McAfee draws up procurement guide for SMEs

New guide aims to help SMEs in the channel understand procurement frameworks for the public sector

McAfee has developed a guide to public sector procurement for SMEs selling IT technology and services to the public sector.

The guide aims to help SMEs in the channel understand the processes, legislation and different procurement frameworks.

The document explains the changing procurement landscape, looking at broad trends, EU regulations, and the different procurement routes.

Graeme Stewart, director of public sector strategy and relations at the Intel-owned vendor, said: "The government remains the most significant buyer of IT in the UK.

"Large organisations have departments dedicated to navigating these procedures, but smaller business, of the type the government is trying to court, have a harder time understanding what is required. We hope this will help all parties work better together."

The guide explains the government's plan in moving toward cloud-based platforms for the procurement process itself and delivery of services, as well as the process of setting up framework agreements.

Frameworks are varied and can be developed specifically for projects or repeat existing ones, but the two most important are:

The PSN: designed for those selling services and connectivity across government departments aimed at enabling the better delivery of digital public services.

The G-Cloud: a platform for delivering commoditised software services to government.

Stewart said: "There are a variety of options available to those looking to sell IT to the public sector. It is important to understand the different vehicles and which is most appropriate in a given situation, to ensure the process moves as quickly as possible."