SME Business News

SME campaigner, Federation Of Small Businesses (FSB) has responded to the governments push to enable SMEs to win public contracts, by telling the Glover Review that it welcomes the target for small businesses to win  30% of public sector contracts.

FSB has however urged that the target is specifically aimed at the ‘micro end of the SME scale.’

The FSB is calling on the Glover Review to ensure micro businesses benefit by speedily implementing the following proposals:

• Guarantee all small businesses have a minimum of three weeks for a tender response;
• Ensure local authorities hold tender briefing meetings with local micro businesses; and
• Allow small businesses to complete a Pre-Qualifying Questionnaire (PQQ) only once.

The Federation are also asking that the following proposals are taken into account by the Glover Review:

• Larger contracts should be broken into smaller lots;
• Local authorities should give greater focus to the benefits of creating micro business consortia;
• More training for procurement officers in relation to engaging with micro businesses in the tendering process; and
• Making it mandatory for all local authorities to sign up to the Cabinet Office Small Business Friendly Concordat.