The BSA has published its Manifesto 2023.
The Manifesto is a summary of the policy positions which are important to members across the BSA community. It sets out the central policy areas for the business services sector and our proposals for tackling the challenges facing the UK.
Read it here.
The Rt Hon Graham Stuart, M.P., Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, delivered a message to the BSA Net Zero Summit setting out Government’s vision for a more sustainable UK economy and society, and the role service and infrastructure providers can play to achieve this.
The BSA has written to Michael Gove following this week’s welcome announcement that fully vaccinated critical workers will be able to leave self-isolation in exceptional circumstances, under plans to prevent serious disruption to vital public services, and to request that full consideration is given to BSA members in this regard.
Read the letter in full here.
The BSA has published its response to the Department for Education’s consultation on flexi-job apprenticeships.
Read the full response here.
BSA Chief Executive, Mark Fox, joined Adam Boulton’s All Out Politics podcast for Sky News, on Thursday 22nd April 2021, discussing business and government and a round up of the week’s news.
Listen here: https://news.sky.com/story/all-out-politics-podcast-business-v-government-12283944
The Business Services Association (BSA) today publishes a Statement of Best Practice on Partnership Working between larger businesses or VCSE organisations and SMEs.
Better partnership working and involvement of SMEs brings benefits to partners and clients, to the economy and to society as a whole. Larger organisations benefit from a healthy and more diverse supply chain, SMEs can benefit from the capacity, support and reach of larger organisations, and together they can achieve more.
The document looks at ways in which partnership working has been developing and improving in recent years, and why this should continue to happen. It then shares some specific examples of best practice which BSA members have put into effect and which it hopes will be adopted elsewhere.
It highlights some of the challenges faced by SMEs and identifies five routes to best practice in partnership working between larger and smaller organisations:
Mark Fox, Chief Executive of the BSA, said:
“Everyone needs to contribute in full if the UK is to recover quickly, sustainably and equitably.
That means the public sector, and private sector and VCSE organisations large and small, together in harness, working towards the same common goals.
This Statement sets out some examples of what has been achieved. But we are all on a journey, and we recognise that much more needs to be done. We hope this Statement will highlight examples which all larger businesses can learn from and adopt.
We are grateful to all BSA members involved in drawing up this Statement, and to the Federation of Small Businesses for their advice and support and for endorsing its principles.
This is an example of the sort of the collaboration we need if we are going truly to build back better in the months and years ahead”.
Small Business Minister Paul Scully said:
“Strong partnerships between businesses of all sizes is essential to our goal of levelling up the whole country and making the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
This welcome statement from the BSA highlights the importance of businesses working together and paying their partners on time, and builds on the government’s work with the Small Business Commissioner to tackle the toxic issue of late payments.”
Notes to Editors
The BSA represents large and small business and VCSE providers of services and infrastructure projects across the private and public services. Its members deliver ICT, BPO, facilities management, construction and infrastructure services, managed public services and some professional services such as banking, accountancy, consultancy, and legal services. Some BSA members are micro, small or medium-sized enterprises; others work closely with thousands of SMEs as supply chain partners or in other ways.
For further information, please contact Peter.Campbell@bsa-org.com or Gemma.Parrick@bsa-org.com.
The BSA has responded to the Government’s publication of the Green Paper on Transforming Public Procurement.
We strongly welcome the Green Paper, which reflects a significant step forward in the Government’s continued efforts to increase the value and efficiency of public service delivery – efforts that the BSA and its members have long supported.
We hope that the recommendations contained within this response can further support the Government’s work in this crucial policy area and have therefore only responded to the most relevant questions for BSA members as set out in the consultation.
The Business Services Association is delighted to confirm its support for His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales’ Terra Carta, part of the Sustainable Markets initiative.
Terra Carta will provide a roadmap to 2030 for businesses to move towards an ambitious and sustainable future; one that will harness the power of Nature combined with the transformative power, innovation and resources of the private sector.
Further details, including how to register your organisation’s support for the initiative, can be found here.
The BSA has made its submission ahead of Budget 2021. The submission focusses on the following: project delivery; investment and green recovery; supporting businesses and VCSE organisations; and the levelling up agenda.
You can read the full submission here.
The BSA will be submitting supplementary documents. Please send any further comments or matters arising to piers.neill@bsa-org.com
“We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing, but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead.”
Winston Churchill’s words to the nation at the end of the 1945 war in Europe. For us Christmas has passed and the new year has begun. For those that were able to pause for a moment work now resumes. For many BSA members the work of delivering services and projects continued throughout the holiday period.
The Prime Minister made it his political purpose to deliver Brexit and an accompanying new agreement with the EU. This he has done. The passing of the agreement marks a beginning as well as an end. An end to Britain’s intimate relationship with the EU and the beginning of a close one. Over fifty UK/EU working groups have been established to support the new arrangements. The BSA is involved where appropriate and has already been contributing to these work streams.
Continue reading “Mark Fox writes…”The BSA has responded to a letter from Gillian Keegan, Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, following our proposal on levy funded short courses.
Read the full letter here.
BSA Chief Executive Mark Fox has written to the Chancellor today regarding the furlough scheme and suppler relief. Read the letter here.
The BSA has sent a supplementary letter to the Chancellor following the Government’s recent announcements of further support measures for job retention, retraining and upskilling.
The letter builds upon many of the points in our submission ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review and focuses on job retention, upskilling and retraining (including Kickstart), supplier relief and office leases.
Read the full letter here.
In Summer 2020, the BSA and Polar Insight partnered on a survey of members to understand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the sector and to explore key factors relating to procurement across the private and public sectors.
Download the survey report here:
https://www.polarinsight.com/bsaprocurementsurvey
Or click here.
Mark Fox, BSA Cheif Executive, wrote to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak to set out members’ priorities ahead of the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review. The Submission focussed on project delivery; investment and green recovery; supporting business and VCSE organisations; and the levelling up agenda.
Read it in full here.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s statement in the House of Commons today, Mark Fox said:
“The Prime Minister has announced a series of further measures to restrict movement and action with the aim of arresting the further spread of the virus. These measures will have a direct impact on BSA members. As you know we are in good and constructive daily discussion with Ministers and officials to ensure your views and experience are heard by them and that their plans are clear to you. These moves by the government are likely to be the first in a series of actions over the coming weeks. Our priority is to keep you informed and to ensure your views are heard.”
The Prime Minister’s full statement is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-commons-statement-on-coronavirus-22-september-2020
“The Chancellor has done much to provide an immediate support to jobs and job prospects. Business and innovation will need further boosting and more sustained support going forward if our recovery is to be as dramatic as we all need it to be.”
An updated list of the latest FAQs on Covid-19 Testing designed for BSA members.
To help members communicate with staff, please see below a package of materials to be used for colleague engagement: Continue reading “Covid-19 Testing – further information regarding the process”