News

Small Supplier, Big Opportunity campaign launched by OGC

Released on 01/02/2010

The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has today launched an awareness raising campaign to promote greater access for smaller firms to the £220 billion worth of contract opportunities awarded by the public sector each year. The announcement comes as the OGC publishes the guidance Small Supplier, Big Opportunity: Flagging your contracts to SMEs, showing how the public sector can make it easier for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to identify appropriate contract opportunities.

Throughout 2010, OGC and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), will extend the regional workshops, recently piloted in the North East, to ensure that procurers understand how to effectively implement procurement practices that not only improve the visibility and access to opportunities but also levels the playing field for SMEs to successfully compete for appropriate contracts. These events will include training for regional SMEs on bidding for public sector contracts, regional procurers and the Federation of Small Businesses.

The OGC will also be publishing a series of additional guidance during the year for both the procurement and supplier communities to maximise the opportunities for small firms to deliver both innovative and value for money solutions for the public. This work will complement the online training course "Winning the Contract" launched by BIS and OGC last month and designed to help businesses gain the necessary skills required to bid for public sector contracts.

Speaking about the campaign, Nigel Smith, Chief Executive of the OGC said:

"Spending taxpayers' money on goods and services should be as effective and efficient as possible, but that can't happen if we don't ensure small firms are given every opportunity to contribute. Support for SMEs should be core to the make-up of public sector procurement, and this new campaign will help in re-educating and re-engineering where it is needed."

Debasish Sen, Federation of Small Businesses Trade and Industry Committee Member said:

"The Federation of Small Businesses welcomes moves to reduce the barriers and burdens small businesses face when bidding for Government contracts. Small firms offer great value to our communities, and by using their services money is kept within the local economy. These measures should go a long way in helping small firms win more public sector work."

To access Small Supplier, Big Opportunity: Flagging your contracts to SMEs visit OGC's website.

Notes to editor

About the Small Supplier, Big Opportunity campaign
SMEs comprise over 99% of UK companies and improving their access to public sector spend has the potential to provide benefits to the organisations who buy from them, and to stimulate this sector of the economy, supporting growth. The campaign and guidance has been developed by the Access for All programme, which was established to improve access for SMEs to contracting opportunities in both central government and the wider public sector. The programme was established in response to Government's acceptance of the recommendations in the Glover Committee report Accelerating the SME Economic Engine: through transparent, simple and strategic procurement, November 2008. This is a joint programme run by the Office of Government Commerce and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. The Glover Committee review inquired into the barriers small firms face in competing for public sector contracts and made a series of recommendations on the action required to reduce these barriers.

Small Supplier, Big Opportunity Flagging your contracts to SMEs guidance is a key part of the campaign to promote greater access for smaller firms to the £220 billion worth of contract opportunities awarded by the public sector each year and follows the free online training course for SMEs 'Winning the Contract' launched by Lord Davies and Liam Byrne on the 25 January.

About OGC

The OGC is an independent office of HM Treasury, established to help government deliver best value from its spending. The OGC works with central government departments and other public sector organisations to ensure the achievement of six key goals:

• Delivery of value for money from third party spend;    
• Delivery of projects to time, quality and cost, realising benefits;
• Getting the best from the government's £30bn estate;   
• Improving the sustainability of the government estate and operations, including reducing carbon emissions by 12.5% by 2010-11, through stronger performance management and guidance;   
• Helping achieve delivery of further government policy goals, including innovation, equality, and support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs);   
• And driving forward the improvement of central government capability in procurement, project and programme management, and estates management through the development of people skills, processes and tools.

OGC provides policy standards and guidance on best practice in procurement, projects and estate management, and monitors and challenges departments' performance against these standards, grounded in an evidence base of information and assurance. It promotes and fosters collaborative procurement across the public sector to deliver better value for money and better public services; and it provides innovative ways to develop government's commercial and procurement capability, including leadership of the Government Procurement Service.

Media contact:
Michael Dunning, Media Relations Manager, OGC
T: 020 7271 1318
M: 07771 815245
E: michael.dunning@ogc.gsi.gov.uk

Contact details:
OGC Service Desk
Tel: 0845 000 4999
E-mail: ServiceDesk@ogc.gsi.gov.uk