UK Minister for Implementation, Oliver Dowden, launched Spark, an online marketplace to support new technologies, at the start of London Tech Week (10 June). 

Tech start-ups will also see a boost to their ability to win government contracts through the launch of Spark, a new online marketplace that provides a route into the public sector for companies offering innovative technology products including Internet of Things (IoT), AI and automation, simulated environments, wearables and new improvements in security. Spark has been developed using a filter system to help customers find relevant suppliers. It has a number of defined tech areas that have been developed with customer input, which the Crown Commercial Service (CCS)has said focus on the “emerging technologies that are predicted to have the largest impact over the next 2 to 5 years”.

Suppliers wanted to join the marketplace need to demonstrate an innovation that is either “radical” or “disruptive”. Once an application is complete, the process to assess and appoint a supplier to the marketplace may take up to a maximum of 15 working days.

Despite CCS claiming that Spark already has a “wide range of organizations on the marketplace”, some observers on Twitter have already questioned the small number of suppliers listed at launch.