SMEs are being urged to boost their businesses by competing for a wide range of government contracts.

The Crown Representative for Small Businesses, Emma Jones, has published a list of the Top 100 SME suppliers to government. She says those businesses are thriving because they learnt how to work through the contract bidding process. She wants other SMEs to do the same.

Ms Jones said: "In the past 12 months in my role as SME Rep, I've been keen to ensure that smaller businesses do not overlook government as a customer or wrongly fear it will be too difficult to access that market.

"Online webinars, regional events, supplier guides and contract advice have all been aimed at encouraging SMEs to consider supplying the public sector and government buyers to look at SMEs as new and reliable suppliers."

Ms Jones said several of the firms on the list of top 100 SME suppliers to central government are now sharing their stories and offering tips for others who want to bid.

She said: "These stories show how with some understanding of the public sector process - which we look at on our Government is Open for Business site and especially in the supplier guide - SMEs can successfully bid for, and win, public sector contracts.

"Moving forward we have a renewed focus on connecting small businesses with government's largest suppliers so SMEs can win government work, without being the lead bidder. This work will also consider how large contractors can quickly identify a quality supply chain that can help them fulfil contracts.

"I hope this will inspire new businesses to 'go for government' and existing suppliers to keep aiming high, even if they haven't yet had the successes they'd hoped for - the opportunities are there.

"Don't forget, we continue the programme of regular webinars where guests are government buyers or entrepreneurs who have successfully sold to the public sector, and small businesses, from anywhere, can tune in for free."

For further advice on any of the issues raised in this article, or for commercial law advice more generally, please contact JPP Law on 020 3468 3064 or email info@jpplaw.co.uk