Evidence-based digital services are critical to reaching families at scale, but digital procurement routes are complex and time-consuming. G-Cloud 15 gives local authorities another way when procurement timelines don’t match delivery timelines.
We’re pleased to announce that EasyPeasy has been accepted onto G-Cloud 15, the UK Government framework that enables public-sector organisations to procure cloud-based digital services from approved suppliers. For local authorities, this provides an established, streamlined route to commission EasyPeasy, helping reduce the procurement complexity that can stand between identifying the right support for families and putting it into practice.
G-Cloud 15 also provides routes for awards both with and without competition, depending on the buyer’s requirements and circumstances
Across England, local authorities are moving quickly to deliver the Government’s Best Start Family Hubs programme, with an increasing emphasis on evidence-based interventions, digital access and demonstrating measurable improvements in outcomes for children. EasyPeasy is already included in the Department for Education’s menu of evidence-based home learning environment (HLE) interventions for Best Start Family Hubs. Our inclusion on G-Cloud 15 now gives councils another route to turn those plans into delivery.
When procurement timelines don’t match delivery timelines
Commissioning new services within a local authority can be complex. Even where there is a clear need, available funding and agreement on the right solution, procurement can involve multiple teams, approvals, due diligence and contracting processes. This can place significant demands on commissioning, procurement, legal, information governance and digital teams. For early years leaders, that can create a difficult tension.
The Government is investing more than half a billion pounds in the Best Start Family service over the 2026 to 2029 period, with all local authorities receiving funding to support families. Local areas are being asked to expand services, increase their use of evidence-based approaches and reach more families.
The Department for Education’s latest guidance specifically asks local authorities to deliver evidence-based parenting and HLE interventions as part of a coherent offer for families with children aged 0 to 5, combining face-to-face support with digital outreach. The opportunity is significant. But local authorities also need practical ways of commissioning and mobilising these services within their delivery windows.
How G-Cloud 15 can help
G-Cloud is a government framework specifically designed to make it easier for public-sector organisations to buy cloud-based services. Rather than beginning every procurement from scratch, buyers can access services from suppliers that have already been appointed to the framework and use the G-Cloud buying process to identify and award the service that meets their requirements.
For councils interested in EasyPeasy, that means procurement teams can now find our service through G-Cloud 15 and follow an established public-sector process to commission it. G-Cloud 15 also provides routes for awards both with and without competition, depending on the buyer’s requirements and circumstances. For Family Hubs, Early Years and Best Start teams, there is another important benefit: G-Cloud is already a framework that many council procurement, digital and ICT teams understand.
Supporting the Best Start ambition
The Government’s direction for early years services increasingly brings together three things: evidence, digital delivery and measurable impact. EasyPeasy is designed around all three:
- Our digital HLE programme supports parents and carers of children from birth to 5 to build positive interactions and learning into everyday family life through simple, evidence-based activities and support.
- EasyPeasy is named on the Department for Education’s menu of evidence-based HLE interventions for Best Start Family Hubs.
- Digital delivery creates opportunities to reach families beyond traditional services and give parents access to support when and where they need it. Making programmes like EasyPeasy easier to commission is therefore about more than procurement efficiency. It can help local authorities translate their Best Start strategies into practical support for families more quickly.
A scalable digital HLE offer can sit alongside Family Hubs, early years settings, health visiting, community outreach and targeted services, providing families with a consistent source of support while helping local authorities understand reach, engagement and impact. Using established procurement frameworks such as G-Cloud 15 can help councils bring these digital services into their normal commissioning processes and plan beyond individual pilots or short-term funding decisions.
What does this mean for your local authority?
G-Cloud 15 may be particularly useful if your local authority:
- is looking to establish or expand a digital HLE offer as part of its Best Start Family Hubs programme
- wants to commission an evidence-based intervention within current Best Start delivery timescales
- has previously commissioned EasyPeasy through a pilot or alternative procurement route and is considering longer-term delivery
- is developing its wider digital offer for families and wants an evidence-based HLE programme to sit alongside other local services
- wants to reduce the administrative burden associated with procuring a specialist digital service.
Find out more
If you’re considering partnering with EasyPeasy for your local area, get in touch with our team. We can talk you through the EasyPeasy programme, how it supports your Best Start and HLE priorities, and the information your procurement and digital colleagues may need to explore commissioning through G-Cloud 15.
For existing EasyPeasy partners, G-Cloud 15 can provide an additional route to consider when planning future contracts. If you’re already working with EasyPeasy, speak to your EasyPeasy contact about whether G-Cloud 15 could support your future commissioning plans.