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6 March 2014 | Will Green
Contracts worth more than £8 million have been channelled through a website set up by Surrey County Council a year ago to encourage more local firms to bid for work.
Since its launch more than 700 firms have registered on the BuildSurrey site, which is part of a pledge to ensure 60 per cent of spending on goods and services goes to local companies. Currently 52 per cent of spend goes to local firms.
Councillor Peter Martin, deputy leader of Surrey County Council, said: “BuildSurrey is about helping our local businesses, and therefore our local economy, to thrive. In one year of operation, the site has clearly done that and I have no doubt it will go from strength to strength.”
The scheme gives firms the opportunity to bid for construction and maintenance work from the county council, its main contractors and other public sector organisations.
Suppliers can attend networking events and sign up on the website, where they can access information on construction programmes, criteria for the appointment of contractors, and get support to bid for work.