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Economic Development

Large Gloucestershire firms join campaign to help local SMEs

Engineering giants Renishaw and Spirax Sarco have joined the ‘Together Gloucestershire’ procurement initiative

Meeting of the 'Together Gloucestershire' partnership at engineering giant Spirax Sarco's headquarters in Cheltenham(Image: Federation of Small Businesses)

Some of the largest companies in Gloucestershire have joined a campaign to help smaller firms in the country win new business.

Engineering giants Renishaw and Spirax Sarco, listed financial adviser St James's Place and law firm Hazlewoods have joined local councils and business groups for the ‘Together Gloucestershire’ initiative.

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The partnership – thought to be one of the first of its kind in the country – is looking to create an online platform to make it easier for local organisations to work together to help support local companies, and ensure as much procurement as possible stays within county borders.

The chambers of commerce for both Cheltenham and Cirencester along with Gloucestershire’s branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, are all part of the scheme, which also has the support of public bodies including Gloucestershire Police and the GFirst LEP, with local MPs Alex Chalk and Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown also involved in early talks.

The initiative is looking to establish a pledge to improve the amount of procurement that goes to Gloucestershire SMEs, and for small firms to adopt an ethical and environmentally friendly approach to boost confidence in their supply chains.

During a recent meeting of the group at Spirax Sarco’s Cheltenham headquarters Sam Holliday, the FSB’ Gloucestershire development manager, outlined the organisation’s frustrations at the Government missing its own targets for giving contracts to SMEs.

Adam Vines of the Cirencester Chamber of Commerce also spoke to say how “pleased” he was that the ‘Together Gloucestershire’ campaign, and how it was now making “real progress” to take county procurement forward.