The Government wants more community enterprise and SMES to participate within its procurement processes. Understanding the Act is an important part of the process but so too is learning and sharing from other community businesses involved in the process as well as promoting change within the system to provide for a level playing field for community businesses. Here we curate examples of good practice, highlight issues and share problems.

While much emphasis has been placed on the barriers of entry for small business and social enterprises, Aspire’s experience is that the lack of any effective legal rights to redress is a fundamental factor which affects fair play for social enterprises and small business within the procurement system. 

This is not just a matter of redress but also of improving the procurement system overall so that it works for maximum public benefit. 

We are campaigning for the right to redess for small organisations within the procurement system. If you have examples of bad practice or issues that have caused concern you can contact us in confidence at better@aspirecommunityworks.com

The Public Procurement Review Unit can hear complaints about regulated procurement but can only make recommendations at the moment. We have experience of using their services. If you have feedback contact us at better@aspirecommunity works. 

You can find our more information about the Pubic Procurement Review Unit here