2.2 In 2011, the government set out three areas of concern for SMEs that it was aiming to tackle. These were:
• the lack of visibility of contract opportunities;
• overly burdensome pre-qualification requirements; and
• access to government to pitch ideas and promote innovation.10
2.3 The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has introduced several initiatives aimed at making it easier for SMEs to compete for government contracts, by reducing the barriers SMEs face. These initiatives are expected to improve the way government does business with all its providers, although some are targeted specifically at SMEs or VCSEs. We set out the full list in Appendix Three and summarise the main themes overleaf.
________________________________________________________
10 Cabinet Office, Making government business more accessible to SMEs - one year on, March 2012. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-government-business-more-accessible-to-smes-one-year-on