Month: August 2018

Over £10m will be spent on emergency passenger transport in Wales

Over £10m will be spent on emergency passenger transport in Wales
Posted on by Amy Madden

The Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething, announced in July 2018 that more than £10m will be spent replacing emergency passenger transport in Wales.

The Welsh Government will replace older vehicles with new, more efficient and greener vehicles.

 

Replacement of healthcare transport

Since 2011, the Welsh Government has invested almost £55m in new ambulance vehicles. Currently, the Welsh Ambulance Service currently has more than 700 vehicles in its fleet. The plans include the replacement of 100 ambulances which will meet the latest Euro 6 emissions standards.

When announcing the spend, Mr Gething said:

“I am pleased to be able to announce funding of £10.23m to replace some of our ageing ambulances and other passenger transport vehicles with more modern, fuel-efficient and greener versions. This investment will enable the Welsh Ambulance Service to upgrade its fleet to ensure it has the most appropriate vehicles to deliver the best care to the people of Wales.”

The Welsh Government also plans to introduce 33 emergency response motorcycles, 33 non-emergency passenger transport vehicles and 9 specialist emergency vehicles for major incidents.

 

Modernising the Welsh Ambulance Service

The Welsh Ambulance Service’s Director of Operations Richard Lee has responded to funding announcement and notes the importance of providing modern transport and equipment:

“Our ambulances and response cars in Wales are some of the most modern and well equipped in the UK and this funding will allow us to continue to replace our vehicles and – crucially – the clinical equipment that they carry as they reach the end of their working life.

 

Access public sector transport tenders

The Government is also updating ambulance fleets across England, investing in 256 new state-of-the-art vehicles, more than half of which will be on the road for this winter.

The investment in ambulance fleets is indicative of the sort of transport and vehicle tenders that arise in the public sector on a regular basis.

If you would like to stay up to date with what the UK government and the wider public sector is spending on transport, register today and start finding transport tenders in the UK and/or Ireland.

Register for a free local area subscription today.

 

Healthcare spend on technology is set to increase

Healthcare spend on technology is set to increase
Posted on by Amy Madden

In the new Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s first speech, he announced that there is a ‘tech transformation coming’ as the former Digital and Culture Secretary pledged £487m for technology in the NHS.

Now is an excellent time for technology businesses to tap into the healthcare/public sector marketplace. Find out more about the NHS plans below.

 

Tech transformation

Of the £487m, the Health Secretary has allocated £412m to improve technology in hospitals and to give more patients access to health services at home.

The £75m that remains will be spent supporting Trusts to replace paper systems with new electronic ones. The government hopes that this move will reduce medication errors by 50%. This news comes after it was revealed that many UK hospitals are still reliant on “archaic” fax machines.

 

Two-year plan

Over the next two years the NHS plans to focus on “harnessing technology and innovation”, implementing solutions that will:

  • Allow patients to access urgent care online.
  • Expand the 111 service, so that patients can resolve problems without having to go to A&E or their GP.
  • Simplify the online hospital appointment system.
  • Make patients’ medical information available to the right clinicians wherever they are.
  • Increase the use of apps which will help people manage their own health better.

Achieving these objectives will help the NHS to reach its “Five Year Forward” goal of paperless patient records by 2020.

 

Find healthcare tenders with Supply2Gov

The healthcare sector is an excellent market for SME technology businesses. Frameworks like G-Cloud have opened up opportunities for small innovative businesses to work with the public sector. Out of 3,505 framework suppliers, more than 90 per cent are SMEs.

Sign up for Supply2Gov tender alerts today and start finding technology and/or healthcare tenders that are relevant to your business. Our keyword approach to finding procurement opportunities makes it easier for SMEs to find work with the public sector.

Register for your free local area subscription today.

 

 

Public procurement opportunities in the UK right now

Public sector procurement opportunities in the UK right now
Posted on by Amy Madden

Now is an exciting time for UK SMEs that are looking for public procurement opportunities. Whether you are looking to work with central government, local government or other public sector organisations, Supply2Gov publishes public procurement contracts from across the UK.

 

NHS

The Government’s investment into the NHS makes it an obvious place to start. Healthcare is a huge market, with public procurement opportunities for businesses of all sizes.

In 2014 the NHS outlined its proposed capital outlay of £8 billion by 2020 towards transforming the NHS led by improved efficiency.

The NHS could not run efficiently without private sector suppliers. Due to the high volume of demand, there is a constant stream of healthcare tenders that are suitable for SME businesses to bid for.

 

National Infrastructure Delivery Plan

It is predicted that £483 billion will be invested through the National Infrastructure Delivery Plan (NIDP), in over 600 infrastructure projects and programmes in all sectors across the UK.

