British Small to Medium Enterprises (SME’s) are being forced out of supplying to the Public Sector by procurement policy demands that they cannot afford to implement.
Modern slavery docs are now ubiquitous, as you say, though there is no legal requirement. A couple of weeks ago I had a large company asking my SME client for their policy on sexual harassment and - here's the kicker - exactly what "reasonable steps" they are taking to prevent it. Massive overreach.
'Twas ever thus. 30 years ago, I was an independent IT consultant working for a range of clients - some direct and some through small and medium sized tech firms who'd place me with their clients. Some large clients (particularly in government) would require certifications to 'prove' we could deliver the skills we were selling them. Nobody (smaller than one of the big global management consultancies) could have *all* possible certifications, so if they were really insistent, and if the certification was too expensive (in time and money) for us to obtain ourselves, we'd just team with a similar organisation who already had the required certification and could bid for the business and then subcontract it back to us (with a small uplift, of course, which the client ended up paying). Next time round the subcontracting relationship might well be reversed.
Modern slavery docs are now ubiquitous, as you say, though there is no legal requirement. A couple of weeks ago I had a large company asking my SME client for their policy on sexual harassment and - here's the kicker - exactly what "reasonable steps" they are taking to prevent it. Massive overreach.
'Twas ever thus. 30 years ago, I was an independent IT consultant working for a range of clients - some direct and some through small and medium sized tech firms who'd place me with their clients. Some large clients (particularly in government) would require certifications to 'prove' we could deliver the skills we were selling them. Nobody (smaller than one of the big global management consultancies) could have *all* possible certifications, so if they were really insistent, and if the certification was too expensive (in time and money) for us to obtain ourselves, we'd just team with a similar organisation who already had the required certification and could bid for the business and then subcontract it back to us (with a small uplift, of course, which the client ended up paying). Next time round the subcontracting relationship might well be reversed.
2nd paragraph typo "sheep credit" - or is it a term I am unfamiliar with?