Civil servants must work more closely with suppliers to improve outcomes and support British businesses, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has said.

Speaking at an event for government suppliers, Maude said that in the past the UK government has “militated against UK interests” by holding businesses at arm’s length, while other European countries have worked closely with domestic suppliers “so they are geared up to win contracts at home and abroad.”

There “is a myth prevalent across the public sector that talking to suppliers informally is somehow contrary to EU law,” he said – but in fact it is “plain common sense and good commercial practice.”

Meanwhile, speaking to the the Public Administration Select Committee this week, Maude outlined plans to create a “virtual commissioning academy” to train civil servants to “go out and engage with the supplier network”.

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Written by CSW