G-Cloud Framework Questions

G-Cloud Framework Questions

Conversational knowledge about Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework questions, character limits, lot categories, and declaration requirements for G-Cloud submissions.

Purpose

Provide instant answers to common questions about the Digital Marketplace question structure without requiring document generation. This covers the ~258 service questions and ~57 declaration questions that suppliers must answer.

When to Use

Activate when users ask about:

• Character or word limits for specific fields
• How many features, benefits, or categories are allowed
• What lots exist and their categories
• Declaration requirements and exclusion grounds
• Pricing question structure
• Any "how many" or "what limit" question about G-Cloud fields

Quick Reference: Common Limits

Field	Limit
Service name	100 characters
Service description	50 words / 500 characters
Features	10 items max, 100 chars each
Benefits	10 items max, 100 chars each
Constraints	100 words
Textbox (standard)	200 words / 2,000 characters
Support levels	200 words / 2,000 characters

Quick Reference: Lot Structure

Lot	Name	Max Categories
Lot 1	Cloud Hosting	10 (from 22 IaaS/PaaS categories)
Lot 2	Cloud Software	20 (from 18 primary + 240+ subcategories)
Lot 3	Cloud Support	6 (Planning, Setup & migration, QA & testing, Security, Training, Ongoing support)

Quick Reference: Declaration

The declaration has ~57 questions across these areas:

• Mandatory exclusion grounds (7 questions) — criminal convictions, tax evasion; must answer "No" to pass
• Discretionary exclusion grounds (11 questions) — bankruptcy, misconduct, misrepresentation
• Modern slavery (4 questions) — required for suppliers with turnover above threshold
• Insurance — employers liability minimum £5m
• Framework agreement (~19 questions) — T&Cs acceptance, service type, subcontracting

Answering Questions

When answering framework questions:

1. Check the quick reference tables above first for common lookups (limits, lots, categories)
2. Consult references/framework-questions.md for the full question structure including question IDs, types, and which lots each question applies to
3. Be specific about lot applicability — many questions only apply to Lots 1 & 2 (hosting/software) and not Lot 3 (support), or vice versa
4. Note that limits are strictly enforced — the Digital Marketplace rejects submissions exceeding character/word limits

Related Commands

These ArcKit commands generate documents that answer framework questions:

Command	Framework Area
/arckit:service-design	Service identity, features, benefits
/arckit:sdd-lot1, sdd-lot2, sdd-lot3	Technical, security, data, infrastructure questions
/arckit:pricing	Pricing questions
/arckit:security	Security and compliance questions
/arckit:declaration	All declaration questions

Additional Resources

Reference Files

• references/framework-questions.md — Complete question structure with all ~258 service questions and ~57 declaration questions, organised by category. Includes question IDs, field types, character limits, and lot applicability. Consult for any question not covered by the quick reference tables above.