Why the £200m a year Small Business Research Initiative needs transparent implementation

If you run a small business and need that all important first customer to help you develop and trial your innovative new product, then the Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget has some good news for you. The Small Business Research Initiative which uses government procurement practices to drive through innovation, is to be increased by nearly ten times to around £200 million per annum during this Parliamentary session. This is excellent news, says David Connell; one that he and others have been campaigning for over the last 10 years. But the SBRI will only be successful if it is implemented in a totally transparent and accountable way.