New regulations bring a boost

Shropshire Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the introduction of new regulations which are designed to make public sector procurement rules simpler and more transparent.

The Procurement Act comes into effect at the end of next month, replacing existing regulations which were closely tied to European Union policy.

“Too many times we have seen Shropshire-based contracts being won by people from outside the county, when we know that there are great people locally,” said Ruth Ross, chief executive of Shropshire Chamber.

“So we welcome any legislation which makes the procurement process more transparent and fairer for all parties. This updated legislation would appear to promote a more efficient and competitive environment for public sector contracts, making it easier for businesses to discover and understand bidding opportunities.

“For the Shropshire business community, we believe this more open and competitive system could create new opportunities for participation in public contracts.”

From October, public sector organisations such as local authorities will be obliged to publish additional information about its procurement process for large contracts. This includes an 18-month ‘pipeline of upcoming activity’ and notices regarding the performance of supplier contracts, highlighting any performance issues and variations to contracts.  

A central digital platform, operated by the Government, will act as a ‘one-stop shop’ which is intended to make it simpler for small business to access opportunities - as they will only need to submit most of their organisational details once.

Local authorities will be encouraged to engage with the market of potential suppliers earlier in the procurement process – and to remove and reduce any processes that could be considered a barrier for small and medium sized businesses.

Mark Jones, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: “We spend around £400 million a year on buying in goods, works and services.

“Therefore, this is an important and welcome change which will not only increase transparency, but also make it easier for small businesses and social enterprises to compete for contracts with the council – a key aim in our policy.” â€¯ 

Pictured: Shropshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ruth Ross