Neil LimSmall businesses play a critical role in the Canadian economy. In BC alone, over one million people are employed by small businesses and over 98 per cent of all Canadian businesses are classified as a small business. With such a vital role in Canada’s economy, BC Minister Naomi Yamamoto appointed George Farkas to lead the Small Business – Doing Business with Government Project.
Appointed to lead the Small Business – Doing Business with Government Project on August 29th, 2013, Mr. Farkas and his team have been tasked with identifying opportunities to strengthen the relationship between the BC Government and small businesses. The key issue that Mr. Farkas will tackle is the difficulty that small businesses face in securing government contracts. By working with and consulting small business owners, Mr. Farkas and the BC Government hopes to find a viable solution to reduce the barriers that hinder small business from providing services to the BC Government.
With the aim of increasing small business procurement by at least 20 per cent, Mr. Farkas and his team will hold consultation sessions with small business owners around the province. Small business owners attending these sessions will be able to directly provide their feedback to the government.
Your Opinions and Ideas Matter
The first three formal consultation sessions for the Small Business – Doing Business with Government Project were held in Victoria, BC on October 17th, 2013, October 21 in Prince George and October 22 in Dawson Creek. Mr. Farkas and his team gained valuable feedback on issues such as the effort required to respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP). Responding accordingly, efforts have been raised to streamline the process and develop a two page template and to streamline the process of responding to bids for government contracts.
Here are a few ways to take part and offer your feedback:
1. Government is currently seeking input on a two page RFP for contracts with a value up to $250,000. This new approach will significantly streamline the process and minimize the time businesses need to invest to participate in an RFP process. To learn more about this initiative and provide feedback, visit http://www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/selltobcgov/rfp_consultation.
2. If you want to participate in future consultation sessions and provide your valuable feedback, additional Small Business – Doing Business with Government Sessions will be held on the following dates:
- October 30 – Kelowna
- November 12 – Terrace
- November 14 – Cranbrook
- November 19 – Smithers
- November 20 – Richmond
Go to http://www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/selltobcgov/ to sign up.
3. In addition to the consultation sessions, you can also provide your feedback and/or share your ideas through an online survey at www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/selltobcgov/survey or by sending your comments and ideas to selltobcgov@gov.bc.ca.