A frequent challenge for new small start-up firms is how to access public sector work. The answer is to jointly bid with a more established business partner then to share the work between the members of the newly created consortium. This is different to a traditional ‘supply chain’ – it is more equitable on risk and reward.
The new Joint Bidding Guide will help steer Bristol’s budding entrepreneurs through the process of finding opportunities, finding new business partners and then jointly bidding for the substantial volume of public sector contracts available in the UK. In Wales alone over £4 billion a year is spent on public sector procurement.
In the Guide’s introduction Jane Hutt states: “This is an important addition to our public sector procurement toolbox and I look forward to seeing further examples of Welsh public service contracts being delivered through supplier collaboration.”
Andrew Crossley, Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering, said: “The guide is equally applicable to other UK regions and contains a lot of useful checklists and planning information. Its aim is to get more public sector work to more agile and innovative small businesses. This is a UK government aspiration as well. It can help turn Bristol’s engineering graduates into the next generation of successful business people.”