We try to make it easy for small businesses to sell their goods and services to us. To demonstrate our commitment we have signed up to the Small Business-Friendly Concordat which sets out a number of measures that we will work towards. How to win business before and beyond 2012
At a recent event held at the University of the West of England, local businesses found out how to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the London 2012 Games. There was also a session on bidding for public sector business. The presentation slides from the event are available online - follow the link under "Other websites" on the right.
Free public procurement course for businesses
The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills has launched an on-line public procurement course, "Winning the Contract". This is a free resource to help businesses learn about public procurement and how to bid for public sector contracts.
The course introduces businesses to the key procurement processes, including:
- identifying the advantages and disadvantages of dealing with public bodies
- understanding how different types of contracts are defined, advertised and dealt with
- understanding approved supplier lists and framework agreements
- searching for and finding public sector opportunities
- identifying the key stages in the tendering process
It also has a useful Resource section, case studies, and a Hints and Tips download.
The course can be accessed via the Business Link procurement training website shown on the right.
Help from other organisations
Business Link provides advice to small businesses, including advice on IT and e-commerce. For more information, follow the link under Other Websites on the right, or email enquiry@businesslinksw.co.uk .
South Gloucestershire libraries provide free internet and email access.