The Government should set itself a target for the proportion of public contracts awarded to female-led businesses similar to initiatives in Canada, the US and Nordic countries. Given the low base we suggest a target of at least 10% by the end of this Parliament. The proposed new Office should have responsibility for driving this reform and provide training and support to help female founders navigate public procurement processes. (Recommendation, Paragraph 57) 54

The Government should set itself a target for the proportion of public contracts awarded to female-led businesses similar to initiatives in Canada, the US and Nordic countries. Given the low base we suggest a target of at least 10% by the end of this Parliament. The proposed new Office should have responsibility for driving this reform and provide training and support to help female founders navigate public procurement processes. (Recommendation, Paragraph 57) 54 Type: recommendation | Number: 13 | Response status: partially_accepted Government response: The Procurement Act 2023 introduced a new duty for Contracting Authorities to consider SMEs when designing their procurements, for example by prohibiting onerous insurance requirements, and designing lotting structures that make procurements more accessible to smaller organisations, including female