We caught up with Simon Hanson, Economic Development and Policy Manager at NEPO, to find out why local businesses should consider applying for public procurement opportunities both here in the North East and further afield.

My name is Simon Hanson and I’m Economic Development and Policy Manager at NEPO (North East Procurement Organisation).

NEPO brings together project opportunities that local businesses can bid for. We work in partnership with the North East local authorities to ensure public sector procurement delivers value and drives positive outcomes across the region. Collaboration is at the heart of everything that NEPO does. We work closely with public sector buyers and suppliers to ensure that we get the best outcomes for the North East.

NEPO runs a Business Club to help North East businesses and Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSEs) find opportunities to supply the public sector, give help to win those opportunities, and celebrate the successes that are achieved.

For people that aren’t familiar with the term, what is public procurement?

In a nutshell, public procurement is when the public sector buys goods and services from a wide range of suppliers, whether that’s businesses, social enterprises, or community organisations.

How are public procurement opportunities advertised and promoted in the North East?

Regionally there is the newly launched Open (www.open-uk.org) platform and the NEPO Portal (www.nepo.org/suppliers/portal). Following a phased implementation in 2023, Open will replace the NEPO Portal as the place to do business with NEPO and the twelve North East local authorities.

There are also other specific platforms for those looking to supply into the likes of health and education. The team at NEPO is very happy to point businesses in the right direction for these platforms

Nationally, there are two main platforms where everything's advertised. Contracts Finder (www.gov.uk/contracts-finder) lists opportunities worth more than £10,000, and Find a Tender (www.gov.uk/find-tender), which lists high value contracts above £118,000.

Why is there a very structured approach to applying for public authority contracts?

Everything that the public sector buys is guided by a set of regulations. For NEPO and the local authorities this is currently the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. These set out the seven principles that underpin public procurement including transparency, equality and non-discrimination.

We must follow the procedures laid down in the Public Contracts Regulations before awarding a contract to suppliers. Regionally we try to make this as easy as possible for both buyers and suppliers.

Tell us more about NEPO’s new platform, Open.

Open is our brand new platform for the North East.

Built by NEPO in partnership with the twelve North East local authorities and wider public sector, Open is the result of extensive collaboration and a shared ambition to drive excellence in public sector procurement. It’s been designed to make the procurement process quicker and simpler for both buyers and suppliers.

Whether you are a public sector buyer, or a supplier interested in doing business with the public sector, Open will help you to achieve your goals.

Open is an intuitive and user-friendly system that streamlines the procurement process on both sides of the competitive process.

All interested suppliers should register their details on Open by visiting www.open-uk.org.

What are some of the perceived barriers preventing some businesses from applying for public authority contracts?

The biggest barriers are understanding what public procurement is, where to find relevant opportunities and the perception of the procurement process.

Sometimes the language used around public procurement can seem confusing or jargonistic. We need to address this and make it relevant to for both buyers and suppliers. Ultimately public procurement is the buying and supplying of goods, services and works.

Finding the relevant opportunities is sometimes thought of as time consuming for potential suppliers. There are several websites that advertise procurement opportunities, which can lead to further confusion. Which one is the right one? How do I find the opportunities for my organisation? There is help and support available to guide businesses through this process, including the NEPO Business Club. I’ll go on to talk about that and some of the others ways we can help businesses later in the Q&A.

The process for supplying the public sector is sometimes perceived to be cumbersome. Many feel it’s too time consuming to fill in the forms, especially when there’s no guarantee of success. Why spend time on public procurement when you could look for work elsewhere?

A lot of these assumptions are based on perception rather than reality. No one ever wins every single opportunity they go for. That’s the nature of a competitive market place. But there is a lot of support available to help people find and apply for contracts. The NEPO Business Club is part of that; helping suppliers find, bid for and win opportunities across the region.

We need to shift the perception that it’s difficult and cumbersome. We’re saying to suppliers: yes, there are opportunities, yes, there are forms to fill in, and yes, it is competitive; but the process is designed to be open and transparent giving every supplier a fair chance.

There is a lot of support available to help people find and apply for contracts. The NEPO Business Club is part of that; helping suppliers find, bid for and win opportunities across the region.

What is the process for applying for a public authority contract through Open?

The first thing for organisations to do is spend some time thinking about where they want to supply their goods and services. It is at a local, regional, or national level. What size of contract can your organisaton deliver, and what sectors can you deliver in.

From that, register on the platforms where the public procurement opportunities are listed. Review and make sure to select the right categories that you can supply. This will save a lot of time and ensure that the right opportunities are sent.

The size of contract will determine the procurement procedure that is followed. For lower value contracts this could be through a three-quote approach or tender. For higher value opportunities this could be through a Framework approach.

One thing that suppliers don’t take enough advantage of is the market engagement process. All public sector buyers hold market engagement events to talk about what they’re looking to buy and understand who can supply. These events are an opportunity for suppliers to showcase what they do, how they can help deliver the right solution and also suggest ways of improving the process.

Is help and support available for businesses that have never applied for public authority contracts?

Yes, there’s lots of support available. We run the NEPO Business Club which is a free service set up to explain the procurement process and where to find opportunities. We explain what buyers are looking for and share some of our expertise to help people find and win opportunities. We also have specific sessions to support suppliers with bid writing.

There’s support available across the broader business support landscape too, including bid writing skills and responding to tenders. Platforms like the North East Growth Hub, with its experienced North East Connectors, provide a great service for businesses just starting out in public procurement.

Suppliers can also get involved at the market engagement stage and influence what’s being purchased. These sessions are a way for suppliers to understand what the buyer is looking for, and it’s an opportunity to share ideas.

What would you say to businesses that have not explored or applied for public procurement opportunities before?

At NEPO, we’re incredibly ambitious for the North East. We want to see more regional suppliers winning contracts. This will help suppliers achieve their own ambitions and help the region achieve its ambitions. The region already has a great track record in doing this but we can do more.

Give it a go; what’s the worst that can happen. If you win it will help your organisation grow and inspire you to secure more public contracts. Don’t just limit your focus on regional contracts, be ambitious and look for some of the bigger, national contracts.

When applying for public procurement contracts, you’re not guaranteed to be successful every time. What line of business offers a 100% guarantee of success every time? The important thing is to ask for feedback, whether you have won or lost, so you can improve your future bids.

There’s support out there to help you achieve your ambitions. Use the advice and guidance that is out there. Network with other suppliers to learn from them and how they’ve been successful.

Where can businesses go to find out more information?

The first port of call should be the NEPO website (www.nepo.org), there’s lots of information on there.

I’d also encourage businesses to register on the Open platform (www.open-uk.org) so they can start to receive opportunities.

If you’d like to speak to someone about exploring public procurement, business support, or access to finance and funding, the North East Growth Hub’s North East Connectors are a great place to start. They can provide lots of free help and advice.