BiP History

Business Information Publications (BiP) was formed by Ron and Les Burges in 1984 to produce the first comprehensive journal of public sector contracts in the UK – Contrax Weekly. The company changed its name to BiP Solutions in 2004, to better reflect the range of procurement services provided.

By publishing all UK public sector contracts together, BiP helped the public sector to reach a wider range of potential suppliers than ever before, while the private sector benefited from direct access to all public sector contracts published in the UK.

Key dates

As the company grew through the 1980s and 1990s, its expertise in the procurement marketplace became increasingly recognised by central government. In 1993, BiP was awarded its first third-party contract, to publish the Cabinet Office procurement magazine which is now known as Government Opportunities. Other large contracts followed from the Ministry of Defence and the National Health Service, and the company became a key marketing associate for such public sector bodies as the Health Care Supply Association, Central Buying Consortium and Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government (SOPO).

The company held its first seminar event in 1992, on the subject of the impact of EU legislation on public sector contracts. Subsequently, it has hosted and managed events for major organisations such as the Ministry of Defence, Office of Government Commerce, Inland Revenue and Scottish Executive.

BiP launched its first electronic tendering service in 1998 – PrOJECt. Further e-tendering product launches took place over the next eight years, including the expansion of PrOJECt into a comprehensive e-tendering system – Delta-ets, and email contract alert service – Tracker.

The company's online supplier information database service, Select, was adopted by the National Health Service under the title of NHS-sid in 2003. In 2004, the PASS consultancy service was launched to provide one-to-one support for customers with specific procurement issues.

An expert Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service was launched in the summer of 2005, providing mediation for all aspects of contract-related disputes. The service is provided in association with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

In January 2006 BiP was awarded a five-year contract by the Small Business Service (then part of the Department of Trade and Industry, now Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) to create, manage and commercially exploit a UK Government internet-based lower-value public sector contract opportunities service. The Supply2.gov.uk portal was successfully launched in July 2006 and there were 58,000 registered users at September 2007.
2006 also saw the introduction of the new Contrax online and email alert contract notification service, building on the longstanding success of Contrax Weekly magazine.

In 2007, a supplier accreditation service, Select Accredit, was launched to service the growing demand for pre-qualification of suppliers. Select Accredit, endorsed by SOPO, uses Capita to provide its vetting service. In September 2007, BiP Solutions was announced as the AXA Small to Medium Business of the Year in the National Business Awards for Scotland.

Today BiP Solutions employs over 180 people at its Glasgow HQ, all of whom are focused on the creation, delivery or support of services and products designed to satisfy the needs of the public procurement community ­ buyers and suppliers alike.