MORE THAN 7500 CONTRACTS ADVERTISED ON NEW GOVERNMENT WEBSITE

There are now more than 7500 Government contracts advertised on a new business portal which removes the barriers faced by many small businesses to access public sector contracts.

More than 10,000 suppliers have also registered on Supply2.gov.uk, developed by BiP Solutions on behalf of the Small Business Service and available through the award winning businesslink.gov.uk website. It is the first Government-supported service of its kind in the UK to give businesses the opportunity to access lower-value public sector contracts, typically under £100,000 in value, from central and local Government.

The supply2.gov.uk portal allows UK public sector organisations to publicise their lower-value contracts free of charge. And, for the first time, businesses will be able to view such contracts in a single place, reducing the time taken to source opportunities. Contracts in a business’ chosen location will be available free of charge – a significant benefit, particularly for small firms.

Speaking at the National Innovation and Enterprise Conference at Earls Court today DTI Minister Jim Fitzpatrick MP said:

“This new portal is a major step forward in the Government’s commitment to support small business. It ensures that, for the first time, small businesses can access millions of pounds worth of Government contracts in the one place. It also enables businesses to register their details to ensure their expertise is seen by hundreds of public sector procurers.”

Teresa Graham, member of the Small Business Council (SBC) and the Better Regulation Commission (BRC), said:

“This is a wonderful step forward in the Government's agenda to remove the barriers faced by small businesses when trying to find out about opportunities to work with Government. It will provide businesses with a shop window to the lower-value contract market place. Online guidance will also help them to compete for the work. The BRC (formerly the Better Regulation Taskforce) and the SBC wish to congratulate the team effort that went into the creation of Supply2.gov.uk and wishes it every possible success".

The new portal was developed from a report authored by the Better Regulation Taskforce and the Small Business Council. The Small Business Service (SBS), with the support of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), procured BiP Solutions Limited as a service provider to build, maintain and develop Supply2.gov.uk.

Ron Burges, CEO of BiP Solutions said:

“It is fantastic to be involved in such an important development, which will help businesses source lower-value public sector contracts. We are delighted to be part of the team delivering this solution which will encourage more suppliers to consider doing business with the public sector.”

At the National Innovation and Enterprise Conference a demonstration was held for small businesses on the benefits of the new portal. This will be followed by a series of regional roadshows throughout the year to offer help and tips for small businesses on using the portal.

Notes to Editors

  1. Jim Fitzpatrick MP was speaking at the National Innovation and Enterprise Conference at Earls Court. The conference focuses on providing SMEs with practical help and support and will be attended by approximately 7000 SMEs over the two days.
  2. SBS is an agency of the UK Government’s Department of Trade and Industry. Its aim is to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business. OGC is an independent office of the Treasury and works with public sector organisations to help them improve their efficiency, gain better value for money from their commercial activities and deliver improved success from programmes and projects.
  3. 3. The recommendation for the new portal was made in a study, Government: Supporter and Customer? (May 2003), by the Better Regulation Taskforce and the Small Business Council, which called for the barriers faced by smaller businesses when trying to do business with the government to be removed. Following the recommendation, an information website was set up at www.supplyinggovernment.gov.uk.
  4. 4. BiP Solutions has 22 years’ experience in providing public sector contracts information to the private sector; along with events management, training, consultancy and procurement services for public and private sector clients.

Useful links

Supplier Route to Government www.supply2.gov.uk
Small Business Service www.sbs.gov.uk
Office of Government Commerce www.ogc.gov.uk
Business Link www.businesslink.gov.uk
BiP Solutions www.bipsolutions.com