Procurement Processes
TENDERING 27
Procurement Processes
Playing the
Procurement Game
Securing a contract is not an easy task for any business- but especially if you are a Black Asian Minority Ethnic business. But it can and has happened. Colette Machado discusses how to ensure that your company is in the best position to get a piece of the procurement pie.
The word procurement used to be a dirty word in the world of the small business owner( SME). In the past many stories of how procurement contracts were awarded in the pub next to the council offices were heard. As for Black Asian Minority Ethnic( BAME) businesses it used to be a not very funny joke- did you hear the one about the Black or Asian business that secured a procurement contract? The truth was that no-one had heard of it because it just didn’ t happen. Procurement of local and national government contracts is now a serious business reality for many SMEs and BAMEs alike, so what has changed?
We must have a level playing field in public service markets if government reforms are to succeed, says Dr Neil Bentley, CBI director of public services. effectively compete for the millions of pounds of contracts offered by major public sector and statutory bodies within London.
At the launch of the pdp( November 2004), Lee Jasper, the Mayor’ s Director for Equality and Policy, said:“ This is a timely opportunity to provide focused support for small and medium sized businesses and particularly ethnic minority businesses in London. This sector is a driving force for economic regeneration and growth in London. Therefore the city’ s economy will benefit from increased business development and competitiveness as a result of the Procurement Development Programme.” This change however has taken a long time to get here. In July 2002 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister( ODPM) and the Local Government
Procurement of local and national government contracts is now a serious business reality for many SMEs and BAMEs alike, so what has changed?
One of the main changes to have occurred is the Procurement Development Programme( pdp), a flagship London Development Agency initiative, which was launched two years ago. Currently administered by Nichols Employment Agency( NEA), a recruitment agency which was first set up in London in 1984 and now has an office in South Africa, the pdp seeks to create greater opportunities for small and medium enterprises to
Association( LGA) jointly published a response to the Byatt Report on local government procurement called“ Delivering Better Services for Citizens”.
The response was called“ Towards a National Strategy for Local Government Procurement” and accepted all the 39 recommendations of the Byatt Report. It also committed the ODPM and the LGA to convene a local government procurement forum and to develop a national strategy.>>
SPRING ISSUE 2006 engage