How SMEs can secure public sector work

When it comes to bidding for public sector work, there are a few things SMEs can get a grip on

Two businesspeople looking at desktop computer monitor and discussing work at desk
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There is good news and bad for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) when it comes to bidding for public sector work. On the positive side, new government data shows that SMEs won £39.7 billion worth of such contracts last year; less happily, the proportion of public sector work awarded to smaller businesses has remained stuck at around 20% for the past five years. The new Labour government says it wants SMEs to get more public sector work, but its predecessor said the same thing. And while both the national government and councils have made efforts to encourage SMEs, the reality is that the onus remains on businesses themselves to go out and win these contracts. 

In practice, this means getting to grips with the way that public sector procurement works. One advantage of focusing on public sector contracts is that there are strict rules and processes governing how they are awarded. Small firms that understand the system can then engage with it. Most contracts are advertised on Contracts Finder, a public online portal (localised versions of it operate in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). You can use this portal to search for opportunities in your sector and to set email alerts so that you are automatically notified as new opportunities come up. 

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David Prosser
Business Columnist

David Prosser is a regular MoneyWeek columnist, writing on small business and entrepreneurship, as well as pensions and other forms of tax-efficient savings and investments. David has been a financial journalist for almost 30 years, specialising initially in personal finance, and then in broader business coverage. He has worked for national newspaper groups including The Financial Times, The Guardian and Observer, Express Newspapers and, most recently, The Independent, where he served for more than three years as business editor.