One third of DfT procurement spend to go to SMEs

The Department for Transport (DfT) has released its SME Action Plan which set out plans to level the playing field for small businesses bidding for government contracts.

As part of the plan, the DfT has committed to directing a third of its procurement spending towards small and medium-sized enterprises by 2022.

The department has also awarded £700,000 in Transport Technology Research Innovation Grants (T-TRIG) to support innovative transport projects, including a universal train access ramp that would help disabled people board trains more easily across the network.

This year, out of 23 innovative transport projects given a share of £700,000, 14 were from small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 250 members of staff.

Transport minister Jo Johnson said: “Small and medium-sized businesses play a key role in this country’s economy and I am proud of our outstanding record in this area.

“With this new action plan, we are leading by example by making it easier for these businesses to bid for contracts, and we will continue to support them over the coming years.”