ëGoing for goldí ñ nowís the time to win public sector business

Lucrative opportunities are now up for grabs for SMEs (Small to Medium-sized businesses) offering goods and services bought by the public sector. A massive 150 billion* is spent by the public sector annually on goods and services, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Government has recently committed to broadening its supplier base, opening up the market to more SMEs and making it easier for them to bid for public sector contracts. And with tenders being issued for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games from summer 2007, now is the time for SMEs across the country to ëgo for goldí and win big business.

To help SMEs seize the opportunity, learndirect business, together with Business Link, has developed a new online course, ëWinning the Contract: Bidding for Public Sector Contracts.í

Justine Fosh, Head of Customer Development at learndirect business, comments: ìThe revenue pot is huge and across every business sector. With 59% of local governmentís annual 25 billion spend on goods and services in the UK allocated to SMEs, there has never been a better time to get a slice of the action. For companies to grow, itís important they donít shy away from business opportunities because of perceived complex processes. Increasingly, the public sector knows the many benefits that SMEs can offer, including flexibility and specialist expertise.î

Mark Williams, business director at Berinsfield Community Business, provider of contract cleaning and grounds maintenance for a regional housing association says: ìIn my experience working with the public sector is a great opportunity. For my company it has provided a guaranteed level of income which has given the reassurance of a steady cash flow and the added ability to expand.

ìThe process can be time consuming but once youíve conquered your first tender, it is less daunting. This course will be a great tool for small businesses who are apprehensive ñ I wish something similar had been available when I began working in the sector ñ it would have made my life easier.î

Justine Fosh adds: ìThe new course is developed for SMEs, but aimed specifically at the person whose role it is to grow the business. It demonstrates what SMEs have to offer the public sector, how to find opportunities, how to write a tender, create a winning bid and increase revenue.î

ìAll importantly, it guides users through the key stages in the tendering process, including completion of a PQQ (Pre-Qualification Questionnaire) and how to write and complete the tender.î

ìLike all eCourses, the online format means it can be accessed at convenient times and completed in bite-sized chunks so that learners can continue to focus on the running of their business, while learning valuable new skills.î

The course is available here and is priced at 49.99 VAT. To find out more about how learndirect can help your company call the helpline on 08000 150 750 or visit www.learndirect.com. Help and support on a wide range of business issues is also available at the Business Link national website at www.businesslink.gov.uk