Whatever sectors your business operates within, there will be a government organisation which needs your goods or services. The need is likely to be ongoing and the contract may secure a good and reliable income for a significant period of time. No wonder therefore that such contracts are highly sought after.

It has however long been European policy that no-one should have a monopoly on these contracts and tendering for them should be open to all. Having made tender submissions for the provision of legal services to local authorities ourselves, we are well aware of how time consuming and bureaucratic the process can be. This in itself disadvantages small businesses such as ourselves to whom time is a very precious commodity and not one to be wasted on chasing contracts with no hope of success.

The Government does however seem to have finally recognised this and is making an effort to address it. A Contract Finder website has been launched with which a business can register to receive free email alerts for tender opportunities which may be of interest. This is in itself nothing new but what they also say is that they are to take a “completely new approach to assessing companies and organisations who want to do business with Government, so that SMEs are not disadvantaged.” Now that may be new….if it turns out to be true!

We’ll let you know our thoughts once we’ve been through the process…watch this space.

If you need help and advice in relation to tender opportunities, then we would happily recommend you speak with Brian Farrington or Stephen Ashcroft at Brian Farrington Limited. If you need advice on the terms & conditions of a proposed contract, then please speak to us.