As the UK government faces budget cuts, reducing technology costs without sacrificing innovation, security, and effectiveness becomes crucial. The use of open-source software and a unified data platform is proposed as a solution to address the challenges posed by disparate data tools and silos, which hinder collaboration, increase costs, and create security vulnerabilities. By consolidating data into a unified platform, government departments can enhance collaboration, ensure data meets user needs, and drive innovation through meaningful partnerships. This approach also aims to reduce technical debt and foster a culture of data understanding, making government operations more agile and responsive. Open data platforms built on open standards minimize the risk of vendor lock-in and allow for flexible deployment across cloud, on-premise, or edge environments. Additionally, adopting a resource-based pricing model, like Elastic’s, can offer scalable, cost-effective solutions, and the open-source community support ensures continuous value delivery. Ultimately, a unified data platform can empower government agencies to innovate efficiently and maintain data security while managing costs effectively.