In episode 4 of our podcast series, Mantis PR’s Rebecca Paddick sat down with Rob Anderson who leads research and analysis of govtech for GlobalData, one of the world’s leading market intelligence providers, to discuss the green shoots of recovery for the UK’s Govtech community of suppliers in the wake of COVID. Plus, they discuss the role of the new Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) for Government, and how it will work alongside GDS, and the further changes we are likely to see in the Govtech market in 2021.

Highlights:

• Healthtech was bound to take a front seat and similarly with edtech as well [in recent months], so govtech has taken a back seat but it hasn’t stopped completely
• We have anecdotal evidence that suppliers are getting frustrated
• But, the business of IT in Government doesn’t stop
• For 2019-2020 spending was stable, 1% growth to just over $4m spend in central government. 2021 will be more or less similar
• But we’re seeing more use of cloud and remote technologies
• Most Government departments are looking at ways to enable different ways of working
• The pendulum has swung back towards [Government working with] larger suppliers
• Previously, Francis Maude tried to increase the supply chain to include more SMEs. At the time it worked.
• Frameworks like DOS have not necessary evolved in the way SMEs would like
• The frameworks are only a shop window and being on a framework doesnt mean people will buy your product. You need to get to know your customer
• And, because there are so many suppliers in these frameworks, its difficult to cut through the noise