How to win public cloud contracts

By the StackBid team · Updated October 31, 2026 · 2 minute read

Public sector cloud spending keeps growing as governments move off their own data centres. The big platforms (AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud) win the infrastructure itself, but the work around them, plus specialist software as a service, is open to small firms.

What public buyers are buying

Cloud migration: moving applications and data from on-premise servers to the cloud.
Managed cloud: running, monitoring, patching and optimizing cloud environments.
Cloud architecture and landing zones: designing secure, compliant environments.
Software as a service: anything from booking systems to case management, bought by subscription.
Cost optimization: reducing cloud bills, often as a short fixed-price review.

How cloud is bought

Much public cloud buying goes through catalogues and frameworks rather than open tenders:

UK: G-Cloud, where suppliers list cloud hosting, software and support services.
Australia: the BuyICT Cloud Marketplace.
US: GSA Schedules and agency vehicles, plus FedRAMP-authorized products.
Canada: federal cloud services frameworks and provincial vendor-of-record arrangements.

Listing on the right catalogue is often the main bid. See supplier lists, frameworks and panels explained.

Security and compliance

US: FedRAMP authorization for cloud services used by federal agencies; StateRAMP for many states.
Australia: assessment against the Information Security Manual, often through an IRAP assessor.
UK: alignment with the NCSC Cloud Security Principles, plus Cyber Essentials.
Canada: federal security assessment of cloud providers, and in-Canada hosting for many workloads.
Everywhere: ISO 27001 and SOC 2 reports are widely accepted evidence.

Data residency

Many public cloud contracts require data to be stored, and sometimes processed and supported, in the buyer's country. The major platforms have regions in most of StackBid's markets; check that every tool you use, including backup and monitoring, meets the same rule.

Common questions

Do I need FedRAMP to sell cloud services to the US government?

Cloud services used by US federal agencies generally need a FedRAMP authorization. Consulting and migration services delivered on an already authorized platform usually do not need their own.

Can a small SaaS company sell to government?

Yes. Listing on a government cloud marketplace such as G-Cloud or BuyICT lets public buyers find and buy your product directly, often without a full tender. Expect security questionnaires and data residency questions.

Find this work

Browse open cloud tenders, and read how to win government IT contracts for the bid itself.