Another new government scheme to help SMEs has been unveiled this week. Following the GrowthAccelerator announced earlier this month, as well as other start up and procurement aids, the government have begun a pilot of their ‘Solutions Exchange’ tool, which offers SMEs opportunities to do business with the public sector.
The ‘Solutions Exchange’ is described as a service to bring together suppliers and government buyers for SMEs; offering procurement opportunities as well as the chance to pitch proposals directly to the government. The government see this as both a cost saving and efficiency strategy, as well as a valuable resource to SMEs who may be struggling for work.
Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude spoke at the launch of the venture, describing how small companies have previously found it hard to win public sector contracts or to make themselves known to the government. She said;
“We are turning that around and Solutions Exchange offers an easy, informal way for smaller firms to find out about emerging opportunities and pitch ideas. For Government it’s a new way to find out what the market has to offer in advance so that we can speed up formal procurement times.”
Ms Maude said that the initial pilot has been designed to gather feedback from SMEs and help them develop the service, and more information can be found on the Solutions Exchange website.
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