A council has signed up to do more to help small businesses in the area.

Lewes District Council has signed the Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Concordat aimed at encouraging trade between local authorities and small businesses.

The Concordat sets out what small firms and other community and voluntary sector organisations supplying the council can expect when tendering for contracts.

The Concordat was signed in the presence of Mark Froud, Chief Executive of Sussex Enterprise. The council has been working closely with Sussex Enterprise and other councils in Sussex over recent months to find ways to improve the mechanisms by which small and medium sized enterprises can win council contracts.

Mr Froud said: "Sussex Enterprise has pushed at an open door. The council has done most of the work and wants small local businesses to work for them. We are trying to make it easier and less scary to win business from the council."

Lewes District spends about £14 million on externally procured works, goods and services £6.6 million with small and medium firms.

The council has also produced a leaflet entitled Doing Business With The Council A guide for suppliers.

Thursday, April 27, 2006