Tax & Accounting News

Small firms get help to access government contracts

26/08/2009

Small businesses in the UK are being given free access to a website which lists details of thousands of government contracts which they can bid for.

The site at www.supply2.gov.uk advertises thousands of lower-value public sector procurement opportunities worth up to £100,000, but was previously only available to companies which paid an annual subscription of up to £180.

Last year the government dropped the subscription fee for a three-month trial period, and has now decided to remove the charge indefinitely, allowing small firms to access the information on the site for free.

The decision follows the Glover Review into small business participation in public sector procurement, which recommended that by the end of 2010 all public sector contracts should be accessible through a single, free online portal.

Since it was launched in June 2006, www.supply2.gov.uk has published more than 132,000 contracts, many under the value of £100,000, making them particularly relevant to smaller companies.

Business minister Shriti Vadera said: “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.”

Additional services on the site, such as daily email alerts, will continue to require a subscription fee.

Businesses can also take advantage of a free service which enables them to compete for contract opportunities linked to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

www.competefor.com acts as a brokerage service, matching buyers with potential suppliers. It also offers advice on boosting the long-term competitiveness of businesses, delivered through the national Business Link network.

Any business can register on the site, free of charge, in order to access thousands of contract opportunities available. The site can also be used to search for suitable business partners.

 

Print page