Commitment to Small & Medium Enterprises (SME's)
Tayside Procurement Consortium’s aim is to ensure that, wherever possible and, consistent with the need to secure value for money, suitably qualified Small & Medium Enterprises (SME's) have the opportunity to compete for TPC business.
The barriers to business that SMEs face and how SMEs can be assisted in bidding for work will be addressed by TPC to ensure that SMEs are not unduly discriminated against in the procurement process.
The definition of an SME is described as a business with less than 250 employees.
The issue of quotas for SMEs, i.e. ensuring that SMEs are awarded an agreed percentage of all public sector contracts, is often raised in the UK, but while inclusion of SMEs in competitive tendering exercises should have the benefit of increased competition, quotas would act against the principle of Value For Money (VFM) and also act against Procurement legislation.
For the avoidance of doubt - Scottish Government Procurement Policy states – ‘’It is Government policy to take steps to remove barriers to participation by SMEs. There are many ways in which this can be done, such as improving access to procurement opportunities and information, which do not discriminate against larger firms and which help to improve VFM by increasing competition.’’
Given the nature and often comparatively large size of public sector contracts there will inevitably be circumstances when SMEs will have the best opportunities to tender for contracts as part of a consortium, as opposed to as a main contractor.
The procurement team will work in partnership with Economic Development to deliver on the local Economic Development initiatives such as :
- Contract Process - To streamline the tender process making it more efficient and cost effective
- Communication - To raise awareness of procurement activity
- The Councils have signed up to the Scottish Governments Suppliers Charter which is a joint statement between Public Sector Procurement and Businesses to facilitate access to public sector procurement opportunities
We will actively engage with the Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Small Business to develop our engagement with the local business community in Tayside.
The Carnoustie Hotel
