Public procurement has enormous potential to support local economies, innovation, and community impact. Yet despite years of policy commitments, many small businesses and voluntary organisations still struggle to access public sector opportunities.
Across the UK, SMEs make up over 99% of businesses, and the voluntary and community sector includes around 170,000 organisations, many of which deliver specialist, community-based services.
Evidence consistently shows that procurement processes themselves can unintentionally exclude smaller suppliers.
Research with procurement teams highlights several persistent concerns when working with SMEs and VCSEs, including:
- Perceived risk and scalability concerns
- Limited bid-writing capability
- A tendency to default to established suppliers
- Procurement processes designed around large, complex contracts.
At the same time, SMEs and VCSEs report barriers such as:
- Disproportionate insurance requirements
- Overly complex documentation
- Short notice periods for competitions
- High bid preparation costs relative to contract value.
- Lack of feedback when unsuccessful
The National Procurement Policy Statement explicitly recognises this issue by requiring contracting authorities to have regard to the barriers faced by SMEs when designing procurement processes.
This webinar explores how procurement teams can take practical steps to ensure that procurement opportunities are fully accessible without compromising governance, compliance, or value for money.