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Public Sector: Procurement

Answer

Over the past 18 months we have opened up the way Government does business in order to ensure that small companies, charities and voluntary organisations are in the best possible position to compete for contracts. We have also:

made public procurement more transparent by publishing tenders and contracts through the 'Contracts Finder' website.

introduced a new eSourcing solution, the Dynamic Marketplace, on which SMEs are able to provide quick quotes for low value contracts (below £100,000).

piloted a new online service for procurers to invite the SME market to respond, in advance of a formal procurement, to emerging opportunities to deliver government business more efficiently.

introduced a 'Mystery Shopper' scheme to allow suppliers to report bad procurement practice.

published pipelines of Government Business to enable suppliers to marshal their resources and prepare to bid for future work.

worked actively with Government departments to ensure that, where practicable, procurements are broken up into smaller lots. This will ensure that we create diversity in the supply base and in particular increase the number of SMEs awarded new business directly.

Furthermore, we have introduced a new LEAN sourcing process for central government which aims to reduce procurement timescales substantially. Departments must procure all but the most complex goods and services within 120 days

On 9 March we published the "One Year On" Progress Report, which gives a breakdown by department of spend with Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), up to December 2011. The Report is available at:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Since January 2011, central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the contracts they award, at:

www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/

We do not hold contract information broken down regionally, but prior to 2010 very limited information was held or published on any government contract spend.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

119442; 549 cc505-6W

Session

2012-13

Subjects

Business Public sector Procurement

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk