The UK public sector spends £250 billion, about one-third of public expenditure, on procurement of goods and services from the private sector. Past procurement practices favoured the bigger, more established firms, and lesser known alternative and smaller firms have often felt unable to compete. Hence an attempt to level the playing field since the Coalition Government of 2010; and an expectation that the most suitable organisations, which provide products and services in the best way without compromising ethics, quality or value for money, should be awarded contracts, regardless of size, maturity or being new to the public sector.
British Standards (BSI) says that standards are a tool to enable firms to set and meet best practice. BSI has worked with stakeholders and released a new standard – BS 95009:2019 Public sector procurement – Generic requirements for organisations providing products and services. An evening event is launching the standard on July 2, at The British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London.
This standard provides a framework to help those in the procurement process to demonstrate and assess suitability of organisations tendering for or procuring public sector contracts. The aim; to simplify the tender process, so it is more accessible, and to reduce duplication of effort.
Size and length of tenure of many organisations was historically a barrier to entry in the public sector supply chain and the actual or perceived complexity of the tendering process resulted in many suitable organisations not realising available opportunities. Now small and start-up organisations will also be able to prove where they are suitable and capable.
In a debate in the House of Lords in May, Lord Haskel said: “…the world of standards has moved on a long way…Standards are now a tool that enables firms to set and meet best practice. …By meeting the standard, an organisation can demonstrate that it meets the generic requirements for an organisation providing products and services to the public. …This will not only help to restore public trust and confidence in public suppliers and contractors and in the Government’s handling of the supply of these goods and services; by adopting this standard, public procurement will be much more aligned with the Government’s civil society strategy…”
Anne Hayes, Director of Sectors at BSI, said: “This is the first generic, non-sector specific standard for procurement in the public sector. It offers all sizes of organisations, including SMEs, often excluded from the public sector tender process due to its perceived complexity, a simplified route through the perceived maze of the public sector supply chain.”
Visit: https://shop.bsigroup.com/ProductDetail?pid=000000000030383867.
