SMEs in Public Procurement
Practices and Strategies for Shared Benefits
The relevance and economic implications of public procurement – which represents 12%
of GDP and one-third of government expenditures in the OECD area - make it a powerful
tool for improving public service delivery. At the same time, governments are increasingly
using their purchasing power to pursue strategic objectives in different policy areas
such as sustainability, innovation or providing support to small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs). Making it easier for SMEs to access public procurement opportunities
improves the general economic environment, promotes inclusive growth and supports
principles such as equal treatment, open access and effective competition. This report
takes stock of the approaches adopted in 37 OECD and non-OECD countries to help SMEs
perform better in public procurement markets, including removing barriers to their
participation. The report also describes the main features of a public procurement
system that benefits both the public sector and SMEs.
Published on October 26, 2018
In series:OECD Public Governance Reviewsview more titles