form the Crown Commercial Service (CCS).[5]

On 1 April 2026, CCS and several Cabinet Office Central Commercial teams (operating under the Government Commercial Function) joined to form the Government Commercial Agency (GCA).[6]

## Operations

GCA operates as a [trading fund](/source/Trading_fund) established under the [Government Trading Funds Act 1973](/source/Government_Trading_Funds_Act_1973), as amended in 1990, with offices in [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool), [Norwich](/source/Norwich), [Newport](/source/Newport%2C_Wales), [Leeds](/source/Leeds) and [London](/source/London).[7] According to the service's own data, GCA secured commercial benefits of £3.8billion in the financial year 2022/23.[8]

### Procurement services

GCA provides professional procurement services to the public sector to enable organisations to deliver improved value for money in their commercial activities and provide professional support when it matters, advising on technical issues, energy-saving and environmental improvements.

GCA's operations, and formerly those of GPS, include a range of [framework agreements](/source/Framework_agreement_(procurement)), which are a set of pre-tendered agreements with a range of suppliers from whom public sector customers can purchase goods and services. In the field of IT, historical examples of framework agreements include CITHS frameworks ([commoditised](/source/Commoditised) IT hardware and software), ITHS (IT hardware and solutions), SPRINT II, Software Application Solutions,[9] and Desktop21 for [desktop computer](/source/Desktop_computer) services.[10] The SPRINT II agreement offered pre-negotiated deals on computer hardware and software.[11] Its use was mandated from 4 March 2011, amidst some controversy,[12] for purchases by [police authorities in England and Wales](/source/List_of_law_enforcement_agencies_in_the_United_Kingdom%2C_Crown_Dependencies_and_British_Overseas_Territories#England_and_Wales) of commoditised ICT hardware and off-the-shelf software under government regulations issued in 2011.[13] Claims were put forward during the currency of the agreement that supplies were more expensive via the Sprint ii route than through other sales channels, although the claims were later retracted.[14] A current (as of September 2023[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Government_Commercial_Agency&action=edit)) example is the Crown Hosting Data Centres framework, which can be accessed by all central government departments, [arm's length bodies](/source/Arm's_length_body) and the [wider public sector](/source/Wider_public_sector).[15] A small [commission](/source/Commission_(remuneration)) (typically less than 1%)[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] is collected from the suppliers for each sale they make under these frameworks agreements.

### Procurement policy

UK Government *Procurement Policy Notes* were in the past issued by Crown Commercial Service.[16] These are now issued in the name of the Cabinet Office, but the GCA Helpdesk acts as the contact point for any queries.[17] A separate series of *Scottish Procurement Policy Notes*, and a parallel series of *Construction Policy Notes* issued since 2017 aiming to alert Scottish contracting authorities "to new policy, guidance and other matters relating to public sector [construction](/source/Construction)", are published by the [Scottish Government](/source/Scottish_Government).[18][19]

### Management of the Government Secure Intranet (GSi)

As part of its support of the national government Internet infrastructure, GCA manages the UK's [Government Secure Intranet](/source/Government_Secure_Intranet) (GSi), including the entire third-level government domain **.gsi.gov.uk** and its [sub-domains](/source/Subdomain).[20]

## See also

- [Crown Representative for Small Businesses](/source/Crown_Representative_for_Small_Businesses)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Crown Commercial Service, [About us](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/crown-commercial-service/about), accessed 12 November 2019

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Crown Commercial Service History](https://ccs.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about-government-procurement-service/about-government-procurement-service/history) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140121054917/http://ccs.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about-government-procurement-service/about-government-procurement-service/history) 2014-01-21 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Government opens up contracts to small business"](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-opens-up-contracts-to-small-business). *GOV.UK*. Retrieved 2026-04-27.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Government's spending with small and medium-sized enterprises"](https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/governments-spending-with-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises/). *National Audit Office (NAO)*. 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2026-04-27.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Crown Commercial Service update](http://ccs.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/crown-commercial-service-update) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140114010841/http://ccs.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/crown-commercial-service-update) 2014-01-14 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** This article incorporates text published under the British [Open Government Licence](/source/Open_Government_Licence): Crown Commercial Service, [Supporting better public procurement](https://web.archive.org/web/20260317013720/https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/), archived on 17 March 2026, accessed on 27 March 2026

