Small Firms Helped To Bid For Procurement 'billions'

[interestrateripoff]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12432584

David Cameron has announced a series of measures to help small and medium-sized firms compete for billions of pounds worth of central government contracts.

He said the aim was to give businesses greater access to the bidding process by eliminating "excessive bureaucracy and petty regulation".

Firms should no longer have to input their information each time they apply for a new contract, for example.

The CBI, however, said the government could have gone much further.

"This is a welcome package of measures," said Susan Anderson, the business body's director for public services, "but it could be much more radical by opening up all government contracts and public services to a range of innovative and expert providers."

'Oligopoly'

The measures also include a new Contracts Finder website, which will feature all public sector contracts worth more than £10,000, to try to give business an an easier way to locate them.

Pre-qualification questions for central government contracts under £100,000 will also be elimated, the Cabinet Office said.

Launching the initiative, the Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude, said they would end the "procurement oligopoly" where small businesses were effectively shut out from the bidding process for Westminster contracts by red tape and over regulation.

It is hoped the measures will also help charities and voluntary organisations bid for work.

David Cameron told representatives from small and medium sized firms that the measures should also help the UK economy.

"We need to make the system more open, competitive and transparent. It's important for getting to grips with our deficit," the prime minister said.

Has Dave run this past the big VI groups that already suck on the govt teat? How will smaller entities complete against the big corporate players in securing these contracts?

Can we expect in a few years big fraud cases where someone has bid took the money and provided poor service whilst living the high life?

[libspero]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12432584

Has Dave run this past the big VI groups that already suck on the govt teat?

No idea.. but if he even achieves 50% of what he's hoping it's a step in the right direction.

All in favour of small/med companies winning more gvt contracts.. locally grown and paying taxes in the UK preferably!

[LJAR]

sod the bidding process, give people vouchers and let them spend the money where they want to, no problems with cronyism that way.

(not that it would work on everything mind, but lots of govt provided services would benefit from a voucher system)

[tim123]

sod the bidding process, give people vouchers and let them spend the money where they want to, no problems with cronyism that way.

(not that it would work on everything mind, but lots of govt provided services would benefit from a voucher system)

You'll need to explain to me how giving government departments "vouchers" to spend instead of pound coins to spend stops them giving the business to the company now represented by the previous chief honcho (or the one where the current chief honcho used to work)?

tim

[Redcellar]

I think change was inevitable. The new laws on bribery would have seen many of the big boys no longer automatically winning contracts if you catch my drift.

[Tiger Woods?]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12432584

Has Dave run this past the big VI groups that already suck on the govt teat? How will smaller entities complete against the big corporate players in securing these contracts?

Can we expect in a few years big fraud cases where someone has bid took the money and provided poor service whilst living the high life?

Like all the big companies do at present?

Anything that allows smaller contractors to big on government projects will be a good thing. The large businesses overcharge for poor service in my experience. Mrs Woods was involved in recommending sub-contractors for a government contract and some very good bids had to be turfed because the small company could not satisfy the unnecessary requirements that a large company can.