Supported businesses are enterprises where over 50% of their workforce have a disability. The definition is recognised across Europe and referred to in European regulations. These pages contain information for supported business. Please use the links in the menu block on the left to access further information about the latest updates and best practice.

Supported Businesses and BASE

Mel Walls is the National Lead for Supported Businesses for BASE NEC, she provides a link to the Supported Business Steering Group that acts as a voice for Supported Businesses across the UK and is developing the use of Access to Work and TESG across the sector.  

Article 19 of Directive 2004/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31st March 2004 allowed procurement officers to "reserve" contracts so that only supported businesses can compete for them. Contracts cannot be reserved for a specific organisation and all bids from supported factories and businesses submitted under the reserved contracts arrangements are still assessed on a value for money basis, with award to the bid offering the best value for money.

Article 19 has been replaced by Article 20 Regulation 21 which allows for reserved contracts where over 30% of the workforce of organisations are disadvantaged.

Supported Business in England

Since 2010 there has been no progress on frameworks at all in England. The Supported Business Steering Group (SBSG) brings together a range of organisations to secure sustainable funding for Supported Businesses and it is working with DWP on a proof of concept to test new funding mechanisms. There's more information on our policy page. 

BASE has been working with procurement officials in Scotland and Wales to create framework agreements. Contracting authorities can reserve a lot or category within a framework for supported factories and businesses to compete for. Where permitted, contracting authorities can also utilise existing framework agreements that use supported factories or businesses.

Supported Business in Scotland 
A great deal of progress has been made in Scotland where four framework agreements are now in place covering furniture, document management, textiles and signage. The Scottish Government established a Supported Business Advisory Group chaired by Fergus Ewing MSP which BASE attends. This work was acknowledged at the 2013 Procurex Awards where BASE Scotland were highly commended in the Sustainability / CSR Initiative of the Year award category after winning the award in 2011. The framework will continue in Scotland until September 2018.

Supported Business in Wales 

Things have been a bit hit and miss in Wales. There are no current framework agreements in place but there's a lot of support from officials. Supported businesses featured highly in the Welsh Government's Framework for Action on Independent Living. The Welsh Government has issued new guidance on reserved contracts in March 2021.
 

BASE has developed an online directory of supported businesses