SMEs receive just 30 per cent of government's £2.3m Digital Services framework spend
Framework was developed to give government easy access to suppliers of "all sizes"
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have raked in less than a third of the government's £2.3m spend through its Digital Services framework (DSf).
The framework was developed to give government easy access to suppliers of "all sizes", with digital capabilities to design and build public services. It was put together by the Government Procurement Service and Government Digital Service.
The post revealed that there have been nine contracts awarded through the framework for a total of £2.3m, but that only 30 per cent of that figure - or around £700,000 - has been spent on SMEs.
The government said that it had learned a lot from the framework application and buying processes as well as the evolving needs of users of the framework.
"It's clear that the framework has improvements to be made so that it is clearer, simpler and faster for the public sector to get what it needs," said head of engagement at GOVUK, Raphaelle Heaf.
She explained that the government wants to ensure a "level playing field" to select from that encourages larger businesses and SMEs to be involved and to have a fair chance of winning work.
The government is now in the final stage of signing off the requirements for the next iteration of the framework, based on feedback it has received. It said that, once this is all in place, it will publish the OJEU notice and open submissions for DSf 2.