Procurement award handed out to London borough

An award for Best Small Business Friendly Procurement was recently handed out at a London Councils and Federation of Small Businesses (London region) event. The September 5th event was held in recognition of local authorities support for capital based small companies. In the capital, small businesses make up 97 per cent of companies and are responsible for some 50 per cent of jobs in the city, according to London Councils. In the procurement category, Harrow was the winning borough, on account of the council's Sustainable Procurement initiative, London Councils reports. Bexley was highly commended in the category, because of the way it has worked to increase the accessibility of tender opportunities to smaller firms locally, it adds. Other categories covered were Best Cutting of Red Tape, Best All Round Small Business Friendly Borough and Best Campaign to Support Local Trade. The authority that claimed the award for Best All Round Small Business Friendly Borough was Barking and Dagenham council. “London is one of the great economic drivers for the UK, with people coming from all over the world to do business here because of our fair and honest business environment," commented FSB London chair Steve Warwick. "Councils have a vital role in making life easier for businesses and one of the main reasons why we have backed these awards is to work closely and share best practice with London boroughs to drive innovative and creative thought." London Councils representative Stephen Alambritis, who leads the London Borough of Merton, explained that councils know how important small businesses are to a locality's success economically. They valued very highly the contribution such firms make to local communities and economies, he added, and officers and politicians know what sort of pressure a lot of firms have faced recently, with economic growth slow. “Councils are actively cutting red tape, simplifying procurement processes, providing business support services, investing in infrastructure, and running campaigns to support local trade," he said. Cast UK is one of the country's leading professional level purchasing recruitment consultancies. Fill your next vacancy with us today!