Top tips to help small organisations win government contracts
A series of videos to help SMEs and voluntary organisations pitch for and win government contracts have been released.
We want suppliers of all sizes to be able to compete for and win government business and we have reduced many of the barriers and bureaucracy in public sector procurement.
But we know that bidding for government contracts can seem overwhelming – government is after all, a highly desirable client, one that pays on time and requires a large number of services, so we understandably expect highly competitive bids and the highest standards in those we receive.
To find out about public sector contracts worth over £10,000, visit Contracts Finder.
Practical advice and guidance is a useful resource, so we have put together some videos to help suppliers, particularly SMEs, prepare winning bids for government contracts.
Watch videos
The videos provide invaluable insight to source details of potential public sector contracts, prepare successful bids, request feedback on bids and challenge poor procurement practices.
Mark Bowers, CEO of Redfern, gives tips from his experience as an SME winning a major government contract
Sally Collier, Government Deputy Chief Procurement Officer gives advice on tendering bids
Sally Collier, Government Deputy Chief Procurement Officer gives advice on winning business
Michael O’Toole, Voluntary and Charitable Sector Enterprises (VCSE) Crown Representative, offers his tips for voluntary and charitable organisations
Please use #SMEtips to put forward your comments and observations on the videos.
The government is reducing the barriers for suppliers competing for business and has issued a note on supplier financial risk issues advising contracting authorities that financial appraisal is proportional to size of the contract. This should make bidding easier for SMEs and mutuals as, for instance, it counsels against arbitrary turnover limits and performance bonds which have locked out SMEs and mutuals in the past.
Suppliers can always challenge public sector procurement practices via the Cabinet Office’s Mystery Shopper scheme. More details are available here or in the following video from Sally Collier, Government Deputy Chief Procurement Officer.