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Half of government digital spend going to SMEs
Minister for Implementation Oliver Dowden has announced that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are accessing almost half of public sector spend on digital, data and technology services.
The Cabinet Office claims that over £1.9 billion has been spent with SMEs since 2012, the equivalent of £1.35 out of every £3 spent by government. In the last year alone, £1.3 billion has been spent through Digital Marketplace, with £602 million going to SMEs.
The Digital Marketplace was established to simplify the application process for accessing public sector digital contracts. Thousands of SMEs are now signed up to provide their digital, data and technology services to government, and public bodies are utilising their expertise to drive the UK’s digital transformation.
Dowden said: “This is excellent news. It’s great to see small business taking full advantage of the Digital Marketplace to help drive innovation in the public sector. The Digital Marketplace is enabling small businesses to work in partnership with the public sector to drive the UK’s digital transformation. Small businesses are the backbone of the British economy and this government is committed to help them prosper.”
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