As we face a third wave of the coronavirus and some departments are under lockdown again, companies are awaiting the resumption of activities with varying degrees of success.
Activities Impacted by the Coronavirus
Many sectors have been severely affected by the health crisis and all the restrictions implemented in France and around the world.
Theaters have been closed for over a year now, restaurants are discouraged, and suppliers are trying to continue their activities by diversifying their offerings despite the cancellation of all gatherings.
Many companies are seeking growth avenues to survive the crisis, as waiting for a return to normal seems impossible. Some have been able to adapt their sales processes, like restaurants with click & collect or using meal delivery apps.
Other companies are focusing on certain product lines or services to compensate for the loss of revenue from other activities. This is the case for [Alcor Equipements, a manufacturer of removable and mobile bleachers](https://www.alcor-equipements.fr), as highlighted by its CEO Eric LEPORT: “Our company could have been hit hard by the health crisis because we produce and sell bleachers for stadiums and performance halls. However, our expertise in removable equipment has attracted many clients who did not see themselves investing in 2020 in fixed structures that would have required financial amortization over several years.” National ([France Marchés](https://www.francemarches.com), [BOAMP](https://www.boamp.fr)) and international public contracts are also a particularly powerful growth driver for the company.
Public Contracts, a Tool for Economic Recovery
The government promotes public contracts as a lever for economic recovery. Following numerous government aids to support companies, the public procurement code is evolving to facilitate access to public contracts. The thresholds for exemption from advertising and competition have been temporarily raised to speed up procedures and encourage public purchasing by awarding bodies.
Local authorities are also taking action, such as the Occitanie region. The region has launched “the Public Contracts Portal in Occitanie” named SCOPE to make consultations more accessible to SMEs and very small enterprises (VSEs).
Why encourage SMEs and VSEs to take an interest in public contracts? Today, the government wants to support the smallest structures that have lost contracts and revenue due to the crisis. Public contracts are mainly won by large groups accustomed to the fairly complex tendering procedures, and the state wants to encourage SMEs to participate by making access to consultations easier for them.
With the increase in thresholds for procedural exemption, there is no need to create a complex application dossier for contracts estimated at less than €100,000. Thus, for all public purchases valued at less than €100,000, local authorities can simply request a quote from providers.
SMEs and VSEs, learn about ongoing public contracts and make yourself known to public buyers if you wish to be consulted for a market without advertising or competitive bidding!
