Departmental SME action plans set out the steps being taken to remove and reduce barriers to SMEs bidding for government contracts, and the actions departments are taking to maximise SME and start-up spend.
These plans include departmental targets for direct spend with SMEs. In the case of Crown Commercial Service (CCS), being an Executive Agency of Cabinet Office, its own spend with SMEs is reported within that of Cabinet Office overall.
The Procurement Act 2023 (PA23) affirmed the Government’s commitment to SMEs in public sector procurement by writing into the regulations that public sector organisations must give due regard to SMEs in every procurement process that is undertaken. The PA23 regulations also introduced a number of new procurement procedures and transparency requirements to enable contracting authorities to attract SMEs during the bidding process.
The National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) published in February 2025 also reinforced the Government’s mission priority of strengthening the UK economy by focusing on increasing spend with SMEs as much as possible.
This action plan sets out why and how SMEs should work with CCS, where to find opportunities and the actions we are taking to reduce barriers for SMEs in bidding for work.
Date: 27 October