The federal government buys $15 billion worth of goods and services every year, and the business owners in my constituency were invited to learn how to increase their revenues by supplying this mammoth market.

At the invitation of the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce and my offices, federal government representatives recently traveled to our area to shed some light on selling goods and services to this huge potential customer. Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) sent experts from the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises to explain how to cut through the red tape.

It is notable that $5.5 billion worth of the goods and services that the federal government purchases are supplied by companies with fewer than 500 employees. This means that small and medium-sized businesses provide more than a third of total government purchases. That should provide encouragement to company owners in Yorkton-Melville, who themselves provide some of the best goods and services available anywhere.

Supplying the federal government is a competitive venture, but it is a marketplace that is not going to dry up and go away. The government is a solid customer with predictable growth and vitality, and that is the best kind of customer of all. As government purchasing has evolved, the process grew cumbersome and difficult to figure out. Because we want to fix that, we have the PWGSC doing a road show to explain how the system works and why small businesses should consider tapping into the action.

The appearance of PWGSC’s Office of Small and Medium Enterprises in Yorkton is just the second time a member of Parliament has requested and supported a supplier seminar. This group delivered about 30 supplier seminars last year in western and northern Canada, with just three held in Saskatchewan.

And the education is taking root. Seminars elsewhere have resulted in smaller companies pursuing and landing government contracts, and there is every reason to believe the same could happen in Yorkton-Melville. PWGSC has also contacted the new Government of Saskatchewan to expand seminars across the province and the response has been positive.

The PWGSC’s Procurement Reform initiative intends to speed up both the decision-making process and the payment of suppliers. For more information, contact the PWGSC’s Office of Small and Medium Enterprises at 1-800-811-1148 or email osme@pwgsc.gc.ca

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The audio version of Garry's May 19, 2008 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here