Strengthening the Great British Supply Chain

The UK’s supply chains are coming under increasing pressure, with fragmented procurement systems limiting skills development, weakening business resilience, and exposing firms to growing global uncertainty. These findings form part of the British Chambers of Commerce’s new report, A Smarter Way to Deliver Infrastructure: The Great British Supply Chain, launched at the BCC Global Annual Conference.

Despite SMEs accounting for 99% of UK businesses, they currently receive only 22% of direct public procurement spending. The BCC believes that increasing this to the Government’s target of 33% could unlock as much as £20 billion annually for smaller businesses and regional economies across the UK.

The BCC is calling for simpler procurement rules, greater participation of local suppliers, stronger links between infrastructure projects and workforce skills planning, and long-term investment in transport, digital and energy infrastructure. As international markets become increasingly volatile, strengthening domestic supply chains and improving SME access to procurement opportunities will be critical to boosting resilience, innovation and sustainable economic growth.

Read the full BCC press release:

Procurement Overhaul Key To Boosting Regions

Read the full BCC Report:

A Smarter Way to Deliver Infrastructure: The Great British Supply Chain