WIREDGOV

Announcing the final release of the Supplier Qualification Information Database or “SQuID”, the Finance Minister explained how this approach was developed by the Value Wales division of the Welsh Government in conjunction with the Welsh public sector.

Jane Hutt said:

"The roll-out of SQuID will help us to break down barriers for smaller suppliers and ensure that all Welsh businesses, regardless of their size, have access to public sector contracts.

"In the last 10 months the SQuID approach has helped Wales based businesses to win 45 of the 67 construction contracts or framework places awarded, potentially worth £755m. Welsh business is now winning two-thirds of all construction awards compared to only one third in 2010, a major boost to the economy.

"Employment and economic growth remain top of Welsh Government priorities.  How we use our annual £4.3 billion public procurement expenditure has a profound impact on Welsh jobs, and that is why we will work continuously to ensure our processes deliver real value for money."

SQuID is a standard set of selection stage questions, from which public sector procurement professionals select to create their pre-qualification questionnaire.  This ensures consistent and quality questions with reduced development time.  A supplier’s response can be captured and stored for future use.  This takes time and cost out of the process and removes barriers for smaller suppliers.

SQuID has been extensively tested across the Welsh public sector with over 500 buyers now trained in its use. The Welsh Government, NHS Wales, all 22 local authorities and many universities in Wales have committed to using it.  

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