Every small
business in the UK will now have free access to thousands of lower
value government contracts on the Government’s website www.supply2.gov.uk.
For three years, supply2.gov.uk has advertised thousands of
public sector procurement opportunities worth up to £100,000 –
making the website ideally suited to small and medium sized
businesses.
The fee that was previously charged to search the site across the
UK will now be removed, providing firms with better access to
public sector contracts to help their businesses grow.
Business Minister Shriti Vadera said:
“Small businesses are facing significant pressure in this
downturn and new contracts are essential for their return to
growth.
“We want to support small businesses by making it easier to
access the thousands of Government procurement opportunities that
are directly relevant to them.
“This free service is an interim step along the way to
introducing a single website for all public sector contracts next year.”
Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Ian Pearson said:
"Small and medium sized businesses are a crucial part of
the UK economy and in these challenging times it is essential that
we support them in as many ways as possible.
"By introducing a free to use national search service we
are helping to create a level playing field on which SMEs can
compete with their larger counterparts. This will realise benefits
for SMEs, the economy as a whole, and help drive further
innovation in public services.
Debasish Sen, Federation of Small Businesses Trade and Industry
committee member, said:
“The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has been working
closely with the Government to put better policies on procurement
in place and we welcome this first step to create a free,
national, on-line portal that small firms can use to apply for
public sector contracts next year.
“FSB research shows that half of SMEs do not tender for public
contracts because the process is too complicated and the contracts
are too difficult to find in the first place. Making supply2.gov
free to access is a first step in the right direction and
something the FSB has been pushing for, for a long time.”
Searching for lower-value contracts across the UK was previously
only available as part of a commercial subscription service, which
cost up to £180 per year.
This announcement is a move towards delivering on a key
recommendation outlined in the Glover Review - that by the end of
2010 all public sector contract opportunities should be accessible
through a single, free online web portal.
Notes to Editors
Supply2.gov.uk is the official government portal for the
advertisement of lower-value (typically below £100,000) contract
opportunities, and provides small businesses with access to
lower-value public sector contracts. The siteallows businesses to
view contracts in a single location, reducing the time taken to
source opportunities, unites buyers and suppliers and is cited as
a best practice means of advertising lower-value contract
opportunities by HM Treasury and the European Commission. Since it
launched in June 2006, www.supply2.gov.uk has published more than
132,000 contract notices with many under the value of £100,000 –
making them particularly relevant to SMEs. Over 6,800 public
sector buyers have registered including local government, health,
education and housing authorities, emergency services and the
Olympic Delivery Authority. Anne Glover’s report in to SME
participation in public sector procurement: Accelerating the SME
economic engine, published alongside the Pre-Budget Report in
November 2008, made 12 recommendations aimed at breaking down the
barriers faced by small businesses when looking to supply goods
and services to the public sector. The principal recommendation
was the development of a single, free, easy to search portal for
all contract opportunities over £20,000. The full report can be
assessed via the following link: Glover Report. The Office of
Government Commerce is working closely with the Department for
Business Innovation and Skills on the implementation of the Glover
recommendations.Value added services, such as daily email alerts,
will continue to be offered for which a subscription fee will be
required.The www.supply2.gov.uk service is managed by BiP
Solutions Limited. BiP Solutions proactively worked with the
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to facilitate
the free search facility.
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is
building a dynamic and competitive UK economy by: creating the
conditions for business success; promoting innovation, enterprise
and science; and giving everyone the skills and opportunities to
succeed. To achieve this it will foster world-class universities
and promote an open global economy. BIS - Investing in our future.
Contacts:
BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk