Government launches Contracts Finder website

Government launches Contracts Finder website to ensure that at least 25% of government contracts are awarded to SMEs

Earlier this year, the government launched a new Contracts Finder website, which now lists public sector contracting opportunities over £10,000.  Contracts Finder is a free facility for small and medium-sized businesses to find online public sector procurement and sub-contracting opportunities above £10,000 in one single location.

Stephen Allott, The Crown Commercial Representative for SMEs, has been appointed to build a more strategic dialogue between HM Government and smaller suppliers due to the perceived lack of public awareness of Contracts Finder. This is clearly an opportunity that VC-backed companies should be exploring.

Contracts Finder is one of the measures announced by the government as part of its efforts to ensure that at least 25% of government contracts are awarded to SMEs.  Given the size of the annual contracts awarded by the government, this amounts to a considerable amount of potential business for SMEs.  Local government bodies, such as borough councils and unitary authorities, are also being encouraged to publish details of their lower-value opportunities on Contracts Finder. Any higher-value contract notices they publish will automatically appear on Contracts Finder as well.

Lawyers Howard Palmer