SME Online Forum
SME Online Forum is a monthly session for techUK's SME members. Each month, we'll focus on a different topic important to SME members and hear from thought leaders and professional to support your business. The session also provides a opportunity to discuss and network with peers and colleagues.
An introduction to procurement trade policy and the benefits of the UK-AU FTA
Government procurement accounts for 10-15 per cent of the GDP of an economy on average. It constitutes a significant market for tech companies, and with procurement opportunities under the WTO’s GPA being worth over £1.3 trillion, tech SMEs from across the UK can benefit from fair access to procurement opportunities in markets across the globe.
For this session, we’ll be joined by the Government Procurement trade policy team from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). They’ll provide an overview of how companies can identify procurement opportunities overseas and the types of market opportunities available to UK companies. DBT will also discuss the enhanced procurement benefits within the UK’s Free Trade Agreements, specifically, the UK-Australia FTA. The FTA, which is expected to enter into force this Spring, secures more legally-guaranteed access to Australian procurement opportunities than Australia has ever previously offered in a trade deal and is expected to provide around £10 billion of new legally-guaranteed procurement opportunities each year.
Agenda
- What is government procurement and why is it important?
- The WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA)
- UK-AU Procurement Rules
- UK-AU Market Access Commitments
- How can you benefit?
- What to do if you experience a barrier?
- Q&A
Government Procurement Trade Policy Team
The Government Procurement Trade Policy Team leads on the international engagement, maintenance and updating of the UK’s signed trade agreements, this can mean via formal trade committees, individual conversations with international parties addressing market access barriers, negotiating necessary legal changes and capacity building or the exchange of knowledge with Government Procurement officials worldwide.
Ed Bevan
Ed is Head of SME Engagement and is responsible for shaping techUK’s proposition to our SMEs across the country, ensuring our policy work, market access activity and services benefit the SME community.