The policy paper outlines spending plans between 2016 and 2021. The NIDP states that:

“Infrastructure is the foundation upon which our economy is built. The Government remains determined to deliver better infrastructure in the UK to grow the economy and improve opportunities for people across the country.”

With UK infrastructure spending reaching a record high, now is a good time for your business to start looking for infrastructure and construction tenders in the UK.

 

Northern Powerhouse

The ‘Northern Powerhouse’ initiative was introduced by the Government to boost the wider national economy, investing in skills, innovation, transport and culture outside London and the South East.

In total, the Government plans on spending £134 billion over the period 2016-21, 32% of which will be spent in the north of England. The Government has already allocated a portion of this money:

  • £3.4bn has been allocated to the North through growth deals
  • £70m will be given to the Northern Powerhouse Schools Strategy
  • £13bn is being spent on transport in the North over the course of this Parliament

Key deliverables of the Northern Powerhouse initiative include improving freight capacity and road and rail infrastructure, such as the HS2 high-speed train network which is estimated will cost £55.7 billion.

 

Find public procurement opportunities

Would you like to find public procurement opportunities in the UK? With Supply2Gov you can tailor your supplier profile to find relevant opportunities across the sectors you want to work with.

Start finding opportunities now by registering for a free local area subscription with Supply2Gov.

What sectors has the UK Government been investing in?

What sectors has the UK government been investing in?
Posted on by Amy Madden

The public sector spends billions of pounds each year. With the Government working with third-party suppliers across many industries on projects and investments across many sectors, much of that spend falls under public procurement.

As we move into the second half of 2018, now is the perfect time to look at what the UK Government is spending and where.

From Ministry of Defence investments to SME grants, we look at some of the biggest spend areas in 2017/18.

 

Defence & Aerospace

The UK is the seventh highest spender on defence in the world with 2% of GDP being invested in this sector, or around £45bn as of 2017. Key Ministry of Defence spends in the past year include a £2.5bn submarine investment, a £1bn cash injection for the Royal Navy, and a £400m commitment on Brimstone missiles for RAF Typhoon jets. As for aerospace, the UK Space Agency has announced plans to establish the UK’s first ever spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland.

 

Healthcare

On its seventieth birthday, in 2018, the NHS is undergoing a transformation. The introduction of AI into the operating theatre and a flagship cyber security partnership with Microsoft has signalled a bold progression towards a digital clinical future. This is underpinned by an investment of half a billion pounds in NHS England, as announced by Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock, which will help secure the transition to paperless technology.

Mr Hancock said: “Tech transformation is coming. The opportunities of new technology are vast. Let’s work together to seize them.”

 

healthcare tenders - s2g

 

Transport

With High Speed 2 expected to cost £56bn and Crossrail 2 predicted to exceed £30bn, infrastructure is set to dominate the Government’s domestic agenda for the remainder of this parliamentary term. As construction of Crossrail 2 nears completion, around 6000 jobs are already being supported by HS2, which is expected to be completed by 2033. The laying of groundwork plans such as a ‘green corridor’ and rail electrification are indications of how dynamic this project is set to be. With rail investment proving to be a recurring theme, the March 2018 announcement of the £1.7bn Transforming Cities Fund will provide key improvements to rail infrastructure in communities nationwide.

 

Housing

The pledge by Homes England to build over 14,000 new affordable homes through to 2022 is an exemplar of public spending within the construction sector. Working alongside eight housing associations, the public body’s plan to invest £590m is the clearest sign yet of the Government’s commitment to providing housing for all.

 

Education

The Department for Education’s spending for 2018 has been dominated by the announcement in March of a £500m cash injection into refurbishing or expanding school facilities across England.

 

government procurement opportunities 2018 - education

 

SMEs

Backed by UK Government grants totalling £6bn over 2017, the state-owned investment arm British Business Bank (BBB) has proved to be a crucial support partner for SMEs. And with schemes such as the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and the entrepreneur-led £2.5bn British Patient Capital programme, the BBB has confirmed its status as the cornerstone of the SME economy across the UK in 2018.

 

Government Procurement Opportunities

Would you like to find government procurement opportunities? With Supply2Gov you can tailor your supplier profile to find relevant opportunities across the sectors you want to work with.

Start finding government procurement opportunities for free by registering for a free local area subscription with Supply2Gov.

