[This is an abbreviated version of the report. You can download the full PDF-report by completing the form at bottom of this page.]
Welcome to the latest edition of the Tussell Index, where we've crunched the numbers on the latest trends in public contracting to reveal record activity in Q3 2018. More than 2000 tender opportunities, worth £43bn, were published in September 2018.
Public contracting surges in Q3
Thanks to another strong showing in September, Q3 2018 saw the highest value of public tenders since 2015. Neither economic uncertainty nor controversy around government outsourcing appear to have dampened demand from the public sector.
Yesterday Theresa May signalled that the end of austerity is in sight...
Does recent strong tender activity in the Construction sector give substance to this? Over £13bn in Construction tenders were posted in September - it has been the biggest sector year to date.
With housing high on the agenda at every party conference this season, a £1.8bn regeneration tender from the Housing Association Clarion Housing was our biggest non-framework Construction tender.
Mixed progress on SME inclusion
In this month's Index we've delved into the topic of tenders flagged as 'suitable for SMEs'. Good progress has been made in raising the proportion of tenders deemed SME-friendly. But a lot of work remains to be done before this reaches a level sufficient for the government to hit its target of £1 in every £3 being spent through SMEs.
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