Small and medium enterprise (SME) action plans

In response to the broad package of reforms designed to significantly open-up the public sector marketplace to small businesses, Whitehall Departments have developed a series of targeted actions that will make a fundamental difference to the way in which they procure goods and services. These actions, published here, support the aspiration that 25% of Government spend would go to SMEs.

The actions range from:

• breaking large contracts into smaller lots
• working with major suppliers to increase SME access to sub-contracting opportunities
• increasing the amount of information that is available to SMEs about contract opportunities
• holding Product Surgeries for SMEs to pitch innovative ideas
• piloting new procurement methods that are more open to SMEs.

The full package of reforms can be viewed on the Number 10 website and the list of departmental action plans is below.

SME Action plans

• Cabinet Office
• Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
• Department for Communities and Local Government
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport
• Department for Education
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Department for International Development
• Department for Transport
• Department for Work and Pensions
• Department of Energy and Climate Change
• Department of Health
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• HM Treasury
• HM Revenue and Customs
• Home Office
• Ministry of Defence
• Ministry of Justice