Tuesday Jun 21

On Public Sector tendering opportunities for smaller businesses

Many SMEs would like to take advantage of the tendering opportunities that come from the public sector. In my view this is entirely reasonable, particularly given the government's stance on making opportunities available to the smaller business.

However, all is not that simple. You might think that a small business that provides an excellent service, and has a great track record, would be well placed. Not so! There are many hoops to be jumped through and many areas of compliance to be dealt with. All of this is a big ask for the small business with limited resources, and many become disillusioned at the first hurdle.

It can be done though. It will require some investment in time and money, and the pay-off needs to be carefully evaluated. Once all the boxes are ticked, though, they tend to stay ticked.

My tip is this; if you think it may be an opportunity for you, think about it carefully, approach it thoroughly, and don't just have one or two half-hearted attempts!