Small firms offered free access to public sector contract opportunities

The Government has launched a three-month free trial of its Supply2.gov website for SMEs searching for public sector contract opportunities.

Launched in June 2006, the Supply2.gov website allows registered firms to search for public sector contracts worth under £100,000, receive daily email alerts matching them with business opportunities, and access guidance to public sector procurement.

Before now, businesses were only able to carry out local contract searches for free and were charged £180 per year to make nationwide searches.

The free trial, which ends on 31 July, allows SMEs access to 3,000 public sector contracts across the UK. Once the free trial is over, the site will revert to free local area access only.

“Small and medium-sized businesses need our support to expand,” said Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Competitiveness, Shriti Vadera. “Many smaller businesses are more innovative, have lower costs and present better value for taxpayers than larger firms.

“Introducing Britain’s small firms to government procurement contracts online will provide opportunities to grow that they would not otherwise have found,” she added.

“This is very welcome news,” said Federation of Small Businesses national chairman John Wright. “We supported the Supply2 initiative from the outset and we hope that this free trial period will encourage more small businesses to try their hand at delivering goods and services to the public sector.

“Opening up public sector procurement to the UK’s 4.5 million small businesses can, and should, eradicate the false assumption that biggest is always best,” added Wright.