The UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, has outlined a series of reforms aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses compete for public sector contracts.
Under the new system, entrepreneurs will be able to pitch directly to Whitehall buyers as part of the Government's efforts to make public procurement more accessible to smaller firms.
The requirement for businesses to complete a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) before bidding for contracts worth less than £100,000 will also be abolished - a move welcomed by many business groups.
In addition, Mr Cameron announced the launch of a new website which enables firms to search for public sector contracts worth more than £10,000. A similar type of website already exists in Scotland and is reported to be a success, with around 50,000 members registered to the site.
'Too many contracts are signed off behind closed doors with little or no public scrutiny. That can be good for the contractors who can charge over the odds without being properly challenged but it is not good for the taxpayer who is being short changed and denied value for money,' commented the Prime Minister.
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