Month: November 2018

Government outsourcing reaches its highest peak since 2016

government outsourcing - Supply2gov
Posted on by Amy Madden

Last quarter, Government outsourcing was the strongest it’s been since 2016. Outsourcing spend reached £1.42 billion between July and September. Government tenders during this time included procurement for IT and tech services.

 

What is the Government procuring?

This month, Arvato UK Outsourcing Index revealed that central government departments signed IT outsourcing deals worth £1.26 billion between July and September this year. Arvato published on their website that:

“IT outsourcing (ITO) contracts accounted for 90% of total public sector deal value (£1.27 billion) over the period.”

Debra Maxwell, CEO of Arvato UK and Ireland, said:

“Our quarterly findings highlight the growing shift towards smaller, more product-focused deals, specifically for new technologies and software, such as robotic process automation (RPA) and blockchain.”

 

Government framework opportunities

Many businesses are winning government tenders through frameworks such as the G-Cloud. This framework is suitable for suppliers which provide cloud-based services. Programmes like this allow government bodies to bring in the innovation needed quickly and efficiently.

In February, the Government Digital Service and CCS reported that more than £2.8 billion of cloud services have been procured through the G-Cloud framework since it started.

 

Find government tenders with Supply2Gov

With news that the overall value of outsourcing deals signed in the UK reached £2.93 billion in Q3 2018 (including both public and private sector spend), now is a prime time to look for government tenders.

Start finding work government contracts with the help of Supply2Gov. When it comes to tendering, every penny counts, so micro businesses and SMEs can get started for free by registering for a Ready To Take Flight subscription.

Once you are ready to broaden your horizons across the UK, you can choose to pay a subscription either monthly, every six months or annually – giving your business total control of its payment plan.

 

Get started with Supply2Gov and start finding tenders in the local area of your choice – with no strings attached. 

 

 

 

The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund is backing five new technology centres

technology s2g
Posted on by Amy Madden

Artificial Intelligence is high on the UK Government’s agenda. Business Secretary Greg Clark has announced that five new technology centres will be built offering treatments using advanced medical AI. The centres will be funded by the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

 

What is the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund?

The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund is the UK Government’s flagship investment programme which is addressing the challenges and opportunities which come with advancing technology.

The fund aims to “strengthen UK science and business innovation and take on the biggest challenges that society and industries face today”.

 

New centres

The medical sector wants to work with innovative SMEs that will help it to answer clinical questions and “solve healthcare challenges more quickly and efficiently”. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Artificial Intelligence will play a crucial role in the future of the NHS – and we need to embrace it by introducing systems which can speed up diagnoses, improve patient outcomes, make every pound go further and give clinicians more time with their patients.”

One of the centres will be Glasgow’s I-CAIRD (Industrial Centre for AI Research in Digital Diagnostics). This will become a hub, bringing clinicians, health planners and industry together.

Other centres will be based in London, Oxford, Leeds and Coventry.

 

IT tender opportunities in the UK

The Government wants to build a Britain which is fit for the future and to achieve this it is investing in the IT industry. Artificial Intelligence is just one aspect which the Government aims to improve – the IT tenders available are extremely varied.

If your business wants to find IT contracts relevant to the goods, services and solutions you provide, get started with Supply2Gov for free. New users get instant IT opportunities in their chosen local area – find out how many contracts you could be winning with Supply2Gov.

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HS2 brings construction tender opportunities to Birmingham

hs2 construction tenders
Posted on by Amy Madden

The search for an HS2 construction team to bring Birmingham’s new Curzon Street station from drawings to reality has begun. On 19 November the government announced that HS2 is expected to transform central Birmingham and will “unlock up to 36,000 jobs and 4,000 new homes.” The government has announced that tenderers for the construction of Curzon Street will be shortlisted by spring 2019.

 

Construction partnerships

Construction contracts were awarded in 2017 under which the tunnels and viaducts that will carry the new 360km/h trains into the centre of Birmingham and to the Interchange station near Solihull, the NEC and Birmingham Airport will be constructed.

Dawn Karakatsanis, Director of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (Midlands), said:

“the initiation of procurement for a new station at Birmingham Curzon Street should be seen as a major milestone towards the delivery of this once-in-a-generation project”

Although contractors have begun early works and are already on the Birmingham HS2 site, many opportunities around HS2 are still in the pipeline. For instance, separate construction contracts for Birmingham Interchange will follow next year.

HS2 Ltd Chief Executive Mark Thurston has said that the project wants to work with:

“the best the construction industry has to offer. Companies that share our commitment to safety, good design, environmental protection and value for money”

 

Find construction tenders with Supply2Gov

Would you like to win work with HS2? Why stop there! Right now, there are so many construction opportunities available for micro and small businesses to bid for in the UK.

As the industry is so varied, it is important that relevant opportunities are being sent in your direction. With Supply2Gov tender alerts, you will never miss a construction tender suited to the goods or services your business provides.

New Supply2Gov users can register for free tender alerts in one chosen local area. Learn more about construction tender alerts.

 

How will the new NHS Supply Chain operating model affect small business suppliers?

health - NHS supply chain
Posted on by Amy Madden

NHS procurement has no choice but to change. The NHS has been given the challenge to deliver £22 billion in savings by the end of the financial year 2020/2021. £700 million must be saved through improving procurement efficiency.

