Last November, Sheffield-based design and digital studio, Paper published an open letter in response to the ‘troubling state’ of public sector procurement. Titled “Public Sector Procurement: A Race to the Bottom”, the letter outlines the increasingly hostile landscape small organisations face when trying to work with government – and warns of the lack of innovation and regression to an industry reliant on a handful of large suppliers.
In April 2025, Paper followed up with a second post, “Procurement Act: we still have a way to go”, offering more evidence of the problems and calling for collective action.
At Sheffield Digital, one of the reasons we exist is to represent our members. Paper has identified an important issue for the sector and that’s why we’re amplifying their call to action and encouraging our community to read, share, and sign the open letter. The problems identified in the two pieces have the potential to impact many small and medium, values-led digital companies within our community.
“This has built up over years,” says Mark Goddard, co-founder of Paper and author of the letter and follow-up post. “But it’s now getting to the point where it risks our business being viable, in addition to some of our partners.”
One of those partners, Loughborough based digital strategy studio Lagom, closed its doors recently – a decision directly related to the size and structure of public sector contracts. Mark and his peers are finding these are increasingly shaped in ways that edge out small and medium-sized businesses, favouring large consultancies that can compete on price, and failing to recognise “the true value that SMEs can bring”.
The letter and Mark’s more recent piece point to a growing trend: government departments bundling services into massive contracts, creating considerable barriers to entry for smaller suppliers.
“The most urgent issue we raise in the letter is the death of small businesses who want to – and are able to – work with the public sector,” Mark explains. “This leads to a lack of innovation and a regression back to an industry reliant on a handful of large suppliers.”
Support for the campaign
Paper’s open letter has been championed by peers and partner organisations, but there has been little response from the public sector itself. While a visit from Procurement Minister Georgia Gould was welcomed by Mark and his team, that momentum hasn’t yet translated into tangible change.
“We shared a lot of data and information with the Minister,” says Mark. “But we’re not seeing any change and we’re struggling to get a response. The campaign is struggling a little for traction.”
The second article – which includes more evidence provided by those who had signed the letter – is aimed directly at procurement professionals or those who are in a position to support Paper’s campaign.
The end goal is simple, says Mark: “More opportunities to work on well-sized, meaningful, outcomes-driven work.”
It’s about reforming a system that increasingly locks out the very organisations that he feels are best equipped to drive real, user-focused change. He adds,
“If the government wants public sector reform, it should consider who is really going to deliver that. Is it large organisations who rely on much of the same – or small organisations pushing for change?”
Get behind Paper and back the campaign
If you believe in what Paper is trying to achieve, here’s how you can show your support:
- Read the open letter: Public Sector Procurement: A Race to the Bottom and the follow-up post: Procurement Act: We Still Have a Way to Go.
- Sign and share the letter: Add your name in support, encourage your networks to do the same and keep the conversation going.
- Like, comment and share this post from Mark to amplify the conversation on LinkedIn.