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Crown Commercial Service, [About us](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/crown-commercial-service/about), accessed 5 July 2016

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Crown Commercial Service, [Government procurement department marks 10th anniversary having saved taxpayers £3.8 billion last year alone](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-procurement-department-marks-10th-anniversary-having-saved-taxpayers-38-billion-last-year-alone), published 15 April 2024, accessed 17 April 2024

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [Softcat](/source/Softcat), [The Softcat News Team](https://www.softcat.com/ie/news/important-changes-being-made-to-public-sector-procurement-ahead-of-year-end), published 2014, accessed 10 September 2023

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Best, J., [DWP hands £316m Desktop21 deal to HP](https://www.theguardian.com/government-computing-network/2012/jan/20/dwp-hp-desktop-21), published 20 January 2012, accessed 10 September 2023

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [Belfast City Council](/source/Belfast_City_Council), [ICT Procurements](https://minutes.belfastcity.gov.uk/documents/s35400/ICT%20Procurements.pdf), 24 January 2014, accessed 10 September 2023

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Kunert, P., [Home Office to review future of Sprint ii framework](https://www.theregister.com/2011/07/07/home_office_to_review_sprintii/), *The Register*, published 7 July 2011, accessed 2 October 2023

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** UK Legislation, [The Police Act 1996 (Equipment) Regulations 2011](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/300/schedule/made), Schedule, made 9 February 2011, accessed 10 September 2023

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Kunert, P., [Police authority loves Sprint ii buying regime](https://www.theregister.com/2011/09/21/wmpa_sprint_ii_procurement/), *The Register*, published 21 September 2011, accessed 2 October 2023

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Crown Commercial Service, [Physical datacentre space](https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/crown-hosting), accessed 10 September 2023

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** For example, Crown Commercial Service, [Procurement Policy Note – Armed Forces Covenant, Information Note 06/16 25 June 2016](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/531813/Procurement_Policy_Note___Armed_Forces_Covenant_.pdf)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Cabinet Office, [Procurement Policy Note – Procurement in an Emergency, Information Note PPN 01/21](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/958211/PPN-01_21-Procurement-in-an-Emergency.pdf), published 4 February 2021, accessed 6 February 2021

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Scottish Government, [Scottish Procurement Policy Notes (SPPNs)](https://www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-procurement-policy-notes-sppns/), accessed 18 March 2022

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Scottish Government, [Construction policy notes (CPNs)](https://www.gov.scot/collections/construction-policy-notes-cpns/), issued by the "Construction Procurement Policy Unit", accessed 26 November 2023

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["Archived copy"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120227173906/http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/resources/handbook/html/1-9-2.asp). Archived from [the original](http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/resources/handbook/html/1-9-2.asp) on 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2009-10-12.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_archived_copy_as_title))

## External links

- [Official website](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-commercial-agency)

- Cabinet Office, Efficiency and Reform Group, and Government Commercial Agency, [Procurement policy notes](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/procurement-policy-notes), see also [Procurement policy notes](https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20140714055318/https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/procurement-policy-notes) archived by the [National Archives](/source/The_National_Archives_(United_Kingdom)) on 14 July 2014, and [Procurement Policy Notes](https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20110405225311/http://www.ogc.gov.uk/procurement_policy_and_application_of_eu_rules_procurement_policy_notes.asp) archived on 5 April 2011 and dating back to 2006.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Government Commercial Agency](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Commercial_Agency) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Commercial_Agency?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.