A DIRECTORY of Burnley businesses is being set up to help local companies compete for council orders.

Burnley Council spends about £20m each year buying goods and services, with half the money going to local businesses. Now a project set up through the Challenge Fund aims to provide council staff with a directory of local firms and provide guidance on how to improve their bidding for business.

Independent economic developer Kate Smyth, leading the project, said: "Most council purchasing is not organised centrally. There are dozens of staff who can and do make decisions on what to buy and who to buy from."

Once the directory was produced, a meet-the-buyers session would be held for traders to learn about the local authority tendering processes and how they can apply to get on an approved list of contractors.

Anyone who did not get on the list would be told why, so they could learn from the experience.

Kate added: "Our main aim is to boost local firms by increasing their competitive edge. If they can compete for business from Burnley Council, they can compete elsewhere."

Lorraine Pardoe, who ran her own leisure and tourism business, joins Kate on the project. Her job will be to collect up-to-date information on businesses and services large and small in the Burnley area.

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