When the government wants to pretend it's buying more from British small businessesIn 2015, Matt Hancock claimed the government would spend £1 in every £3 with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by 2020.
It was in 2017 that I first stumbled on the data that made a mockery of government press releases and ministerial claims about the growth in business awarded to SMEs. I've detailed the
'£1 in every £3 government spends will be with small businesses by 2020' looks like the kind of snappy attractive claim someone could put on the side of a bus. It's the
Dull old procurement has never been in the news so much, for so many of the wrong reasons. This post introduces a 'box set' of blogs examining the issues, particularly regarding public sector digital and SMEs