Commissioning Green Paper to level playing field in public contracts

A Green Paper will be published later this year on how to create a level playing field for civil society organisations wanting to bid for public service contracts, ministers have announced.

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark and Civil Society Minister Nick Hurd promised “swift action” to open new opportunities for charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises.

The Green Paper will lead to a Public Service Reform White Paper in 2011.

The ministers vowed that there would be continued investment in a programme which trains public service commissioners to work with Civil Society organisations.

They also confirmed that social enterprises were eligible to apply for funding from the £1.4bn Regional Growth Fund.

Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said he wanted to see a whole mix of providers.

“New models like public sector staff forming co-ops to run their services and civil society organisations forming new alliances with government and the private sector can drive this change,” he added. “They will break down the old fashioned public service hierarchies and replace them with vibrant, efficient services that give people the support they need.”

Civil Society Minister Nick Hurd claimed the Commissioning Green Paper would “kick-start a radical shift in public service contracting so only the most innovative approaches win through”.

Hurd said the government acknowledged that there were too many barriers for civil society organisations that want to deliver public services. “We are determined to sort them out,” he insisted.