The Government is investing in IT and technology – this is good news if your business is looking for low value IT tenders.
During the Autumn Budget 2017, Philip Hammond said that he would “help our tech start-ups”. He published an Action Plan that unlocked over £20 billion of new investment in UK scale-up businesses.
Last week the Spring Statement was announced and it was more good news for IT and tech companies as the Chancellor of the Exchequer encouraged the public and private sector to “embrace the new technologies of the future”.
Find out more about the Spring Statement 2018 and the opportunities it could bring for micro and small businesses.
Spring Statement 2018
Philip Hammond is extremely proud that a “new tech business is founded in Britain every hour”, so much so he wants to double that to “every half an hour”.
In a Spring Statement which has been described as “tech-positive”, many potential IT tender opportunities were mentioned.
Full Fibre Broadband Networks
During the Statement, it was revealed that the Government has assigned £95m to full fibre broadband networks. Thirteen areas across the UK will benefit from this project.
This is only the first wave of spending, allocated from the £190m local full fibre network fund that was launched after the Autumn Budget 2017.
Manchester, North Yorkshire and Belfast are just three of the cities which will be involved in the project.
IT & Tech Training
Philip Hammond wants to “prepare the British people for a better future ahead.” He plans to do this through investment in IT and technology training.
This includes a £50m fund which will help employers roll out the student placements required for the new T-levels for post-16 technical education.
T-levels are set to be developed and phased in between 2018 and 2022. The Government has said that the scheme will be “biggest overhaul of post-school education in 70 years”.
Digital Payment Methods
The Chancellor is keen to expand the UK’s use of digital payments “while ensuring cash remains available to those who need it” and has called for evidence on how best to achieve this.
The Government is keen to hear ideas on digital payments in the new economy. This would be a great initiative for any small digital business to take part in and could help them to begin conversations with public sector buyers.
Opportunities for Small Businesses
In the past, public sector buyers were extremely focused on experience, leading them to award many contracts to larger, well-established businesses. However, the public sector now recognises that micro and small businesses are a central part of its efforts to improve technology across the board.
Micro businesses should take advantage of lucrative opportunities that are designed for businesses that provide niche information technology products or services.
On the Supply2Gov portal we publish low value IT tenders that sole traders and micro businesses can access. We help you get started off find more IT tender opportunities.
IT Tenders
Investing in IT procurement will be extremely valuable to your business. If you would like to work with the Government as it invests into connectivity, digital and training, now is the perfect time to sign up for a free Supply2Gov subscription.