The development and adoption of a new joint bidding system for public contracts in Wales

Abstract

The paper describes the adoption of new SME friendly collaborative procurement processes in Wales and reports on some early successes. In 2012 the Welsh Government commissioned a team to research how SMEs could collaborate to access larger public sector contracts. This led to the publication of the new Joint Bidding Guide in 2013. The Guide leads both the selling and buying side through the procurement process ensuring joint bids are assessed in a fair and transparent manner. In 2014 the team was commissioned by the Welsh Government to advise leading procurement professionals in Wales on the adoption of the new Guide and map progress on up to 12 demonstration projects. The demonstration projects total more than €200 million in value.