AWS to host UK government's Crown Marketplace

Amazon Web Services has been chosen as the cloud provider of a portal for the UK government which will enable government departments and local councils to procure goods and services online.
The new government portal is being built by a small public sector-focused development team called The Dextrous Web, which - in consultation with the Cabinet Office’s procurement body, the Crown Commercial Service - decided that AWS would be best for the project.
Hosting the primary components of the Crown Marketplace will likely give the company an advantage when it comes to later stages of the project, which may prove lucrative over the long term.
All Web Services
The contract with The Dextrous Web, first reported by The Telegraph, is thought to have been agreed last September, but has only now been made public.
Facing criticism that the government was more likely to choose larger suppliers, Oliver Dowden, the minister for implementation, said last April: "This government is listening to the business community and is committed to leveling the playing field for smaller suppliers to win work in the public sector.”
When it comes to data center and cloud services, however, the trend has skewed heavily towards the dominant players in the market - mainly AWS and Microsoft's Azure.
“Ignore me if you’re going to get offended - Amazon is probably better at hosting than you,” the chief digital and information officer (CDIO) of the UK’s Ministry of Justice, Tom Read, said last year.
He added: “We get a lot of [people] challenging us about procurement - why can you just buy Azure or AWS, don’t you need to be fair and let everybody in the market come to the table? - And it’s really hard, because the answer is ‘no, they’re better.’”
This approach has cost some small companies dearly. In 2017, Salford-based cloud provider DataCentred shut down after its largest customer, the tax collection agency Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, moved to AWS.
“This is a clear case of government saying one thing yet doing another. They say they want to support small businesses but they give the contacts to the big boys and let small businesses go bust," Member of Parliament Margaret Hodge, the former chair of parliament’s public accounts committee, told Sky News at the time.
“They say they want to be tough on tax avoidance but they use our money to give contracts to some of the world’s biggest and most immoral tax avoiders. Surely this is blatant hypocrisy.”
The Everything Store
The US government is pushing forward with a system similar to the Crown Marketplace, with plans for an e-commerce portal that works like Amazon.com, but is intended for government agencies, to be launched in late 2019.
Last year, The Guardian revealed that senior Amazon executive Anne Rung privately advised a top official at the General Services Administration (GSA) about the project, suggested candidates to fill a government position, and inquired whether the official, Mary Davie, knew anyone who could run Amazon Business’s federal government division.
Rung was previously the chief US acquisition officer under the Obama administration.
Section 801 of the National Defense Authorization Act (which has been informally dubbed the “Amazon amendment") was passed last year to mandate the creation of the e-commerce system, with government acquisitions of commercial products thought to represent a $53 billion market
source datacenterdynamics
Industry: Data Centre & Cloud News

Latest Jobs
-
- Identity Channel Partner Manager | London
- London
- N/A
-
Identity Channel Partner Manager | London Location: South East UK (commutable to London) We are working with a Cyber Security business who are looking for a Channel Partner Manager to drive and grow relationships across their identity ecosystem. Prior experience working within VARs, distributors, vendors or resellers in the identity space is essential. You must have experience working with technologies such as CyberArk, Sailpoint, Okta etc Responsibilities will include, but not be limited to: Build, maintain and develop strong relationships with channel partners. Work closely with partner sales teams to support growth drive sales opportunities. Identify and onboard new partners while strengthening existing partnerships. Act as the key point of contact for all channel-related activity. If you are an experienced channel professional, with experience in the Identity space and are ready for your next challenge, apply today.
-
- Service Architect- DACH regions
- Germany
- Upto €110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Lead Service Architect with the authority and experience to take control of complex, multi-million-euro outsourcing bids. This role is about leading the Service/ solutioning effort, bringing structure to chaos, and driving the entire bid team to deliver winning proposals. The company area a global managed services business working with enterprise and public sector clients, across Cloud, End-User Computing, Digital Workplace, Service Desk, and Network Infrastructure. What You’ll Do: Lead Service/ solution design from qualification to contract. Control bid teams — architects, pricing, delivery, and SMEs. Break down RFPs/RFIs into actionable, costed, client-ready solutions. Present internally and to clients at decision-maker level. Run solution workshops, own the architecture, and shape the financial model. You’ll Need: Experience working as a Service architect, Service Manager or Customer Success Manager R Gravitas to lead and drive teams through high-stakes bids. Deep knowledge of managed services delivery and commercial models. Strong technical grasp: Cloud, Security, EUC, Unified Comms, Service Desk, and more. Experience leading deals across onshore, offshore, and hybrid delivery models.
-
- Deal Architect- DACH region
- Germany
- Upto €110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Lead Deal Architect with the authority and experience to take control of complex, multi-million-euro outsourcing bids. This role is about leading the solutioning/ Service effort, bringing structure to chaos, and driving the entire bid team to deliver winning proposals. The company is a global managed services business providing solutions to enterprise and public sector clients, across Cloud, End-User Computing, Digital Workplace, Service Desk, and Network Infrastructure. What You’ll Do: Lead the deal from qualification to contract. Control bid teams — architects, pricing, delivery, and SMEs. Break down RFPs/RFIs into actionable, costed, client-ready solutions. Present internally and to clients at decision-maker level. Run solution workshops, own the architecture, and shape the financial model. Be responsible for the service Wrap and ensuring the Service meets clients requirements You’ll Need: A back ground with IT Services Experience in a similar type of role, for example: Deal, Service, or Solution Architect in ICT outsourcing. Gravitas to lead and drive teams through high-stakes bids. Deep knowledge of managed services delivery and commercial models. Strong technical knowledge: Cloud, Security, EUC, Unified Comms, Service Desk, and more. Experience leading deals across onshore, offshore, and hybrid delivery models.
-
- Pre Sales Lead- IT Services
- Germany
- Upto €100,000 plus benefits
-
As the Pre-Sales Lead (Sales Engineer/ Solution Architect) you will drive large-scale ICT managed services and outsourcing deals (from €0.5M to €20M+). You'll work directly with Business Development and clients to design high-impact solutions across Cloud (Azure, IaaS, SaaS, PaaS), EUC, Unified Comms, Security (SIEM, PAM), Networks, and Smart Workplaces. What You’ll Do: Lead the end-to-end pre-sales cycle — from RFI/RFP to contract. Design innovative, client-specific solutions with technical & commercial impact. Present at CxO level and steer proposal strategies & financial models. Collaborate closely with Portfolio, Service Desk, Field, and Digital Workplace teams. Support deal shaping with strong knowledge of ITIL, SIAM, Automation, and cost analysis. What You’ll Bring: Have strong experience in pre-sales or solution architecture. Experience with €M+ managed service deals. Deep technical expertise in modern ICT stack and enterprise IT services. Strong German (C1) and English communication skills. Certifications: ITIL v3/v4 required; SIAM, ISO20000 desirable.