Small Businesses Get Free Access to Public Sector Contracts
A free trial provides small and medium-sized businesses with access to thousands of public sector contract opportunities.
From 1 May until 31 July 2008, the 'supply2' website will allow new registrants to gain free access to public sector contracts valued under £100,000 for the UK and Northern Ireland. The free trial is part of DBERR's (the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) Enterprise Strategy, released in March, which outlined new measures to increase the amount of government business that is won by small firms.
The trial is available to businesses registering for the first time, and will provide access to contracts throughout the UK rather than in a nominated local area. Once the free trial is over, the registrant will revert to the free local area access as specified at registration, unless they select to maintain access at the national level or upgrade to an alternative level. New registrants after 31 July 2008 will only benefit from the free local location.
More than 3,000 new contracts are available on the website each month.
DBERR's Enterprise Strategy featured a range of measures to boost small firms competing for public procurement. An advisory committee will look at ways to reduce barriers that small businesses face when competing for public sector contracts and the practicality of setting a goal for them to win 30% of public sector business within five years.
The Strategy also included an announcement that the rules for government procurement will be changed to allow companies, particularly small firms, to use invoice financing to compete for public contracts.