 

 

Public sector tendering: what are the potential costs for your business?

what are the potential costs of tendering to the public sector for your business?
Posted on by Amy Madden

When looking for tendering opportunities, your business may come across some potential costs. These costs can take the form of anything from expenditure to information. To be successful, it is important for SMEs to understand the costs involved when bidding for public sector tenders. Here we look at four potential costs when tendering for public sector contracts.

 

Investment

Monetary costs are, of course, a huge factor in public sector tendering. There are many things that your business may need to invest in after winning a contract such as resources, travel and recruitment.

These expenses are something to consider when looking for tenders. A key question to ask yourself before bidding for a public sector tender opportunity is “If I win this tender, do I have the necessary funds to complete the work successfully?”

You also need to be prepared for the costs involved in bidding for public sector tenders. Small businesses may find it worthwhile to look for smaller local opportunities as these eliminate travel expenses – you can start looking for them for free with Supply2Gov.

 

Public sector tender training

Procurement can be a complicated process to get your head around, particularly if you are new to it. Not having the necessary knowledge of the bidding process can be discouraging to many small businesses.

Knowledge gives you power, and with power comes confidence. Being confident in your business and your bid will help the public sector buying organisation to be confident in your product or service, which in turn will help you to win bids.

Many procurement training courses are tailored to certain elements of procurement, such as bid preparation or bid writing. Attending a course to help your business with an element it may be struggling with is well worth the investment.

 

Time

Running a business can be time-consuming. Any small business will be affected by the hours of staff time that you need to spend trying to find the most suitable public sector tender for your business.

There are countless search portals out there but searching through them can be daunting, as you try to filter out the opportunities that are not relevant to your business. This is where tender alerts come in…

 

Tender Alerts

Tender alerts subscriptions can be costly, and if you are new to public sector procurement it can be difficult to choose the right one for your business.

With Supply2Gov’s tender alerts, you can manage your public sector tenders with just a few clicks by setting up a profile outlining your organisation’s particular requirements and areas of expertise.

Save yourself valuable time and let Supply2Gov make it as easy as possible for you to find tender opportunities perfect for your business.

Register for your free local area today.

 

5 Cyber Security Myths

5 cyber security myths
Posted on by Amy Madden

Cyber security is a regular topic of conversation these days. With numerous recent high-profile cyber security breaches, protecting your online platforms has never been so important. Cyber attacks on the UK supply chain have also been on the rise, meaning that the government is now working more closely with SMEs that have systems that are certified. Find out the top 5 cyber security myths circulating at the moment.

 

Cyber crime doesn’t affect small businesses

The idea that cyber crime does not affect small businesses can be extremely damaging. A recent study found that 58% of malware cyber attack victims were categorised as SMEs. The study also uncovered an increase in the number of SME businesses being targeted by cyber criminals. Over the course of 2017, cyber attacks cost SMEs an average of between £65,000 and £115,000, in the worst cases – meaning that it is essential that you ensure your small business is protected from cyber crime.

 

Only IT should be concerned with cyber security

Cyber security is and should be a cross-brand issue. From sales to marketing, cyber security should be a top priority, protecting your customers – and yourself – from data misuse and breaches. Everything from data accuracy and privacy to integrity needs to be protected. Customer personal information and corporate data are among the vast array of things that need to be protected from cyber attacks. Therefore, cyber security measures should be paramount across an organisation to ensure total protection from cyber threats.

 

Cyber attacks won’t hit my business

This kind of thinking will not only put your business in danger – it could also have devastating consequences for your customers. Adopting an “it won’t happen to me” attitude towards cyber security will almost guarantee that you will become a victim of cyber crime. In today’s digital age, cyber attacks are becoming increasingly damaging. Credit card fraud, misusing personal information and hacking are only a few examples of the types of cyber attack that could affect your business. Get protected and defend your business from cyber harm.

 

Firewalls will protect my enterprise

Not necessarily. Many organisations that experience data breaches have a firewall in place. However, like other criminals, hackers are becoming ever-more sophisticated, developing hacking techniques that can penetrate many firewalls. As a business, you need to ensure that you have secure and up-to-date software in place that will protect your enterprise from such cyber attacks.

 

Passwords are adequate security

Passwords will indeed provide you with a level of security – a level that is normally extremely low. Passwords can be easily compromised and do not offer protection against malware or viruses.  Without adequate cyber protection your business is open to a long list of potential data breaches and cyber attacks. Having a password is not enough to protect your online presence from hackers. Having quality cyber security measures in place, however, will afford strong protection to any business with an online presence – whether that is a website or an online database. It is vital that any platform containing access to digital information or data is fully protected.

 

Protect your business from cyber attacks

Find out more about the benefits of Cyber Essentials certification and how it can help you reduce your business’s exposure to potential cyber threats.