Open for Business

Government is open for business and wants to work with small businesses and civil society organisations in the UK.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations are the lifeblood of the economy.

By 2022, the government plans that one third of its spend on goods and services will be with SMEs including VCSEs, either directly or through the supply chain.

The government is committed to work with organisations who generate social value and will strive to work closely with organisations who uphold the strong social values that are vital to the country’s wellbeing and economy.

Working with government has never been better

Simpler application processes

We’re making it much easier to become a government supplier. We have listened to what you have to say and made the application process quicker and easier.

Read how to become a supplier through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS). CCS offers a range of agreements through which central government departments and wider public sector organisations can purchase common goods and services.

Find out more here 

Suppliers will be paid in 30 days

You’ve told us that payment and cash flow can be a problem, so we guarantee to pay all valid invoices in 30 days or less.

Find out more on the measures introduced by the government to tackle late and unfair payment practices in the public sector.

Find out more here

Listening to your concerns

The office of the Small Business Commissioner (SBC) was launched in December 2017 to ensure fair payment practices for small businesses, and support them in resolving their payment disputes with larger businesses and bring about culture change.

Find out more here

Public Procurement Review Service (PPRS)

The Public Procurement Review Service sits within the Cabinet Office and allows government suppliers and potential government suppliers to raise concerns anonymously about potentially poor public sector procurement practice.

Find out more here

Opportunities to supply

You can also keep up to date with upcoming opportunities:

Update on Third Party Bid Management Organisations

Over recent months the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has become aware of the growth in third party organisations offering to write, submit and manage bids for CCS frameworks. Their target market appears to be predominantly SMEs

CCS has been contacted by a number of suppliers concerned about the claims being made by some of these organisations in their sales approaches and marketing literature

Therefore, for the avoidance of doubt, CCS can confirm the following:

– Nobody can guarantee bidders a place on a CCS framework

– CCS treats all bidders equally and in line with the published procurement procedures for each framework, the Public Procurement Regulations and Public Law

– CCS avoids engaging in framework discussions with either bidders or third parties outside the published processes

– CCS has introduced additional questions at qualification stage to identify those bidders using a third party to write, submit or manage their bid

– Submission of the bid and the content remain the sole responsibility of the original bidder. It is the responsibility of the original bidder to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to minimise the risk of commercial information being compromised, or anti-competitive practice taking place as a result of third parties managing multiple bids

– If CCS is approached by third parties, claiming to act as agents for bidders for forthcoming frameworks, we will direct them to take part in the same pre-market engagement events as all other bidders, in order to ensure equal treatment