According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, the number of construction firms in Great Britain increased to the highest level on record in 2016.
Studies have also shown that the value of construction new work in Great Britain continued to rise in 2016, reaching its highest level on record at £99,266 million, driven by continued growth in the private sector.
The outlook for those working in the construction sector is broadly positive. However, due to the competitive private sector market, it is time for your business to think about other avenues such as working for the public sector. This in turn means coming to terms with the world of construction procurement.
Getting started with construction procurement
Research has found that small businesses are still struggling to win public sector contracts despite the Government’s efforts to make it easier, but why?
Figures from a survey of 2,700 companies by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) reveal that 40% of small operators believe the tendering process for public sector contracts is “too complex”.
If you include yourself in the percentage above, familiarise yourself with construction procurement. You can even print a free copy off and keep it on your desk as a reference.
Make an Impression
Not sure how to make connections within the construction procurement market? PASS Principal Procurement Consultant Eddie Regan recommends attending Meet the Buyer days and procurement events.
In an interview with Supply2Gov he said that “Meet the Buyer days are extremely important – if you get the chance, start going to them, even just to make contacts.”
By attending events you will get your name out there and will begin conversations with public sector buyers who may be looking for construction services in the future.
Wherever you are based, you can attend major procurement events this spring with Procurex England South, Procurex England North and The UK Infrastructure Show all taking place in March and April 2018, in London, Manchester and Birmingham respectively.
Construction Procurement Portals
Construction procurement portals allow you to find more opportunities as they are usually a goldmine of public sector contracts that are suitable for micro and small businesses.
The main benefit of using a construction procurement portal is that you can find contracts from various sources in the one place, saving your business time and effort during the research stage.
Construction Tender Alerts
The quickest way to find construction tenders for small businesses is tender alerts. Micro businesses and sole traders no longer need to sift through numerous portals to find the right construction procurement opportunities. Instead, relevant construction procurement opportunities are sent directly to your inbox.
We monitor over 3000 different sources of contracts. If you are a Supply2Gov customer looking for construction tenders, all you need to do is adjust your preferences in the Supplier Profile section and our tender alerts service will send matching opportunities to your inbox daily.
Let us know the type of contracts you want to win and we can help your business find and win opportunities with public sector bodies in your area or across the UK.
Start for free
Our customers can start receiving Supply2Gov tender alerts for free. This helps our users to build their micro business, letting users upgrade at a time that suits them.
Get started for free today and choose a local area that your business wants to win work in. Examples of free local areas include Greater Manchester – South, Glasgow City and Outer Belfast. You are not restricted to a location near you, you can choose any local location in the UK.