A new government portal that makes it easier for small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to find and bid for public sector contracts has been welcomed by food and drink manufacturers.
Contracts being tendered by government agencies with a value greater than £25,000 must now be advertised on the new Contracts Finder portal. Supporting documents related to the contract must also be provided, which should make it easier for food and drink industry service providers to proceed with a bid.
By breaking up larger contracts, the UK government also aims to increase the engagement of SMEs in the public sector, and grow the £11.4bn’s worth of work that they were awarded in 2014.
This will “increase transparency and accountability in the way government buys services,” according to the Trinity Mirror newspaper group.
The UK government’s minister for the cabinet office, Francis Maude, said: “Every year, central government spends a staggering £44bn on goods and services. At the time of the last general election, the civil service didn’t even know who its biggest suppliers were – nor how much it was spending with them. The process for applying for a contract was so complex that it almost seemed as if smaller businesses were being deliberately excluded.
“So we set an aspiration that, by the end of this parliament, a quarter of our spend by value would go directly and indirectly (through the supply chain) to SMEs, the lifeblood of our economy. And, as part of our long-term economic plan, we set about overhauling the whole way Whitehall runs its procurement.”
The revamped system has been welcomed by organic milk producer Acorn Dairy, which has been able to grow its business significantly through public sector contracts for two local councils.
Acorn Dairy operations director Caroline Bell said: “It has given us great kudos to supply a local council. Once you’ve won one public sector contract, it is easier to win others as it shows a level of competence, even for a new company, which we were at the time.
“The Contracts Finder portal makes it easier for a company such as ours to secure further suitable contracts. All the contract information and tender requirements are clearly displayed. The application process has been simplified, which saves us time and money.”
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