Procurement

£2.72bn

value of contracts awarded to date

2,800

contracts awarded to smaller and diverse-led businesses to date

30%

target for LAIN members to commit annual spend to smaller businesses

Goal

Support inclusive economic growth by buying a greater share of our goods and services from London-based micro, small, medium-sized and/or diverse-led businesses  

Key deliverables

  • Running a Meet the Buyer event for London’s smaller and diverse-owned businesses to connect directly with LAIN members to learn how to access procurement opportunities and enter their supply chains.   

  • Production of guides for small businesses on public sector procurement and demonstrating social value.   

  • Simplification of LAIN members’ procurement documentation (terms & conditions).

  • Reserving contracts specifically for London’s smaller and diverse-owned businesses.

  • Developing a database of diverse-owned businesses to market procurement opportunities to. 

  • Producing e-learning modules for junior procurement officers and other staff involved in commissioning to raise awareness of procuring from small businesses and how to reduce barriers they face.  

  • Increase the proportion of goods and services to be purchased from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and diverse-owned businesses (distinguishing between direct spend and Tier 1 spend).     

Members

Greater London Authority ~ London Fire Brigade ~ Metropolitan Police Service ~ NHS London Procurement Partnership ~ Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) ~ Transport for London ~ University of London ~ Capital City College Group ~ London Legacy Development Corporation

Programme highlights

Key Resources

Guide: Guide to Social Value

This guide is for members of London’s MSME community who supply, or are seeking to supply, their products and services to London’s largest organisations.

Brochure: Buyers Brochure
This brochure outlines commitments made by anchor organisations, what goods and services they buy and details of where their post their upcoming procurement opportunities.

Guide: How to Bid for Public Sector Contracts
This guide provides practical advice to London’s smaller business community on where to find commercial opportunities with London’s largest organisations.

Presentation: Presentation on the Procurement Act by Robert Vaughan, Department for Transport: SME event 19th May 2025
Presentation exploring implications of the Procurement Act 2023, highlighting opportunities and challenges for small and diverse businesses.

Case studies

Small and Diverse Suppliers Engagement Event: 19 May 2025

Events

Meet the buyer event: June 2023

Interesting reads