As trading conditions remain difficult for SMEs, many are turning to the public sector as a potential source of new business. Demand for the Supply2.gov.uk contract alert service continues to grow and since the turn of the year, over 38,000 suppliers have registered on Supply2.gov.uk to be notified of contract opportunities viable for their business. Since launch three years ago, the service has successfully registered over 157,000 private sector suppliers, with upwards of 130,500 contract opportunities of all values being posted since June 2006.
Supply2.gov.uk provides SMEs with access to contract information from a growing market which has an annual spend of £175bn on goods and services.
Suppliers who have registered on the site receive a daily email alert notifying them of new government opportunities, relevant to their business, within a local location of their choice. For many small businesses gaining access to relevant contract opportunities is a lifeline for stability and growth with the public sector making good customers and traditionally paying very promptly.
For public sector buyers, the advertising of lower-value contract opportunities through Supply2.gov.uk encourages more competition and can result in more competitive pricing, innovative solutions and better value for money. Although not mandatory, the use of Supply2.gov.uk ensures buyers are compliant with EU legislation and can demonstrate best
practice by procuring in a transparent manner.
Through the portal’s growing number of interoperability partnerships, in excess of 12,000 public sector buyers have access to utilise the portal as a free advertising platform for their below-threshold (below £100k) procurements, with many new buyers joining each month.
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