Local businesses benefit from council’s priority to spend locally

Wealden District Council has been ranked first place nationally for spending with small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and second in the southeast of England for local spending.

The data comes from an independent data collection agency, Tussell.

As a council priority to support local businesses and SMEs, just under half of the total  £52 million spent in 2024/25 was with local suppliers based within East Sussex and its neighbours - £4.8 million was spent directly with Wealden-based businesses.

The East Sussex Procurement Hub (ESPH) is a shared service to Wealden and other local authorities in the area. It works collaboratively to promote the use of local suppliers, actively engage with local SMEs and ensures smarter procurement - which has saved more than £1.2 million on insurance, construction/ infrastructure works, housing stock and other council services.

Councillor Greg Collins, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party) and lead councillor for Finance, HR and Customer Services, said, “Our focus has been on finding smart, sustainable ways to save money without reducing the services our residents depend on. By supporting local suppliers and small businesses, we’re not only reducing procurement costs we’re reinvesting public money back into the local economy, creating a stronger, more resilient Wealden for everyone. In the face of rising costs, ongoing inflation, and global uncertainty, making every penny count has never been more important.”