If your business wants to win NHS tenders and wants to learn more about the NHS Supply Chain operating model, read on.

 

NHS has reviewed its procurement strategy

Professor Duncan Eaton, Executive Advisor to the All-Party Parliamentary Health Group and Chair of P4H England, believes that NHS procurement is at a “major crossroads”. Earlier this year he said that the NHS Supply Chain operating model (formerly the Future Operating Model) “will have a significant impact on healthcare procurement strategies.”

A report collated by iGov Survey “Impact of Procurement in Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities 2018” revealed that two-fifths of participants would review their procurement strategy in response to the roll-out of the new operating model.

 

Changes for suppliers

With so much changing, many SME suppliers are concerned about how the new operating model will affect their business and their chances of winning work with the public sector.

The purpose of the new operating model is to streamline the number of suppliers the NHS is working with. It aims to give the British tax payer and NHS the best value for money.

Although the number of suppliers may be reduced, this will lead to more valuable opportunities for suppliers currently working with the current NHS Supply Chain. Other benefits for smaller businesses include reduced sales and marketing costs, as the new operating model will have a single point of contact for supplying into the NHS, meaning that smaller businesses will not need to approach different Trust procurement teams across the country.

This single point of contact will lead to a streamlined procurement process for suppliers as they will not need to complete multiple tenders – a much more efficient method for SMEs that may be lacking in resource and time.

 

Find NHS tenders with Supply2Gov

If you are looking for NHS tenders that are relevant for your business, in the area where your business wants to work, Supply2Gov can help.

Our users can get started for free, choosing a local area within the UK in which they want to receive NHS tender alerts.

Learn more about Supply2Gov tender alerts or get started for free.

Post Budget Tender Opportunities in the UK

tender opportunities UK - Budget 2018
Posted on by Amy Madden

It has been one week since the Autumn Budget announcement. Mr Hammond, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, said that the 2018 Budget was dedicated to “the strivers, the grafters and the carers who are the backbone of our communities and our economy.”

We have highlighted some of the key Autumn Budget 2018 figures below.

 

Housing

Mr Hammond made three key announcements regarding UK housing:

  • £500 million has been allocated to the Housing Infrastructure Fund, “to unlock 650,000 homes”
  • The government has partnered with nine housing associations across England to deliver 13,000 homes.
  • The British Business Bank will grant guarantees up to £1 billion to support SME housebuilders

 

NHS

Back in June the Prime Minister pledged to increase healthcare funding by £20.5 billion a year after inflation by 2023-24. Mr Hammond backed this investment in the NHS during his speech, he said:

“The NHS is the number one priority of the British people; and as we approached the 70th anniversary of its foundation, they had a right to know the scale of our commitment to it.”

This £84 billion five-year deal for the NHS will go to the front line and to improvements in services.

 

Local Government

During the Autumn Budget announcement, Mr Hammond said that:

“Local government has made a significant contribution to repairing the public finances …

….and this Budget ensures local councils have more resources to deliver high quality public services.”

Councils in England are set to receive an extra £650 million of grant funding for 2018/19. This money will be spent on to ease the pressure on Adult Social Care for the elderly and those with disabilities.

The Chancellor wants local authorities to have greater control over the money they raise in the future.  To do this, he has increased retention of business rates from 2020 and the removal of the Housing Revenue Account cap, which means councils can build more new homes.

 

Cyber Security and Defence

An additional £1 billion has been allocated to the UK defence budget for the remainder of 2018 and 2019.

This will boost Britain’s cyber and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

 

Tender Opportunities UK

Each year, the UK public sector spends £242 billion. If your business wants to tap into this spend and find tender opportunities in the UK, start by subscribing to for free.

New users can gain access to tender alerts in any UK local area.

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What does the Autumn Budget mean for SMEs?

autumn budget - Supply2Gov
Posted on by Amy Madden

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has confirmed that the Government will ease business rates for smaller retailers by 33%.

During the Autumn Budget he also announced that a digital services tax will be introduced for companies with at least £500m in global revenue.

 

Reduced Rates

The Government’s plan to reduce rates over the next two years is expected to save businesses £900m. This reduction will include retail businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or less. In his Budget speech the Chancellor said:

“I want to help retail businesses now. So for the next two years, up to that Revaluation, for all retailers in England with a rateable value below £51,000, I will cut their business rates bill by one third.

“That’s an annual saving of up to £8,000 for up to 90% of all independent shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes.”

 

New Digital Services Tax

Mr Hammond also announced that the Government is to implement a digital services tax that will only be paid by businesses with a global revenue of more than £500m. The new tax will most likely affect online brands such as Amazon and Facebook, which will in turn benefit their smaller high street competitors.

During his Autumn Budget announcement, Mr Hammond noted that the Government:

“Will consult on the detail to make sure we get it right, and to ensure that the UK continues to be the best place in the world to start and scale up a tech business.”

 

European Investment Fund

Mr Hammond also reassured British entrepreneurs that the Government will provide an additional £200m of funding to the British Business Bank in place of the European Investment Fund.

On top of this he said that the Government will “back another 10,000 entrepreneurs by extending Start-Up Loans funding to 2021”.

 

How can Supply2Gov help small businesses?

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