Survey aims to help SMEs win public contracts

by Carol Millett



A major survey of companies bidding for public-sector contracts has been launched by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in a bid to bring down the barriers to entering this market.

The survey was prompted by mounting concern that public sector bureaucracy and new procurement practices, such as partnering, are preventing many businesses, particularly smaller firms, from competing in this market.

The OGC's competition strategy manager Sue Hurrell said: "The UK government and the European Commission are seeking to address the difficulties facing companies when it comes to winning public sector business, particularly those affecting companies with fewer than 50 employees.

"I encourage all companies that are tendering or want to tender for public sector contracts to complete the survey."

The results of the survey will form the basis of an OGC report to government on how to make public sector procurement more accessible to smaller companies.

The survey will be carried out on behalf of the OGC via Tenders Direct's website. Tenders Direct is an online business supplying information on tenders and contracts.

Managing director Tim Williams said typical barriers to companies vying for public sector work are access to information on contracts, bureaucracy and the trend towards aggregating contracts into blocks accessible to only the largest firms.

The OGC survey can be found online at www.tendersdirect.co.uk/questionnaire.